Find out about the latest news in Madisonville, Louisiana as well as St. Tammany Parish. We will keep you “tuned in” to all of the information about Southeast Louisiana as well as the real estate industry in general. Many new home buyers are concerned about the market, mortgage information, and builder trends. We plan on keeping you as up to date as possible on these and many more topics. There is a lot going on in the Greater New Orleans area, so you will have plenty to read!

Tips to Sell Your Family Home

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Selling your family home is something that can be emotional. Whether you are downsizing, moving to another location or wanting to buy a condo, there are tips to start with in order to reach this goal.

1. Determine Your Timeframe

Think about your timeframe because it can take a few weeks to several months to sell a home. Even in a seller’s market there are variations due to the asking price, location, condition and appeal of your home. So knowing how much time you need to get yourself into a new home is important. This will help your real estate agent determine the listing price and the marketing strategy they will use to sell your home.

2. Determine Your Home’s Market Value

Your sales agent can help you with this step. It is very important to find out the market value of your home before it is listed for sale. You and your agent will review recent home sale in your area, the condition of your home and if you have any upgraded features or renovations that have been done. The market conditions will be a big part of determining the list price of your home. This means you will need to take into consideration housing inventory, interest rates and buyer demand.

3. Get Your Home Ready For Market

Your home needs to make a good first impression so in order to do this, you must address any problems. Make sure the floors are clean, paint looks fresh and your home looks overall welcoming. This will include your home’s curb appeal, repairs and maintenance, decluttering, and staging. Your real estate agent can help you with the process or can refer you to a home stager who can assist.

4. Negotiation and Accepting An Offer

This can be a complex step and your real estate agent will help you along the way. Remember that you need to be prepared to negotiate. and don’t let your emotions get in the way. Your realtor will review all terms with you and help you with your response in a timely manner. Also, consider all the offers if there are multiple offers and accept or counteroffer.

5. Prepare To Close

Again, your real estate agent is there every step of the way including this last step. This final step has many stages that you will need to go through. There will be a final walk-through where the buyer and their agent will walk the property to make sure everything’s in order. The escrow company will release an estimated settlement statement and you will sign the closing documents. Once these are complete all funds will be released and the keys will be given to the new owner.

If you are ready to sell your family home, contact a local realtor who can help you with selling your home from start to finish. An agent can help you go through all the steps you need to do in order to get into your new dream home.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

The 2023 Fall Seminar and Plant Boutique in St. Tammany

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The Master of Gardeners of St. Tammany along with the LSU AgCenter hosted the 2023 Fall Seminar and Plant Boutique this September in Mandeville. The event took place at Church of the King at I-12 and LA 59.

The event had several seminars that included presentations and table talks. The experts and experienced horticulturalists talked on many subjects such as the sale of bedding plants, trees, bushes, herbs and Gulf South natives. Patrons could also visit the Plant Boutique which had items from Bracy’s Nursery, Mizell’s Camellia Hill Nursery, Steiz Nursery and Windmill Nursery.

The table talk topics will include :

  • “A Year at Clove Brook Farm: Gardening, Keeping Bees, Collecting Antiques, and Entertaining Friends” by Christopher Spitzmiller;
  • “New and Recently Introduced High-Performing Plants for 2023” by Mike DeRee, of Ball Seed Company;
  • “The Best Herbs to Use in Your Landscape Design” by garden designer, horticulturist and author Sue Goetz;
  • “Container Gardening” by master gardener Peggy Plaisance;
  • “Native Plants for your Landscape” by Caitlin Roberts of Swampfly;
  • “Growing Vegetables,” by Grady Seale, of Covey Rise Farms; and
  • “Ask the Expert” by Will Afton, county agent, LSU AgCenter.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

How St. Tammany Schools Did on the State LEAP Exam Scoring

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The annual LEAP exam scores came out and according to the Department of Education, St. Tammany Public Schools tied for fifth in the state. This was counted by the students’ scores that were mastery or above. Forty-five percent of the students in St. Tammany Parish and Plaquemines Parish scored above or mastery in English language arts, math, science and social studies last school year.

