This cannot be stressed enough!  Human connection is what grabs readers’ attention.  Authenticity gains their trust and loyalty.

Lafayette, Louisiana is mostly known for its numerous shopping centers, historical downtown district, and beautiful university campus.  Aside from the main attractions, Lafayette is home to a plethora of hidden gems, as well.  These small, local venues and eateries best represent just what Lafayette is all about.

Take, for instance, the Blue Moon.  It wouldn’t be surprising if you’ve never even heard of this place before.  The Blue Moon is a saloon as well as a guesthouse–in other words, you can party all night and even have a place to crash for the night.

The Blue Moon knows entertainment; it hosts only authentic South Louisianian artists, those who were born into the art of Cajun, Zydeco, and Creole music.

A prime example of such artists are Roddie Romero and the Hub City All Stars.  This band has been celebrated for its authenticity and talent for over 20 years, and they will be performing at the Blue Moon tonight at 10 PM.  If you haven’t experienced the Blue Moon yet, there’s no better night than tonight!

Visit the Blue Moon’s website by clicking on the logo below to learn more about the saloon’s history, read its blog, and browse more upcoming events.

Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon

Perfect for a busy weeknight, this recipe has only four ingredients and takes less than 20 minutes to make!  Serve with rice and vegetables, such as steamed broccoli.  Try it with a Chardonnay.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 4 (6 ounce) boneless salmon fillets

• salt and ground black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

We’ve probably all said or at least thought “if I knew then what
I know now, I would have done things differently.” We should have stayed in school longer. We should have listened to our parents. We should have bought Apple stock in 2002 for $8.50 that sells for $400 today. Or we could have bought gold in 2000 for under $300 for a four-fold profit today.

Years from now, if we look back at 2012, we may say that it was the best buyer’s market ever. Even now, it’s apparent that both housing and mortgage prices are going up and they may never return to the record low levels.

The housing affordability index, which is considered to be good at 100, had increased to over 200 this past December, January and February. Shrinking inventories and rising prices in most markets have caused the index to fall to 172.7 for May 2013.

This market applies equally to acquiring a home to live in or a home to use as a rental. It is estimated that about 30% of the property purchased last year was done by investors. It is understandable because the positive cash flows far exceed most other investment alternatives.

Homeowners moving up in a rising market may sell their home for more by waiting but it will also cost them more for a new house. Typically, a person buys a 50% larger home when they move up. If they wait for prices to go up 10% on the $150,000 home they’re selling, they’ll realize $15,000 more but will pay $22,500 more for the new home purchase. They’ll actually net $7,500 less by waiting for prices to go up and may have to pay a higher mortgage rate too.

The question home buyers and investors alike are faced with today is whether they will be saying years from now that they seized or missed an opportunity of a lifetime.

Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

Gardening Tip:

Seedlings need as much nourishment as possible to grow!  When starting seedlings, plant them in a citrus peel. This not only looks adorable, it’s also healthy for your seedlings because the peel will compost in the soil.

When you’re ready to plant the seedling in a bigger pot, plant the citrus peel too, so your young plant can continue to get extra nutrients!  Just don’t forget to poke a hole in the bottom of the peel for drainage.

Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News