You know, in the morgtage business, a promise is a promise, but that’s it. It does not warrant any kind of guarantee.

Brokers and lenders can tell you anything they want — and even put it in writing — then turn around and say, “Oh well, things changed. You owe 9 percent interest instead of 7 percent.” Seems a litte unfair, right? Well, as my Dad would put it, “Life isn’t fair, Lindsay”.

So whDon’t be afraid to walk away. Above all else, remember that statement. Sure, you might lose what you think is the perfect house. But if you agree to pay an artificially inflated interest rate or thousands more in points for a mortgage, your finances will suffer greatly.at can you do to protect yourself from changes in their loan rates, points and parameters between application and closing? I’m so glad you asked! Try to follow these steps and tips. I can’t guarantee they’ll protect you from common consumer mistakes (just like “rate lock” agreements don’t actually guarantee rates. Go figure.), but they should help you avoid most changes or minimize their impact.

1. Be sure to tell your lender about all the weird conditions you meet when you apply for your loan. Sometimes what you put on the application doesn’t tell the whole story. You may get a “conditional approval” based on a cursory credit check and review of your application data. But when the lender starts underwriting, or investigating, your loan, anything odd that you didn’t mention up front could lead to changes in your loan terms.

Here are some other things that can cause problems:

• being at a job for only a few works, or being in a new line of work for only a few months
• if you are self-employed or do not have a long job history
• buying a new condo in the first phase of, say, a four-phase construction project,
• possibly living in an area that wasn’t in a flood zone but now it is.

2. Never lie about your credit, income or property value. This is a big No No! I know it may seem embarrassing at first to come out and admit that you have bad credit and so forth, but it will all come out in the end, believe me. You might as well be upfront and honest from the very beginning. This will make the process flow easier.

3. Find out how long your rate lock is good for and whether it will definitely extend long enough to get you through closing. One of the main reasons people end up paying more for their loans is that they don’t lock in their rates for a long enough period.

4. Keep paying on your old loan until you close on the new one. A lender or broker may tell you that once you apply for your new loan, you can stop paying on the old one. That is wrong! If you don’t keep current on the old loan, the old lender may start reporting you to the credit bureaus as being late on your payments.

5. Don’t spend every last penny on a home or loan. This is good advice no matter what, but it can also protect you from unforeseen changes in your loan terms. There are legitimate reasons why you may have to come up with several hundred or a couple thousand extra dollars in fees or points to close. If you don’t have that kind of money sitting around, you could lose the home you’re trying to buy.

6.Don’t be afraid to walk away. Remember this statement. Sure, you might lose what you think is the perfect house. But if you agree to pay an artificially inflated interest rate or thousands more in points for a mortgage, your finances will suffer greatly.

So, what do you do when you actually find a house in Baton Rouge or Denham Springs? Well, pull up a chair and let’s talk. When you find the house of your dreams the first obvious thing that you do is make an offer! Pretty easy, uh? Well, not exactly. This process could go on for a bit when you get into the counter offers and rejection and so forth.

*The next thing that you should have the buyer’s baton rouge real estate agent do is a title search. Be sure there are no liens or encumbrances on the property.

*Inspection! This is a must. I am sure your baton rouge real estate agent will recommend doing an inspection. The inspection is fairly simple. Ever heard of Inspector Gadget? Well, it’s nothing like him but it just allows your house to be inspected and checked twice to make sure there are not any issues with the home.

*Appraisal! The appraisal is very important. This will let you know if the home is worth what you are paying for. These are usually mandatory. You would hate to pay 100,000 more than the home was actually worth. Does this ever happen. Oh, yes. I just heard a FSBO story where a little old lady sold her home. She later found out that her home was worth 150k more. This brings a tear to my eye.

* Get homeowners insurance! The proof of home owners insurance should be faxed to the Baton Rouge real estate ‘closing’ agent.

*Home Protection Warrant! - You should def. think about gettin a home warranty. Sometimes seller’s offer this. It’s worth checking into.

* Be prepared for closing! Sometimes this can end up being a long process. Be sure to review your paperwork and the HUD publication “Your Settlement Costs”. The down payment, interest, taxes and insurance are among the costs you’ll probably have to pay.

*Cash to close! — figure out where you’ll get the money for closing costs. Do you have to sell stocks? If you’re borrowing from a relative make sure the check is in your account long enough to clear.

*Cashier’s Check- Try to get one of these for closing costs!

