Archive for June, 2008
New Orleans Garden District Condos-Historic condos and homes are all here! 2512 Magazine Street- the Livaudais House
June 29th, 2008 categories: Historic Homes, New Orleans Condo Reviews
In the New Orleans market you have a lot of historic Uptown New Orleans homes and apartment complexes that have been turned into condos. This historic type of condo is much more like living in an old home with the high ceilings, large porches, common yards, plenty of light and large spaces. You just pay a lot less! The unit I just sold with Lana Sackett to a new medical student attending Tulane University this fall was located at 2512 Magazine Street in the Garden District.
The Livaudais House features 8 condos of varying sizes and types are located among single family homes worth millions and a block or two from the local coffee shops. its also with walking distance for grocery shopping and much more. You can walk to the St. Charles Ave. Street cars and are about 25 blocks from the French Quarter. You can be at Tulane the Med. School which is downtown in 15 minutes tops.
The 2512 Magazine condo has one very large master and a smaller bedroom on the other side of the condo which would be perfect for a room mate. The kitchen was updated, the hardwood floors and old fireplaces really brought that historic condo to life. The secure entrance and parking spot on the side of the unit was a big plus. Jogging and pets are allowed. Everything is within walking distance and viewing the nearby homes and gardens is free. Read the rest of this entry »
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New Orleans Real Estate, Colors sets us apart! Do we follow the crowds?
June 26th, 2008 categories: New Orleans Origionals
This is part of a recent article on colors of homes in the New Orleans area and how unique many of the homes and condos are. I have added some of my photos to give you some ideas of the variety. Historic New Orleans is blessed to have many such neighborhoods. Sometimes change is not good. We should be glad to have such a colorful city.
Of course someone is going to go overboard, its like having that Uncle who listens to a different drummer and sees what others do not. They too are accepted as the norm in many areas of town.
“Basically, it’s a fairly inoffensive color, easy to paint over, makes decorating very easy and generally no one has an objection,” Sciortino said. “In my opinion, it is rather lackluster and everyone has it.”
“Whereas the colors in neighborhoods such as the Marigny, Treme and the Bywater reflect more vibrantly colored French-Caribbean traditions, Uptown New Orleans has always tended toward a more subdued color palette, based largely on the architectural styles of the mid-19th to early 20th centuries, said Hilary Irvin, principal architectural historian for the Vieux Carré Commission. But Irvin said the monochromatic trend that has won favor recently Uptown is driven more by fashion than history. Read the rest of this entry »
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2801 St. Charles Ave-The Washington Condos-Uptown New Orleans Condos
June 23rd, 2008 categories: New Orleans Condo Reviews, Uptown NOLA
The Washington Condos are a little known association on St. Charles Ave. as there is only 10 units. It a typical 1920’s apartment house that was converted into condos in 1997. Then the developers did little in the way of upgrades. It was up to the purchaser to do his thing. In these units some have been made over and some have not.
Its Historic in Nature and you get that uptown feel on St. Charles. These could be great second homes as you are close to a lot of things and a short ride via streetcar to the French Quarter or Audubon Park. Oddly enough there have been few sales to date. The early apartment were built on St. Charles ave to take advantage of Public transportation long before every family had cars.
There is currently one two bedroom unit for sale in the building and one unit for rent. Some of the units have parking and some do not. There is a central laundry room that is not the mos popular thing these days. I would matter less to a second homer. Being on the Parade route for Carnival will get you a lot of friends and give your bathroom a lot of work. The higher ceilings, wood floors and windows are a draw for this era apartment. Entry is to a hallway and to the to the individual unit.
The second home market has taken off in recent months and its the two bedrooms that seem to be in demand. I did a search very quickly for a client and found only about 8 units that would fit there basic needs. This is not a lot for sale in Uptown New Orleans. There was only two such condos in the Warehouse District priced under 250k with two bedrooms. Last year it was the demand for the one bedrooms that were keeping us hopping.
