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!

New Home Building Project in Covington Back on Track

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As the job market gets stronger, so does the housing market.  Building supply retailers such as Home Depot and Lowe’s Home Improvement have seen a huge spike in sales in building materials and accessories this spring.  According to New Orleans City Business, “Homebuilders broke ground on more houses and apartment complexes in April, a sign that they’re gearing up for more sales. The annual pace of housing starts jumped 20.2 percent from March to 1.14 million, the highest rate since November 2007, a month before the recession began. There was also a 10.1 percent increase in approved building permits, which suggests that construction levels should continue to improve.”

With an upward turn in the housing market, a new home building project which was put on hold during the market crash in 2008 is now resurfacing. The Oak Alley Meadows development in Covington, LA near the intersection ofOak Alley Meadows Being Developed in Covington Orchard and Dominic Drives went before the Covington Zoning Commission May 18, 2015 and was approved.

Lonesome Development is the developer which is interested in annexing the land in North Covington for the neighborhood development project.  The 87-acre tract of land under discussion will include both residential and commercial new construction.  Plans for this new subdivision in St. Tammany Parish include 205 single-family lots and two commercial sites. The developer will use 80.4 acres of the land for homesites to build new homes and 6.7 acres of the land for the commercial development. The plan is to build the development in four phases.

Even though it is adjacent to the land that is currently in the final phases of lot development at Oak Alley Subdivision, the new Oak Alley Meadows development is a separate community from the current Oak Alley.  DSLD Homes is building the final new homes for sale in this community and once it is completed, there will be a total of 300 newly built homes.

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Habitat for Humanity’s National Women Build Week in Mandeville

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Habitat for Humanity’s National Women Build Week is an annual event held every year the week before Mother’s day where women across America join together to help build new homes in poverty stricken communities. The women’s comradery and the blessing of each other’s company made this week’s event a huge success. Since the Habitat for Humanity Builds in St. Tammany Parishprogram began, more than 2,300 homes have been built with the help of National Women Build Week. This year, Habitat for Humanity was joined by the local St. Tammany Parish Lowe’s Home Improvement which donated close to $2 million to the week-long event.

You do not have to be a builder to volunteer. Both Habitat for Humanity and Lowe’s encourage women to volunteer for a day to not only gain new construction skills but to make a difference in the lives of new homeowners living in St. Tammany Parish. These volunteers impact the lives of many families by providing them the chance at owning a newly built home. Volunteers are not only giving their time to a good cause, they themselves are learning the ins and outs of new home construction which gives them new confidence in being able to handle small construction projects on their own utilizing their building education. Lowe’s’ how-to clinics also assist in giving women the opportunity to learn the necessary skills for the volunteer jobs.

As a “life skills” learning experience, as well as an achievement and self-confidence booster for the new homeowners who get to live in the homes built by Habitat for Humanity, the construction of their new home offers a valuable life lesson as well. The project requires that they take pride in their new home by putting in their own time, energy, and effort into the building project. New homeowners are required to put in 300 – 400 hours of time in not only building their own home but also other Habitat for Humanity homes as well. During National Women Build Week, the focus is on the challenges and obstacles poverty-stricken women face when trying to reach the goal of home ownership.

More than 15,000 women volunteered during National Women Build Week May 2-10 across America. Of those 15,000 women, more than 25 volunteers, along with Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West, and Lowe’s Home Improvement (which contributed financially with a $5,000 Lowe’s gift card to Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West) helped with the building of seven houses in the Mandeville affordable housing community just north of Florida Street in Old Mandeville. The seven new homes under construction will be dedicated to the home buyers in June and October of 2015.

Parish President Pat Brister, who was among those that volunteered, said, “Over 400 children have grown up and/or are currently living in Habitat St. Tammany West homes. That’s 400 children that now have a safe and stable home to grow up in.” This new home construction project brought life changing education as well as shelter for residents of Mandeville, Louisiana, in St. Tammany Parish.

 

 

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A Taste of Covington Celebrates its Fourth Annual Food and Wine Event

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Covington Business Association is proud to announce the Fourth Annual “A Taste of Covington” happening April 9th through April 12th in Covington, Louisiana. A Taste of Covington celebrates its fourth annual food and wine event in and around downtown Covington and the historic district.  Chairman Cliff Bergeron created this family event to showcase downtown Covington’s restaurants and shops. The four-day event boasts numerous activities for local residents’ food & wine experiences.  Organizers so far are pleased with the response to the fourth annual event which they predict will be even bigger than the sold-out 2014 event.