So, you’re thinking of moving? Did you know that purchasing a home is one of the biggest purchases you will make? With that being said, it’s totally necassary to have all of your ducks in a row. Buying a home can be so overwhelming, sometimes it’s hard to figure out where to even begin. I am hoping I can give you a few tips and steps that you should take in the buying process.

One question you should ask yourself- When is the right time to buy? There are certain seasons in the real estate world. In the real estate world as of now, it seems to be a buyer’s market. April through July seem to be the peak time of selling and buying real estate? Is this the right time for you? Experts say maybe. There are always a greater choice of homes in the spring. Even though there is a better selection, it being peak time, sellers are less likely to budge on the asking price. What about off-season dealing? This would include buying real estate in the ‘down time’ (ex. fall). Sellers are more likely to accept and negotiate and offer during the off-season.

There is a simple timeline to use when thinking about buying a new home. Six months before “buying” you need to narrow your territory. Did you know that buyers usually buy town first, neighborhood next and house last? Of course, it makes sense. You aren’t going to find the house of your dreams in Atlanta when you want to ‘live’ in Baton Rouge, la. So, it’s obvious buyers seek out the town and then the neighborhood that makes them feel safe and at home.

With the timeline, you need to look at your financial situation. It is probably a bad idea to jump on a house when you haven’t done some research on your own financial and credit situation. Given six months, if there are some issues with your credit- this gives you time to possible put a band-aid on a few things. Be sure to give yourself some time to correct any problems.

How much can you afford? This is really important. It is not wise to go looking at houses out of your price range. All this will do is tease you and tempt you. Knowing how much you can afford can help you and the realtor be realistic about your wants and your needs. Be sure to know your price range and stick to it. It will save you and the realtor both time and heart ache. Try to think about your budget and income and work around it. Can you afford a four bedroom with 2 acres of land, or do you just ‘want’ it? Be reasonable. If it makes more sense to buy a townhouse instead of a four bedroom, do it.

Looking at the timeline, what do you do four months prior to buying a home? Select a mortgage broker or lender. Doing this four months before, it gives you time to find a good mortgage company you are comfortable with. Again, go ahead and check your buying power. You do no want to look at homes you can not afford. Go ahead and run that credit check. Heck, go ahead and get pre-qualified. Go ahead and line all of this up so when you “do” buy the house, things will fall into place.

Six weeks into the timeline- you need to let everyone know that you are moving: friends, family, schools, creditors, doctors, etc. By now you should have already found the perfect house for you. After researching for a realtor, you should have already been house shopping and pin pointing which ones you like. After finding the home of your dreams, it’s time to get a move on.

You should select a mover five weeks prior to moving. You might want to contact an insurance company and make sure your belongings are insured for the move. If not, find out if the movers are insured and what they cover. Two weeks before you move you should start switching the utilities, phone and so forth into your name. You def. want air condition and light when you are moving. I was the brilliant one who once moved my belongings in the dark= no fun.

These are just a few things to think about when moving to the Baton Rouge of Denham Springs area. But, of course, the most important thing to you (I’m sure) is finding the house. I will touch on that in a future blog (”when you find a house”)

Why At Home With Diversity?

To prosper in today’s real estate markets, REALTORS® need new skills for handling transactions that involve minority buyers or sellers. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® serves its members by teaching these skills through the professional development course At Home with Diversity®. Equally important, NAR helps state and local associations initiate diversity programs to get their memberships in step with the changing times.

Diversity Programs Make Business Sense
Some may wonder if a special effort is really needed. They feel that their association’s doors have always been open to qualified real estate agents, regardless of race or ethnicity. The answer is that diversity programs make business sense. Associations with serious, well-planned diversity programs achieve better results than others. The payoffs include:

• Membership and leadership that reflect the demographic make-up of emerging markets in the community and, therefore, are positioned to sell to those markets;

• A stronger presence in the community, particularly in neighborhoods with high concentrations of foreign-born and other minority residents who are moving up the socioeconomic ladder and buying homes.

Outcomes like these translate into bottom-line benefits because they help to ensure the long-term health and stability of the association. Without an ethnically representative membership, an association risks becoming isolated and perceived as exclusive. This can lead, over time, to dwindling membership. On the other hand, associations that have invested in a diversity initiative typically find themselves with more members and a better grasp of their marketplace than ever before.
www.realtor.org/diversity

Diversity is Good Business

With minority power in America at over $1 trillion and minorities accounting for 40% of first-time homebuyers, it is good business for REALTORS® to develop the skills to reach the growing multicultural market of prospective homeowners.