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Warehouse District Condos New Orleans-825 Lafayette Street Condos
June 22nd, 2008 categories: New Orleans Condo Reviews, Warehouse District
Quintessential Warehouse Living at its finest. The large spaces, over-sized windows, polished concrete floors, lots of light, plenty of storage space, with large bedrooms make these a nice choice if you need space . The 825 Lafayette Condos are located on a quiet street in the New Orleans Warehouse District. The complex is half a block from Barone near the old Civic Theater which is now apartments.
The 12 unit 5 story building was an early conversion in this area. The first floor is all garage parking with secure entrance on Lafayette Street. The condos in this area tend to be larger units with fewer units as the type of buildings change from those nearer the Mississippi River. More storage and office warehouses and less manufacturing such as the Cotton Mills, Fibre Mills, and the Bakery.
The units are very large for the Warehouse District and are a true warehouse look with concrete floors, exposed beams, brick walls giving you that rustic warehouse look. The units range in size form 1500-2000 sq. ft. of living with each unit having at least one parking spot in the garage. Each has at least 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. The bedrooms are large with plenty of storage with large closets. Read the rest of this entry »
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New Orleans Warehouse District Condos-1000 St. Charles Ave Condos-They face Lee Circle
June 21st, 2008 categories: New Orleans Condo Reviews, Warehouse District
These condos are unique for the New Orleans Warehouse District for several reasons. All the units are at least 1300 sq. ft. and all are two bedroom and two bath units. The views from the extra large windows are outstanding as the units face St. Charles Ave and Lee Circle. There is garage parking on the first floors. The four story building house 12 units which makes it one of the smaller complexes in the area with some of the bigger units. The building was converted into condos in 2003 and turnover has been small since that time.
The units feature open floor plans with 13 foot ceilings, old pine floors, plenty of storage, granite counter tops, stainless appliances, brick walls in each unit and large bathrooms. The garage entrance is on the side street with an elevator to the floors. The buildings is about 100 years old but looks to be well maintained. Here you get the Warehouse Feel and lots of space with nice updates. The St. Charles Street Car line is at your front door.
There are 2 units for sale in the building now. One is 399k and the other is 349k. The 349k one should be selling any day now as both are very much alike in terms of size. I had better get busy and find a buyer.
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Warehouse District adds Audubon Insectarium, it adds value to the area!!
June 18th, 2008 categories: Art , Music , Parks, Warehouse District
The new Audubon Insectarium opened up last week. What does this have to do with New Orleans Condos? The Warehouse District where the Insectarium just opened up is between the New Orleans French Quarter and the Warehouse District. The Warehouse District Condos area is the “trendy location” for condos in New Orleans Downtown . Each time another Museum or venue opens it attracts more people to the area.
People get exposed to the area that do not know what the area offers. People spend money and the area develops businesses to take advantage of the people. It becomes more of a family destination and builds on itself. People take notice and begin to consider the area for a second home. Its family friendly and you can walk everywhere for unique experiences. This may not be in Houston where you drive 50 miles to get a sno-ball.
Museums such as the Insectarium, Aquarium of Americas, and the World War II Museum are changing the landscape and the values of the area. Its positive for the future growth of the area and the tax base. Jobs follow these developments and people like quality of life developments. This is new for New Orleans but a natural as we will see. As per a recent Gambit Article you can see below.
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New Orleans Condos-Commodore Condos at 3300 St. Charles Ave.-Uptown New Orleans. Studios are availiable!
June 15th, 2008 categories: New Orleans Condo Reviews, Uptown NOLA
The Commodore Condos in Uptown New Orleans are located at 3300 St. Charles Ave. near Louisiana Ave. The new Borders Book Store that is going up almost next door. The 31 units has some unique features that are certainly pluses. The units have gated parking and a secure entrance in the front and the rear. Its got a great location and an historic feel to it. There are studios which is not the norm for the area along with one bedrooms and a few two bedrooms. Being on St. Charles Ave. is always a bonus.
The units have been updated at the time of the conversion several years ago. The kitchens were updated with granite countertops, newer cabinets, stainless steal appliances and new light fixtures. There is one central washer and dryer which is not a favorite. The lack of washer and dryer hurts the units in terms of resale since most others in the area have them in the larger units. The historic features of hardwood floors, higher ceilings, lots of light and privacy are the pluses for the complex.
