Yes, it is this time of the year again; hurricane season begins tomorrow, June 1st, and ends November 30th.

Having lived in South Louisiana for 15 years, I’ve seen a few hurricanes come and go, some more powerful than others. We all remember Katrina (pictured here) but there was also Rita, Ike, Lilly, Gustave (at least those are the ones I remember the most). For those of us near the Gulf or the Atlantic, hurricanes are something we think about and live with every year.

Last Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted 14 to 23 tropical storms this year (top winds of 39 mph or higher), including 8 to 14 Hurricanes (top winds of 74 mph or higher), of which 3 to 7 could be Major Hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of at least 111 mph).

Let’s just hope they are wrong, like they’ve been in the past! With the oil spill in the Gulf, experts fear that a storm at this time could push oil deeper into estuaries and wetlands and make one giant mess.

Here are some links to more information:

National Hurricane Center

FEMA Hurricane Pages

FEMA Hurricane Pages for Kids

If you live in Acadiana, you can find lots of information through the local TV stations websites:

KATC-TV3 Hurricane Center

KLFY-TV10 Hurricane Information Page

 

Home sales in Lafayette, LA are up 20% this year when we compare to last year for the same period. In Lafayette in 2009, 758 homes had sold by May 25th while this year, 911 homes sold during the same period.

If we look at all of Acadiana, home sales are up more than 16% this year with 1310 homes sold compared to 1124 last year during the same period.

One thing people ask these days is the percentage of foreclosures in those sales. Last year, bank owned properties accounted for 10% of home sales in Acadiana and 5% in Lafayette Parish. This year, in 2010, the percentage of bank owned properties sold remained the same for all of Acadiana at 10% and went up to almost 7% in Lafayette parish.

If you are thinking about buying or selling a home in Lafayette, LA or anywhere in Acadiana, or investing in real estate, contact me. I’d love to hear about your real estate dreams!

Fellow Keller Williams agents,

I wanted all of you to be aware of a new group I just created on Active Rain for BOLD Graduates. If you’ve taken BOLD or are currently enrolled in BOLD, I’d love to hear from you. I attended BOLD in Jackson, Miss. in the fall of 2009. The name of the group is KWBOLD. Please join if you’re BOLD!

 

I’ve been with Keller Williams Realty for over three years and I can’t imagine being with a different company. It’s not that there are no other good company out there, it’s more because Keller Williams is the right one for me. 

As Keller Williams associates, we receive a newsletter every week called “This Week @ KW” that is filled with information about the company and tools we can use as agents to better serve our clients and improve our businesses.

This week, they sent this little video called “What Is Your Truth?” Watch it until the end (it’s only a couple of minutes) and think about your own truth as a real estate professional or think about your agent’s truth, if you are a client. Which one would you rather be or work with?

 

 

If you would like more information about Keller Williams, don’t hesitate to contact me. I like to say that I’m in good company with a great company! You can be, too.

If you are thinking about buying or selling a home, click on the logo below to visit my web site.

Here are current real estate statistics for Area N, which is located in the southern part of Lafayette Parish.

Area N
Currently available: 155
Pending: 61
Sold YTD 2010: 128

Here are market data for a few subdivisions. 

Curious about your subdivision, email me.

Delmar Estates (includes West and South)
Available: 7
Pending: 0
Sold YTD: 2

Elan
Available: 3
Pending: 0
Sold YTD: 2

Sawgrass
Available: 6
Pending: 16
Sold YTD: 31

Stonehaven on the River
Available: 3
Pending: 0
Sold YTD: 2

Grand Pointe
Available: 4
Pending: 0
Sold YTD: 0

Legend Creek
Available: 2
Pending: 1
Sold YTD: 9

Frenchman’s Creek
Available: 2
Pending: 0
Sold YTD: 3