With minority power in America at over $1 trillion and minorities accounting for 40% of first-time homebuyers, it is good business for REALTORS® to develop the skills to reach the growing multicultural market of prospective homeowners.

As the 2000 U.S. Census has reported, America is more culturally diverse than at any other time in the nation’s history. This diversity is now considered to be one of the country’s greatest assets. It is not only affecting the way we view the world, it is affecting the economy of the world. So, meeting the needs of America’s diverse consumer groups has become a pragmatic strategy for business of all kinds.

In this diverse marketplace, expanding home ownership must be about opening new doors - new doors to profitability for REALTORS® and new doors to minority citizens and immigrants who want to own their own homes. Multicultural outreach is good for minorities hoping to own their first home, the initiative offers extraordinary benefits to REALTORS® by substantially increasing their market share in this relatively untapped market.

Buying Power (billions of dollars)

Source: Selig Center for Economic Growth, Terry College of Business, The University of Georgia
April 2002

• According to the 2000 U.S. Census, Prince George’s County, A Maryland suburb of Washington D.C., now has the largest population of middle-income African Americans in the United States.
• The top three states for largest increase in Hispanic buying power (between 1990 and 2001) include Arkansas, Nevada, and North Carolina.

Minority Homeownership Rates Share of Household Growth: 2000-2010 Total Growth= 11.7 millionSource: Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies

• Racial and ethnic minorities, who currently represent one-quarter of all U.S. households, will contribute to the majority of household growth over the next decade. By 2010, nearly three in ten thousand households will be headed by minorities.
• Younger on average than whites, minorities in America will add 9.2 million households under age 50 and will lose only 1.7 million households over that age to death, institutionalization or other causes.
• Minority population growth has become critical to sustaining housing markets, employment bases, school enrollments, and commerce in almost every large metropolitan city in the country.

After looking at the empty pizza boxes in the trash, I decided it was time for a change. Okay, so I don’t eat pizza all the time, but I do have Papa John’s on speed dial. Shh, don’t tell anyone. So, on a friday night before ordering the usual, I discovered a need for change. I wanted to say so long to the hand tossed, extra cheese and pepperoni pizza I had been having an affair with for so long. It was becoming too much of a routine. I wanted more spice in my food life.

I called some friends to brain storm. At that point, I didn’t care what we ate as long as it didn’t involved anything that was spelled with two “z’s (piZZa). “Let’s go out for sushi”. Ewwww, sushi? Isn’t that like dead fish or something? I laugh when I say this b/c I eat tilapia all the time and it’s dead fish. I think the correct term would be ‘raw’ or ‘uncooked’. I am not very informed about sushi so I def. will not come across as Queen Sushi. I will tell you though that I was finally tired of pizza and ready for something new. Tsunami’s it was. Let’s go.

You know, I always love going to downtown Baton Rouge. It’s just such an awesome atmosphere. It creates such a mood. It has a New Orleans vibe. I love that there are so many eating selections and places to hang out within walking distance of each other. It’s really neat to go out downtown on a Friday night and see everyone out, walking and enjoying themselves.

If you are ever planning to go to Tsunami’s, plan ahead. It’s probably a good idea to make reservations. Of course, I’m so use to just dialing for pizza that the thought didn’t cross my mind to dial for a reservation. No worries. Probably without a doubt, there will be a line and a waiting list? Why? It’s just that good. Never fear though, you don’t have to sit in a booth and wait to eat. I know how aggravating it can be while waiting in line at a restaurant. Sometimes you wait so long, you’re more aggravated than hungry when they finally call your name on the list. Not Tsunami’s. They have what most popular restaurant’s have- a pager.

The pager gives you the option of not having to sit in one spot while waiting for a table. Did we sit in one spot? Oh no. Since I didn’t dial for a reservation, it was a two hour wait. Most people would turn their nose up at a two hour wait. Not me and not at Tsunami’s. I had a feeling it was going to be well worth the wait. I wasn’t really sure how far the pager would reach and def. didn’t want to “test” it out and run the risk of us missing our spot. We headed down to Capitol City Grill. Have you ever eaten there?