Thursday begins the event with the Vintner’s Dinner, a four-course meal with expert wine pairings at top local a-taste-of-covington-vinters-dinnerrestaurants. The participating restaurants include Annadelle’s Plantation, Dakota Restaurant, Del Porto Ristorante, English Tea Room & Eatery, Gallagher’s Grill, Mac’s on Boston Street, Pardo’s, Ox Lot 9 and Seiler Bar.

The Grand Tasting takes place on Friday, April 10th under two tents at Acquistapace’s Wine Warehouse. Here you can enjoy approximately 75 different wines, along with dozens of cheeses. The tents can accommodate up to 400 people and will adjoin the wine warehouse where wine will be displayed.  There will also be room for more activities.

The Festa Del Vino Wine Tasting, presented by the Town of Covington’s Mayor Mike Cooper, will be at the Southern Hotel in the Historic District of Covington, Saturday afternoon, April 11th.  The featured wines will be premium wines donated by some sponsors of the event with exclusive attendance for only 100 connoisseurs to this high-end tasting.  Most of these wines are not found on the shelves in the local St. Tammany Parish stores.

On Saturday evening, April 11th, St. Tammany Art Association’s “Spring for Art” fills downtown with art, live music, food, shopping, a fashion show and more. Chairman Cliff Bergeron explains, “In each block of Columbia Street there’s going to be a loosely formed group of amateur chefs. It’s called the ‘Ancient Order of Southern Gourmets.’ These Chefs will sell food samples to passersby as they make their way from one shop to the next during this evening of art and entertainment in downtown.”

a-taste-of-covington“A Taste of Covington” wraps up April 12th with Sunday’s Champagne Jazz Brunch at Ox Lot 9. The fine dining experience will be created by Chef Jeffrey Hansel and accompanied with live entertainment from Steppin’ Up.

This year’s presenting sponsor is the Southern Hotel, while wine sponsors are Champagne Beverage Company, D&E Fine Wine Group and Acquistapace’s Supermarket. Grand sponsors are The French Mix and First Castle Credit Union, Festa Del Wino sponsor is Covington Mayor Mike Cooper, and five star sponsor is the City of Covington. Volkswagen of Mandeville will provide grand cars as the grand tasting sponsor; Music, food and spirits sponsors are Rosemary’s Closet, Stone Title and Mountain Valley Sparkling Water; and media sponsors are The Slidell Independent, Tammany West, New Directives, Covington Digital, WWNO, High 5 Studio, The New Orleans Advocate, Lake 94.7, the St. Tammany Farmer and Country Roads. A part of the proceeds from A Taste of Covington are donated to the St. Tammany Art Association.
For details and ticket information, visit www.atasteofcovington.com. For other inquiries, contact Cliff Bergeron at 504.439.2543 or email info@atasteofcovington.com.

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Deer Park Opens in Bedico Creek as New Home Sales Rise

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New home builder Alvarez Construction Company has joined the group of builders at Bedico Creek Preserve in St. Tammany Parish.  As a new home community builder, Alvarez Construction is proud to introduce new homes for sale in Deer Park, Bedico Creek’s newest new home Neighborhood.  Deer Park is located just down AudubonGardenia Parkway from our almost sold out neighborhood of Longview and just down the street from Cypress Crossing.  Similar to Deer Park, Cypress Crossing is a new home neighborhood located within the master planned community of Bedico Creek which features 3 exclusive builders.  Since its opening to the public in the spring of 2014, many homes for sale have been built, and 4 of these new homes are currently under contract.

Bedico Creek’s new home sales have reflected national trends in both our new homes for sale and resale homes available.  The National Association of Home Builder reported that new homes sales rose 7.8% in February, 2015 which is the highest reported sales pace increase in 7 years (February, 2008).

“Today’s numbers are a great start to the spring buying season,” said Tom Woods, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Blue Springs, Mo. “Hopefully, this is an indicator of how the rest of the year will fare.”

Deer Park opens in Bedico Creek as new home sales rise nationally, and move-up home buyers in St. Tammany Parish will have an affordable option to purchase a new home for sale.  Deer Park has one exclusive builder – Alvarez Construction – and features new homes ranging in price from the $230’s – $250’s.  The open floorplans available will range in size from 1,600 – 1,949 square feet and will feature 3 and 4 bedroom layouts.  3 new homes in Deer Park are available for sale now.  To buy a new home or build on a new lot for sale in Deer Creek, Contact Jose Amaya at 985-237-9189 or visit our community and the Deer Park on-site sales office which is open daily from 1pm – 5pm and by appointment for other hours.