Other Parishes in the state scored well which included St. Charles at 42%, St. Bernard at 35%, Jefferson at 28%, Orleans at 24% and St. John the Baptist at 19%. In the whole state, 33% of Louisiana students scored mastery which means they are ready for the next grade level. The scores for the test are graded on five levels which are unsatisfactory, approaching basic, basic, mastery or advanced.

“Our students are making amazing progress and we are so proud of the work the teachers and kids have done to grow LEAP scores in our district. To demonstrate this amount of growth as one of the 10 largest school districts, with more than 37,000 students, is incredible. It truly showcases the dedication of our teachers and the effort of our students,” says Superintendent Frank Jabbia.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

MC Bank Takes Over Covington’s Heritage Bank of St. Tammany

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MC Bank, based out of Morgan City, is now the proud owner of Heritage Bank of St. Tammany in Covington. MC Bancshares which is the holding company of MC Bank transacted an all-cash merger worth $6.5 million and value of Heritage Banks’s adjusted tangible shareholders equity.

“As local Louisiana banks, we share similar core values and a relationship-centric approach to serving the communities that we are fortunate to be a part of. This transaction is a very natural and contiguous expansion of our current footprint,” says MC Bank CEO Chris LeBato.

If this transaction is approved, Heritage Bank’s two locations in Covington and the other locations in Slidell will become MC Bank. MC Bank already serves throughout the state of Louisiana with banks in Lafayette and Youngsville. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and the approval of the shareholders of Heritage NOLA Bancorp and is expected to close in the fourth quarter. If approved, all Heritage Bank locations will be converted to MC Bank.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

Positive Expectations for Housing Availability

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Many future and current homebuyers are seeing brighter days ahead for the new home construction sales. The Housing Trends Report showed 29% of those who were looking to buy a home felt that they housing availability was better. In fact, there was a 2% increase from the last quarter in 2022 to the second quarter of 2023 from 24% to 26%.

The overall perspective has been more positive among all the regions across the U.S. We saw a big impact from the last quarter of 2022 to the second quarter of 2023. In the Northeast it increased from 28% to 36%, the West 27% to 34%, the Midwest 19% to 25% and the South 24% to 27%.

Although the regions changed in a positive light in all regions, the changes were more drastic in some regions over others. From the final quarter in 2022 to the second quarter of 2023 the inventory perceptions increased in the Northeast from 26% to 42%, the Midwest from 23% to 28% but in the South it went from 32% to 31% and the West from 31% to 30%.

The Housing Trends Report (HTR) is based on research done by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The goal for the report is to measure perceptions about the availability and affordability of homes for sale in their markets.  The report comes out quarterly.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

Everyone Loves Butter Krisp Diner’s Donuts

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Residents in Covington were heartbroken when a storm Spring of 2022 ripped the roof off of Butter Krisp Diner. After fifteen months, the hot spot finally reopened its doors. In fact, the first day back to business the diner sold over 13,000 doughnuts.

The ironic thing about the opening day was it was only supposed to be a soft opening to train the employees according to owner Joseph Bonon III. The soft opening was anything but as the Covington police had to step in to keep U.S. 190 clear as drivers waited in the long line for the drive-thru. Patrons even said they took a long lunch break to wait in the long line for the delicious treats.

“We’ve been here for probably about an hour,” said Kallye Melancon as she waited in line.

“People were used to coming here every day, and they lost it all of a sudden. It kind of tore ’em up. It’s crazy. I’m really happy,” said Bonono about the line outside his diner.

Patrons from all over came to enjoy the scrumptious delights. Ciji Wallace came all the way from Mississippi. “They have doughnuts in Mississippi but they’re not Butter Krisp,” she comments.

Those that go to the diner for the doughnuts can also enjoy a plethora of items on the menu. The 24-hour diner is the perfect place for a late night burger and BLT.

If you haven’t already stopped by for a doughnut that is the same as it was before. “Every ingredient is the same,” Bonobo said.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.