Bonne Journée internationale de la francophonie à tous!

Happy International Francophonies Day to All of You!

Aujourd’hui est la Journée international de la francophonie dans toutes les régions francophones du monde. Ce soir, vous êtes invité à la Cité des Arts (109 Vine Street au centre ville de Lafayette) où il y aura le visionnement d’extraits du documentaire “L’Acadie, l’Acadie” suivi par une conversation sur la franco-responsabilité et la mobilisation avec des acteurs clés du mouvement franco-louisianais.  “L’Acadie, l’Acadie” (1971) documente le mouvement des étudiants de l’Université de Moncton au Nouveau-Brunswick à la fin des années 1960 et leur quête pour les droits linguistiques des francophones dans cette province canadienne.

Le tout commence à 18:30. L’évènement est gratuit et ouvert au public. J’y serai et j’espère voir plusieurs d’entre vous!

Today is International Francophonie Day throughout the French-speaking world. Come celebrate tonight at Cité des Arts (109 Vine Street, downtown Lafayette) with scenes from the 1971 documentary “L’Acadie, l’Acadie,” followed by an open discussion about “franco-responsabilité” and activism with key actors in the Louisiana francophone movement. “L’Acadie, l’Acadie” documents the Université de Moncton students’ movement at the end of the 60s as they sought linguistic rights for French-speakers in New Brunswick, Canada.

The event start at 6:30pm. It is free and open to the public. I will be there and hope to see many of you!

Originally Posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

I wanted to let everyone know that we have reduced the price of this great commercial property located at 204 Church Street in Youngsville, 70592. The space was recently used as a spa but it would also make great offices for attorneys, chiropractors, or something similar. I still think that it would also make a great flea market with plenty of space for vendors’ booth or it could be a salon and spa again.

The price is now only $200,000! What an opportunity!

The building features 2300 square feet with reception area, a large common area in the middle, 3 separate rooms, a small kitchen, a public half bath, a full bath towards the back ,and a laundry area.

 

Contact me today to view this property or visit this link for more information about 204 Church St in Youngsville.

Originally Posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

It looks like our winter was quite short in terms of real estate seasons. Home sales usually slow down in the fall to pick back up in the spring. This year, winter started late (December) and it looks like spring began in February.

Home sales in Acadiana saw their lowest point since last summer in January while the lowest for Lafayette parish was in December.

We had a great year in 2012 in the Lafayette area and Acadiana. This year may be even better if the numbers hold up. Looking at sales in January and February of this year and comparing with the same period last year, is revealing.

We are off to a great start for 2013. If you are on the sidelines about buying or selling, what are you waiting for? Contact me today to start your search or to receive a market analysis for your home.

Originally Posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

I love this home located at 13509 Plantation Pl south of Abbeville and we just reduced the price to $115,000! True, it’s been on the market for a couple of month and still haven’t found the right buyer. One reason is that the home is “out there” near Mouton Cove, or as some would say, “out in the boondocks.”

I know however, that it would make a great home for someone who works in Abbeville (a 10-mins ride) or south of it or a great weekend getaway for someone needing a quiet place or retreat. The house sit on about 1/2 acre and from it, not a neighbor can be seen. Across the streets are woods and you may even see a deer every now and then. It is a very peaceful place.

 

The home features 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, 1442 square feet, is in move-in condition and is very clean and well kept. The home was totally renovated after Rita and elevated to 2 feet above the required elevation, which saves you money on insurance. The home is also equipped with heavy duty hurricane shutters on windows and doors that make it a snap to close it up (and takes about 10 mins).

Outside, there is the front porch, a large patio area in the back, a workshop, and a hot tub for those lazy Louisiana afternoons.

For more information and more pictures of 13509 Plantation Pl in Abbeville, please visit this link or send me a message. I’d be glad to answer all your questions.

Originally Posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

Home buyers in our Lafayette parish market have been feeling the pressure: Inventory is thin, rates are still low, and many can’t find what they are looking for. The buyers who are out looking right now are already feeling the seller’s market we seem to be heading into.

Technically, we are not in a seller’s market, yet. We will be in seller’s market once the months of inventory fall below 5 months and stay there a while. A buyer’s market, on the other hand, is when there are more than 7  months of inventory. For the past year or so, we have mostly been in a balanced market, which is 5 to 7 months of inventory.

Since March 2012, we dipped into the seller’s market on a few occasions: April, May, July, and October. As the spring rolls around this year, my guess is that inventory will not keep up with buyer’s demand and months of inventory will continue to fall. Last month, we barely had 5 months of inventory. It’s only February!

What does this mean?

For buyers: it is more important than ever to be pre-approved and be ready to write an offer when the right house comes along. The “good buys” and the move-in ready homes that are priced “right” do not stay on the market very long, sometimes only a few hours. It also means that as inventory shrinks, home prices will continue to rise and interest rates will likely rise as well, which in turn will diminish your buying power. Now is still the most awesome time to buy! And if you already own a home, I would say, buy another one! Heck, buy 10 if you can.

For sellers: The market is heading in your direction and home prices will continue to rise. If you are considering selling, our low inventory means that you have less competition from other sellers right now. If your home is priced right, it will sell faster (see column Avg DOM for “Days on Market”) and you may even have competing buyers/multiple offers. Waiting for prices to rise may be a good idea, however, if inventory increases and interest rates rise as well, the buyer pool will be smaller with some buyers electing to wait until the market turns in their favor again. And it will… at some point. Just like we can’t stay in a buyer’s market forever, seller’s market do not last forever either.

As always, your questions or comments are welcome. Feel free to email me a line or two or leave your trace on this page.

Originally Posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News