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Town of Madisonville – Home to Many St. Tammany Parish Activities

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Location, location, location; that is the buzzword when making the decision to enter into a new home sales investment.  Bedico Creek Preserve is located just over 7 miles from the town of Madisonville – home to many St. Tammany Parish activities right on the Tchefuncte River and Lake Pontchartrain.  For its size of just over 780 documented residents according to information from the 2010 Census, Madisonville, Louisiana offers a suprising number of annual festivals, art shows, and other entertainment events to its residents.  For the “town proper” of Madisonville inhabiting such a small physical area in St. Tammany Parish, the amount of planned and advertised activities is actually a pretty substantial list.  Homeowners and home buyers of Bedico Creek Preserve can experience the rich Louisiana culture of the Greater New Orleans area just a short drive from our master planned, conservation community outside the town limits of Madisonville.

Madisonville is packed with many different restaurants and bars, some right on the Tchefuncte River, that serve fresh Gulf and Lake Pontchartrain seafood.  On many weekends, our residents can listen to live music, enjoy Cajun madisonville-home-to-st-tammany-parishcuisine, and find something to do either on the lake or the river during the warm spring and summer months.  On March 7th, the Madisonville Garden Club will celebrate spring with its annual Garden Show which will be set up on the riverfront and town hall lawn from 9am – 3pm.  Food vendors and landscape / plant vendors will be selling their wares and displaying a variety of stunning plant and flower arrangements.  In addition to shrubs, flowers, fruit trees, bushes, and house plants for sale, there will be outdoor specialty items for sale such as cypress furniture, pine straw, and bird houses.   The Garden Show will raffle off several goodie baskets to the tune of $1 / raffle ticket and $6 for 5 tickets.

If homeowners at Bedico Creek are interested in being part of the largest jam session in St. Tammany Parish, the town of Madisovnille will be holding its annual Acoustic Riverfront Jam which is free and open to the public to sit on the riverfront and enjoy live music.  Registration for the jam will begin on Saturday, April 25th at 10am.  This “open mic” environment features bluegrass, country, gospel, and oldies music with musicians of every age, location, and genre participating.  The musicians will receive a ticket for a potluck lunch during the event.

Living so close to the town of Madisonville is just one of the perks of buying a home or lot in our master planned community.  You can also enjoy our amenities such as 500 acres of pristine wilderness which has designated hiking and biking trails, several small lakes and ponds for fishing and boating, a swimming pool, a disc golf course, and a pavilion perfect for entertaining.  For More Information about Bedico Creek, Contact Us at 985-845-4200 or e-mail Info@LiveBedico.com.

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4th Quarter Housing Stats Indicate Steady Real Estate Market Recovery

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It’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon, and it has  pushed the United States out of the Recession with its influence on the employment market and loosening credit requirements.  Even though, technically the real estate market was partially responsible for the crash that set in the largest Recession the world has seen since the Great Depression, the1-1049-cypress-crossing-drive-exterior-front recovery of the real estate market was a big part of fixing what was broken with the economy.  However, the upward climb has been, as cautiously predicted by economists, a sometimes painfully slow one as housing has been gaining traction over the course of 1.5 years.  Once the bottom was hit, and the market “turned” back upwards, the growth has been unstoppable which is why 4th quarter, 2014 housing stats indicate steady real estate market recovery numbers instead of “record-breaking” substantial growth.  The only sharp increases that the recovering home market has seen were the unprecedented jumps in home values for many months during 2013 and 2014.  Rising house prices were good news for existing homeowners looking to sell or existing homeowners trying to get out from “underwater” in their existing home loans, but they were a cautionary tale for Wall Street which feared a “double-dip” Recession.

As home prices have leveled off, and mortgage interest rates have continued to remain low, and existing and new 156-st-calais-place-exterior-1home sales have seen record-breaking months; all signs point to the real estate market returning to normal levels in a couple to a few years from now.  Even though this may not seem fast enough for some people, it is still really good news for the struggling economy and job market.  Housing affordability wnet up to 62.8% of new and existing homes for a “typical” family in the US earning approximately $63,900 in household income in the 4th quarter.  The Leading Markets Index (LMI) which measures a comparison of current market conditions to “normal” market conditions – Pre-Recession – showed that 69% of the 350 tested markets showed improvement of real estate conditions from 4th quarter, 2013 to 4th quarter 2014.  11 markets have met or exceeded normal conditions in 2014.  Finally, new home sales in January, 2015, went down only .2% from the previous month which is definitely a good sign as the harsh winter conditions should have vastly affected these numbers.  The supply of new homes on the market to sell was only a 5.4 month supply which is considered normal and sustainable.

Overall, the real estate market continues to move steadily forward with gains and increases occurring either every month or every quarter according to what is being predicted by economists.  The only way to turn this marathon back into a sprint would if there were tremendous recovery signs in the United States employment market which include substantial wage increases, people flooding back into the job market, the availability of full time employment, and a jump in the creation of new jobs.  This, more than anything, would create a stronger and faster recovering real estate market nationwide.

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