“Custom built by Chuck Dupree with luxury pool and spa by Ewing Pools. This 20 year old home is effectively “better-than-new” because of high quality of construction and meticulous updates and maintenance. If you are looking only at “new” homes, you owe it to yourself to see this home! Mature, professional landscaping amongst towering, lovely trees creates your own private park and oasis. Nailed, antique heart pine floors in living room and dining room. Fine Mexican tile in kitchen, breakfast and keeping rooms. Italian marble floors in luxurious master bath. Gleaming cypress cabinetry in kitchen, keeping and living rooms. TWO fireplaces! Wood mullioned windows wrapped in wood mouldings are further evidence of quality craftsmanship. Custom draperies and antique chandiliers remain. The custom Ewing pool has tiled edges, brick surrounds, parapets and walkways to create a serene, classic personal resort for homeowner and guests alike. Built-in hottub of gunite and brick has seating for one or several and provides a refreshing waterfall into the pool. Multi-levels of patio give different perspectives and additional privacy. The park like rear yard has room for recreation or just more of Mother Nature’s gifts. Beautiful granite countertops and island top in the gourmet kitchen is a recent update. You may be hard-pressed to fill all the cabinets in the kitchen and pantry, but you can try! Split floorplan for in-laws or guests. Master bedroom views pool. Super high ceilings and great natural light throughout the day. Circular front drive gives guests ample parking and you can still access the rear laoding, double+ garage”
Wow. Good homes at good prices continue to move fast in East Baton Rouge parish. Here are some pictures the home at 3755 Drusilla lane, Baton Rouge, La
Baton Rouge home prices were up 2.4% in March, compared to the year before, another sign of market stability in the wake of a national housing downturn. The modest increase was a little worse than the February numbers from First American CoreLogic’s Home Price Index. In February, Baton Rouge home prices were 4.14% higher than what they were in February 2008. Nationally, home prices were down 11.5% in March when compared to the year before. In Louisiana, home prices were up 1.76% in March, the third-highest appreciation rate in the nation. Only West Virginia (7.45%) and South Dakota (1.95%) were higher. First American bases the HPI on public records sources such as property sales, tax assessments and mortgage filings. First American notes that 44 states had price declines in March, compared with 30 the year before, and the number of states posting double-digit price drops went from seven in March 2008 to 14 in March 2009. First American notes that U.S. home prices, which peaked in July 2006, have fallen more than 22% and are at their lowest point in five years
There’s more than you expect in this 4 bedroom 3 bath home with over 2300 sqft of living. Be surprised by the size of the master suite that includes a glass walled walk-in shower, double vanity, walk-in closet and a full attached sitting room. Attached to the sitting room in a computer nook that is wired for everything. (As are most all of the rooms) Enjoy both a dining room & a breakfast area. Enjoy both a living room and a den. There is enough room to make this home very livable. The floor plan is split with the Master to the rear and the other 3 bedrooms to the other side of the house. Bedrooms 2 & 3 share the hall bath and bedroom 4 has its own bath with tile shower. Don’t miss the huge screened in back porch & fenced backyard. Note the metal doors with insulated windows, the tile & wood laminate floors, & the size of the utility room. This home needs some TLC but is a great value if you need lots of space on a nice street just off of Goodwood.
One of a kind home, featured on HGTV and winner of Baton Rouge Growth Coalition’s Good Growth Award for renovation and landscaping, located in the popular but rarely available area near Reymond Avenue. Built in the 1930’s, this home was lovingly restored by the owners, an interior designer and landscape architect. Every room has a “tree house’ effect, with lovely views of gardens and treetops. The entire original home was kept but converted into different space and over 3000 square feet were added, including a true basement. Most of the original materials were salvaged and re-used in various parts of the home. The beautifully landscaped backyard features a saltwater pool and outdoor kitchen cabana, and tree house. All of the materials are of the highest quality and design. This home “lives’ comfortably yet is a wonderful setting for entertaining. There are two stairways, one from the kitchen and the other is the main stairway. The basement is large enough to be a game room, media room or home office. It can be accessed from the main house, but also has a separate entry so that visitors to that area need not enter the main house. The second floor has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, an office nook, and another large living area. There is an abundance of storage, two car attached garage, and owners are currently enlarging the master closet which can be customized for future owner. Home is covered by Old Republic Home Warranty, transferrable to buyer.