Capital City Grill is also an awesome find. They have one downtown and off of Sherwood. I’ve eaten at both and have enjoyed it each time. Capital City Grill was somewhat empty so my friends and I sat at the bar while we waited on our pager to buzz. I’m not a big drinker but occasionally I will sip on something if I go have dinner with friends. Capital City Grill has an awesome drink but I can not recall the name. I know it involves mixing wine and champagne and topped off with a slice of fruit. It really is to die for.

Our buzzer goes off. *buzz* *buzz* Sushi time! We get into the elevator to head up to Tsuanami’s. When the door opens, it’s like you are walking into a totally different culture. The set up is so modern and very contemporary. The atmosphere was wonderful. The place was packed. We had at least seven people with us. The only thing I didn’t like about it was somewhat small. It didn’t seem to have enough room for all the sushi lovers in Baton Rouge.

Our waiter comes up and I ask her what is good for an appetizer. She told me that the edamame was great. Eda-who? What the heck is eda-who who? I just took her word for it and ordered it. Can I tell you I was in love? What is this stuff? It’s like beans that have been soaked in salt. They are to die for. I must admit I got three orders of them. To go with my beans, I ordered a chocolate martini. I think this was my favorite drink of all time. It tasted a bit like Bailey’s and had chocolate swirled on top. Yum!

While we were waiting on our food, we went out on the balcony. This is what makes Tsnuami’s so awesome. They have a huge balcony where there are couches and music playing. Tsunami’s is on the 23nd floor so you can only imagine how beautiful it is to stand on the balcony that overlooks Baton Rouge. It’s was so refreshing drinking my chocolate martini and just hanging out on the balcony/deck and viewing Baton Rouge at night.

So, I did try one bit of sushi. I have to admit that I am not really a sushi person but I do like the cajun rolls. I think that I was so excited about the beans, I didn’t even think about sushi. Everyone else ate sushi and seemed to love it. Besides all the beans, I ordered chicken teriyaki. I guess I was trying to play it safe. I didn’t want to order anything crazy. I think I made a leap of faith just ordering the eda-who who.

I am a fork and spoon kind of girl. I know nothing about using chopsticks. Sometimes they do make great hair pieces though. I ate my chicken teriyaki right down to the last bite. The Tsunami experience was wonderful. I think it makes it even better when you are with a group of friends/family. Next time I go, I plan to be more daring. Heck, I might even order the eel. Okay, maybe not but I am so glad that I opted out getting pizza and ventured out into the world of sushi. If you are ever looking for a place with a cool environment, good food and spirits…Tsunami’s is the place for you. And please be sure to eat the beans!

For more information on Tsunami’s menu and other info, go to: www.servingsushi.com

Tsunami’s is in baton rouge, La.

So, are you thinking about selling your home “For Sale By Owner”? I wish you all the best in selling your home. I know your main priority is to by-pass the realtor to save money. While I admit sometimes FSBO’s work, other times- not so much. FSBO’s spend so much time and money on their own advertising/marketing, only to eventually go with a Baton Rouge real estate agent when it doesn’t work out- and that’s money gone down the drain.

What can realtors do that you can’t? It’s the community of realtor’s that sell your home. Yes, it’s advertising/marketing that sell your home, but let me give you an example. Let’s say several realtors show your home, but no bite. Down the road a buyer calls one of those agents and says that they are looking for a home that describes yours. The realtor then remembers your home and says “I’ve got just the house”.

You see, it’s getting your house viewable to the realtor’s that really pushes your home to sell. With a community of realtor’s coming in and out of your home, they take notes and pass information on to other realtor’s and buyers. This, in my opinion, is what makes a home sell. Yes, you have exposure through the MLS listing, but you have even more exposure through the community of realtor’s. So, believe it or not-sometimes you can save money by just going with a realtor. Think of all the hard work FSBO’s put into selling their home, only to end up with going with a real estate agent. Again, this is money down the drain.