There are currently 8 units for sale in the complex which is a lot for a 31 unit complex. Some are going to be overpriced which I see as a common for these condos for some reason. You just do not know why people overprice in a market such as ours which is still good but not great. Maybe the owners do not have to sell or that owners just want too much. They may not have seen the competition except those that are in the complex. Read the rest of this entry »
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New Orleans Condos-Know the sellers motivation for selling! Know their timing?
June 13th, 2008 categories: Condo Knowledge
Knowing the sellers motivation for selling is great fact to know when making an offer on a condo. In general people selling condos tend to be more motivated than house sellers as the condo sellers are moving somewhere else. They do not want an empty unit and are not likely to want to rent it out from a distance location. If the seller is not local this becomes even harder. The seller may be changing jobs, getting married, finishing school , or moving to another unit or buying a home.
When is the seller moving? Many time the sellers puts up the unit before hand and will want to see what they can get for the unit. The listing agent may not want to tell the seller what the unit is worth. The longer it stays on the market the harder it is to get that buyer. People begin to wonder what is wrong with the unit and forget that it was priced high in the beginning.
Look to see if the seller got a good deal when they bought it. Sometimes the seller paid too much for it when they bought it and think they have to at least break even. This may not be the case unless its a great unit and improvements have been done. Many times a seller bought the unit as a pre-sale or got a good deal on it. its worth checking the history on the property.
Is the unit rented? Many times sellers renting have income coming in and are not that motivated. After the tenants move out, the sellers become much more motivated. Many times the tenants make it much harder to show. It may also show less well. The opposite of a staged unit is one with a messy tenant. It can make a huge difference in peoples perspective of the unit.
How long has it been listed at this price. Have previous deals fallen through? The seller is more ready the second time around. When did the unit get to the correct price?
I find people who sell that use the units as second homes tend to be on target as to the value of the unit. They are generally selling for a reason and when a fair price comes along they will be eager to take it.
Knowing what the unit is worth is the most important fact to have. This is where an experienced agent can help you with. What are the trends? What are the pros and cons of each unit. Seeing the unit through the eyes of others is a great way to look at it.
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New Orleans Condos-You can get updated daily via e-mail on new Listings! Do not miss the better Condos!
June 11th, 2008 categories: Condo Knowledge, Internet connections
You can get updates on the New Orleans condo market on a daily or weekly basis from our local MLS system. I will send you all the listings regardless of the listing company or agent. Its a great way to be kept up to date if you are looking today or in six months. The best way to have me set up the e-mail updates is to give me your parameters such as cost, bedrooms and the areas which you are interested in.
I can set this up based on what you are looking and change the parameters as we move forward. Many times people start in one area or price range and change. Just notify me and I will make the changes. It will show you when things fall into your price range and as the photos are added. The agents take the photos as when they enter them you will receive the updates. Many agents are not great at showing off the property via photos. I have seen many of this and can give you the pros and cons of the area and the complex.
Here is a sample of the link. eric condo. It is a timed link meaning it will not stay forever. It should give you a lot of basics. The real estate board will take one photo of the property which they did here and deleted the good photo which I took. This is a great way to keep you updated while I am working. If you see something that you are interested in we can talk about it or send me an e-mail so I can look up the details.
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Rural Development Loans, Little know but may be a fit for your needs!
June 11th, 2008 categories: Julie's Mortgage Tips
Rural Development is a USDA loan program. This loan is 100% financing (no down-payment is required). It is available for Jefferson Parish which includes Kenner but excludes Metairie and River Ridge. It is available in Slidell and all St. Tammany Parish. There is no monthly Mortgage Insurance Premium with this loan. The rate is a 30 year fixed rate at market interest rates. There is no maximum loan amount. Please feel free to give me a call if you have any questions. Julie Baudier
Its hard to keep up with all the loans and programs. I rely on a professional such as Julie to keep me up with all the niche products that few of us have heard about. However if if fits your needs it can be great. The state bond money ran out today but there is a similar program in Jefferson parish that still has funds left. Julie will keep you updated.
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