ABUNDANT, ELEGANT FEATURES, AMENITIES IN THIS UPDATED CUSTOM BUILT HOME (DESIGNED BY DIXON SMITH, BUILT BY JIM SMITH) WITH QUALITY CRAFTSMANSHIP NOT COMMON IN THIS PRICING UNDER $120. SF! LARGE AND PRIVATE, PROFESSIONALLY LANDSCAPED LOT THAT BACKS UP TO ESTATE ACREAGE, TREES. FABULOUS PATIOS, PORCHES, ARBOR, WATER FEATURE WITH FOUNTAIN EQUALS WONDERFUL ENTERTAINING OUTSIDE! BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED RESIDENCE ON CORNER LOT, IMPRESSIVE CURB APPEAL, NEW ARCHITECTURAL ROOFING, NEW PAINT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE, REFINISHED WOOD FLRS, NEW CARPET, 3 CM SOLID SLAB MARBLE KITCHEN COUNTERS, NEW UPSCALE KITCHEN AIDE AND BOSCH SS APPLIANCES, 5 BURNER MONOGRAM COOKTOP, SEP. ICE MAKER APPLIANCE, ELEGANT LITTLE BAR CLOSET, DESIGNER CERAMIC TILED PANTRY SHELVING AND LAUNDRY COUNTERS, SOLID CYPRESS DOORS, NEW WALL FINISHES AND SO MUCH MORE! LOTS OF FRENCH DOORS FROM MANY ROOMS INCLUDING MASTER BR THAT OVER LOOK PRIVATE REAR YARD WITH SPECTACULAR LANDSCAPING. INDOOR/OUTDOOR FLOWS EASILY WHEN GIVING PARTIES. THE FORMAL ENTRY AND LIVING ROOM WITH WOOD BURNING FIREPLACE IS WARM AND WELCOMING. MASTER BR HAS ROMANTIC FIREPLACE# 2 WITH ORNATE RETURN AIR GRILL, HIS AND HER BUILT IN COMPUTER/DESKS BEHIND 9 FT SOLID CYPRESS DOORS, PRIVATE FRENCH DOORS TO COVERED PORCH WITH GORGEOUS VIEWS. ENJOY THE SURPRIZE ENTRY TO THE MASTER WING OF THE HOME WITH A WALL OF BOOK SHELVING BUILT INS ON ONE SIDE AND A SPACIOUS, COMFY WINDOW SEAT AND HUGE WINDOW ON THE OTHER SIDE/ VIEW OF FOUNTAIN. THE UPSTAIRS 3 BEDRMS HAVE CLOSETS GALORE AND A “SECRET PLAYCLOSET” FOR CHILDREN. LOTS OF STORAGE, CABINETS, FINE DETAILING THROUGHOUT. THERE’S A GREENHOUSE TOO! THIS IS THE CUSTOM HOME OF YOUR DREAMS IN ONE OF THE MOST COVETED AREAS OF SOUTH BATON ROUGE. BEST IN VALUE
Work will begin this week on one of the Central Thruway projects that will eventually form part of a route that officials say will provide an improved north-south connection from Nicholson Drive to Hooper Road. The Central Thruway as a whole will cost about $70 million, including about $50 million in local money and $20 million in federal funds, and is one of the largest public works projects in East Baton Rouge history. This project features 2 bridges and will cost about $9.5 million. This is the fourth of nine Central Thruway projects, and the 14th Green Light Plan project, to begin construction. The new project is scheduled for completion in early 2011; officials don’t yet have an anticipated completion date for the Thruway
100% financing is no longer available , inside the city limits, but this is close enough! While it is not immediately available, it is coming very soon. The eight thousand dollar tax credit can be applied to down payment. Keep in mind that when using this money, you have to stay in the home for at least three years.
From www.REALTOR.org
WASHINGTON, May 12, 2009
Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said that the
Federal Housing Administration is going to permit its lenders to allow homeowners to use the $8,000 tax credit as a downpayment.
Donovan’s remarks came in an address to several thousand Realtors® gathered this morning at The Real Estate Summit: Advancing the U.S. Economy, a special daylong session at the Realtors® Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo here.
Secretary Donovan said that important changes, which the National Association of Realtors® has been calling for, will help consumers purchase a home. “We all want to enable FHA consumers to access the home buyer tax credit funds when they close on their home loans so that the cash can be used as a downpayment,” Donovan said. According to Donovan, the FHA’s approved lenders will be permitted to “monetize” the tax credit through short-term bridge loans. This will allow eligible home buyers to access the funds immediately at the closing table.
I blog about this quite frequently. It appears we are starting to feel the pinches of the recession in housing market. According to the Baton rouge Business Report,
“Louisiana still ranks low for foreclosures, even though percentage of
homes facing seizure went up by nearly 79% in April, when compared to
the year before. According to RealtyTrac, one out of every 1,653 homes
in Louisiana is foreclosed, compared with the national average of one
out of every 374 houses. That put the state 38th in foreclosures during
April. The number of foreclosures nationally went up by 32% in April,
when compared with April 2008. Nevada once again had the highest
foreclosure rate, with one out of every 68 houses facing bank seizure.
Vermont was once again ranked last; there were two foreclosures in the
whole state during April. RealtyTrac says April had the highest number
of foreclosures since it started keeping an eye on the numbers three
years ago.”
While searching for properties this morning I noticed quite a few short sales (pre-foreclosures) just in general listings. What is NOT helping is just how dang hard it is to get a mortgage to help eliminate some of this inventory. Stay posted for more updates on Baton Rouge Real Estate foreclosures
Let me start off by saying…I am busy. Not that I don’t have my fair share of people that are buying their second or third homes. Its first timers that are a majority of my clientele. While the baton rouge real estate market is vastly different thatelsewhere, here is a very interesting article that was on msnbc.
One part that struck my interest : “First-time buyers like Kalaitzidis are dominating the real estate market right now. They snapped up 53 percent of all properties sold during March 2009, up from the usual 40 percent or less, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.”