I would love to list your home for you if your plans do not work out. I have a solid marketing plan that I am proud of. I also offer buyers a home warranty protection plan for the first year. By doing this, this can easily catch the eye of buyers looking to settle in a home. So, what is my marketing plan. I have talked in previous post about my marketing plan, but I want to make it a more clear. This is what I do for my clients and what I can do for you:

1. I will advertise in the Real Estate Finder. There are many options as far as magazines go but from trial and error, the Real Estate Finder is the way to go.
2. Since I publish ads in the Real Estate Finder, this allows me to publish your home on their website. (www.re-finder.com) I have had a lot of success with this website considering this site runs with search engines such as google and trulia.
3. I advertise with a single property website. This is where your home will have it’s own website that people can go to 24/7. Example - www.beaudarren.info
4. Open Houses! Of course, this is a given. Hopefully, we will not even have to hold open houses, but I will do them until your home is sold!
5. I advertise two weeks in advance for the Open House in the Baton Rouge Advocate.
6. I advertise two/three weeks in advance for the Open House on www.re-finder.com
7. I advertise on Prime Locations Realty.com
8. I advertise on my blog, you can find this at www.ForSaleByLindsay.com
9. I advertise with flyers and signs
10. I advertise by putting your home into the MLS system.
11. I also advertise by word of mouth, letting other agents and clients know about your home.

This is only a breif description of my marketing plan. There is so much more that it involves. I would love to do all of the hard work it takes to sell your home, while you rest easy. If you are selling your home in the Baton Rouge or Denham Springs area on your own, I wish you the best of luck and please call me if you have any questions or need any help.

So, are you thinking of moving to Baton Rouge? Are you wanting to find a home in the Baton Rouge area. If you are an out of towner, or if you are relocating- here are just a few facts on Louisiana.

Our median income is $33,792. Our average median income w/ children is $50,609. The population is 4,523,628. Whoa, that’s a lot of people, but a lot of people who call Louisiana “home“. Land area-43,562 square miles. The population density is 104 persons per square mile.

What is louisiana’s nickname? It’s the “Pelican State”. Our capital is Baton Rouge. The date of our statehood was April 30, 1812. Our state bird is the eastern brown pelican. What’s our state flower? The magnolia! Our state tree is Cypress.

Just a few little fun facts about Baton Rouge, La. I will be updating soon to fill you in on some of the awesome things that Baton Rouge has to offer.

East Baton Rouge Parish School Board
1050 South Foster Drive
Baton Rouge, La 70806
(225) 922-5618

Type- Independent Local District
Grade Range- PK-12
Schools-93
Teachers: 3,054
Students: 46,408
Student/Teacher Ratio: 15.2 to 1
Student/Librarian Ratio: 494.2. to 1
Secondary Student/Guidance Ratio: 130.1 to 1

Student Enrollment By Grade:
PK-1,660
K-3,777
1-3,760
2-3,491
3-3,467
4-4,384
5-2,987
6-3,867
7-3,595
8-4.035
9-3,192
10-2,944
11-2,600
12-2,649

Average ACT Scores: 19.2 Expenditures Per Student: $8,715

School Funding:
Local (54.5%)
Federal (13.2%)
State (32.3%)

So, are you thinking of moving? Always a tough decision, right? It doesn’t have to be. I thought I would give you some info and facts about the Old Jefferson area.

Let’s talk about Income within the Old Jefferson Area:

MEDIAN INCOME

The median income is $54,503. The state income ranking is in the 90th percentile, while the national ranking is in the 74th percentile.

AVERAGE INCOME

The average income households with children is $65,307. The state income ranking is in the 81st percentile and the national income ranking is in the 68th percentile.

Let’s look at age breakdown:
0-9 years (13.5)
10-17 years (13.9%)
18-29 years (15.2%)
30-30 years (15.9%)
40-49 years (19.6%)
50-64 years (18.5%)
65+ years (3.4%)

Household Characteristics For Old Jefferson in Baton Rouge, La

Married w/ Children (31.5%)
Single w/ Children (8.0%)
Single w/ no children (34.1%)
Married with no children (26.4%)

What about the Adult Education Level in Baton Rouge, La for Old Jefferson?

93.9% High School Graduates
32.9% College Graduates
High School Grad/No College (30.2%)
Some College (30.8%)
Post Grad Degrees(5.1%)
College Grad (27.8%)

Where are people in Baton Rouge around Old Jefferson working?
Administrative Support (16.7%)
Sales (13.7%)
Managerial (20.6%)
Laborer/Operator (10.0%)
Service (22.7%)
Professional (16.2%)

Population for locality of Old Jefferson in Baton Rouge Homes

Population Density 1,593 persons per square mile. In the state density ranking it is in the 56th percentile and in the national density ranking it is 49th %. The Population growth is -0.1% in the last five years. It’s in the 52nd percentile in the state growth ranking and in the 24th percentile in the national growth ranking.
Non H.S. Grad (6.1%)