My daughter and I drove around this weekend searching for cemeteries and cool places to photograph. Yesterday, we went down to Bancker, Louisiana, to what used to be a thriving plantation community south of Abbeville. This is where we found the Grotto and a memorial park still in progress.

Bancker was founded in the late 1800s by families of Acadian, Spanish, German, and Danish descent. The Grotto was built in 1935 by Father DeVos to honor our Lady of Lourdes. It stand a few yards away from the cemetery.

The cemetery is for the most part in good to great condition. We saw people bringing flowers while we were there. These are probably some of the oldest graves there and a sign on the site dates the oldest one to 1897.

This walkway through the woods is under construction and certainly mosquito paradise! It goes from the Grotto to the cemetery following the river. There are a couple of places where you can actually see the river.

Bancker is on the banks of the Vermilion river. There used to be four plantations there, two on each side of the river and a ferry was in operation to take people back and forth. Today, aside from the Grotto and the cemetery, there isn’t much around. It is a very peaceful site worth the trip if you ever find yourself in Vermilion parish with time on your hands. Just don’t forget your mosquito repellent!

Originally Posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

Thinking about buying a home or investing in real estate but you’re not sure where to start? Join us Wednesday, November 2nd at the Maurice Library in Maurice for a free seminar that will help you get started. You will learn about:

• Qualifying to buy a home
• The different types of loans available
• How to search for the perfect home
• The home buying process from start to finish
• Moving up/Moving down
• Investing in Real Estate

The event will start at 5:30pm and should last about one hour. Brigitte Lacour from Assurance Financial and myself will be there to answer any questions you may have. Let your friends know. I hope to see many of you there!

Originally Posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

This is the kind of place you’ll only find if you know where you are going. Picard Cemetery, or “Le Cimetière des Picards” as locals call it in French, is located south of Milton down a gravel road that is lined with sugar cane fields, and not much else. And when you think you’re lost, all you have to do is open the gate and drive some more on a grass road. It will lead you strait to a little piece of heaven by the Vermilion river.

Picard Cemetery is beautiful, eerie, peaceful, a little creepy, and somewhat magical, all at once. My husband’s great-grand father is buried here although I couldn’t tell which tomb is his (it is one of the unmarked graves; he died in the 1880s). The cemetery is a mix of recent, old and very old graves. It is also a bit of a mess with broken tombs, broken crosses, and weeds growing around them.

According to my husband, who heard the story from the owner of the property a long time ago, Picard Cemetery came to be shortly after the war between the states when a man was shot to death there by the vigilantes. The man was buried by the river and was later joined by others. I could not find information at this point to confirm this story. If you know anything, do tell.

Part of the cemetery is still being used and is well maintained but most of its grounds could use some TLC. At the same time, I think part of the magic about the place is due to the mess.

If you know of a special place like this one I could visit one day, I would love to hear about it!

Originally Posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

We have just reduced the price of this charming new construction in Chateau Vermilion subdivision to $142,000. It is ready for its new owner! This home features 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1490 square feet, stained concrete floors in living, dining, kitchen, glass tile back splash in kitchen, huge master suite, 1/2 lot, and more…

This property qualifies for 100% financing through Rural Development, it is not in a flood zone, Slemco electricity, and it is located in the Maurice, North Vermilion school district. We also have lots available if you would rather build your own home.

Chateau Vermilion Subdivision also features a pond and picnic area for the residents to enjoy. If you would like more information about homes or lots in Chateau Vermilion, contact me today!

For more information about 8940 Rue Blanc and more pictures, follow this link.

Originally Posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

Wow, the cool weather that moved in a couple of days ago is just in time for our annual Gumbo Cook-off in Lafayette. Join us tonight from 4:30 to 7:30 in Parc International downtown Lafayette for some great gumbo, great music (Geno Delafose is playing), and lots of fun.

This is our Keller Williams crew last year doing the 101 dalmatians! It was a blast! This year, we’ll be… well you’ll just have to come check us out. I will give you a hint: Once you walk into the park, look to your right and we’ll be wearing yellow and red.

Tickets are $5 for all you can eat gumbo and they will be available at the door (over 40 teams will be competing for best gumbo). There will also be a costume contest for children 12 and under at 6:30. Proceeds will benefit the Faith House, Rebuilding Together, and Community Foundation of Acadiana. This is the 21st annual Gumbo Cook-Off organized by the Realtor Association of Acadiana.

Put on your dancin’ shoes, bring a chair and don’t forget your appetite!

Originally Posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News