Team Tangie is always on the lookout for great bits of information and advice to pass on about selling your home, as we want our clients and our community to sell their homes and keep the New Orleans Real Estate Market booming!

So when we came across some tips for sellers on Trulia.com, we thought it would be great to pass along. Trulia recently published a list of 4 Reasons Your Home Isn't Selling.  Here is a summary of the article:

1. You're Stuck on a Price that is Too High
Trulia's Symptoms: It's been way too long, and you're home is just sitting there on the market with little or no action -- well, often that's because the list price is too high. Consider reducing the price or waiting until the market improves to re-list your home.

How Team Tangie Can Help: Our agents have an extremely high understanding of the market in the Greater New Orleans Area, and will be able to accurately price your home so that it will sell at a competitive price.

2. Not Enough Market Exposure
Trulia's Symptoms: Your home may not be on the right sites -- just a sign in the yard isn't enough these days to get a home the exposure it needs. A home needs to be put on the MLS and several websites that buyers frequent to get the attention it deserves.

How Team Tangie Can Help: We will make sure your home gets the attention it deserves not only by putting it on the proper websites but also by emailing your home out, doing open houses, and creating other media to put your home in the spotlight. 

3. Your Home Needs a Major Fix
Trulia's Symptoms: Often there are homes that have one major problem that is preventing a sale -- like mold in the attic or an unattractive paint job. Buyers don't want to put the time or money into fixing the problem in your home.

How Team Tangie Can Help: Our agents will diagnose any issues that your home may have and give you solid advice on how to fix the problem, whether that means giving you a recommendation on a handyman to fix the problem, suggesting that you compensate a buyer to fix the problem, or suggesting a lower price to make up for the issue.

4. You're Not Really Ready to Move on;
Trulia's Symptoms: Your home has rich, old memories that are hard to part with -- the smell of Lake Pontchartrain, your kids growing up, all those good time New Orleans crawfish boils, etc. You're having trouble letting go of the home, and that's understandable.

How Team Tangie Can Help: Our agents are in tune with the needs of their clients, and can make the transition from your old home to a new home much easier so that you don't have to stress about the details! They will also be understanding and accommodate your needs and fears when it comes to selling your home.

Want more information about selling your home and how Team Tangie can help? Call or text us today at 504-338-7653!


And thanks and credit to Tara-Nicholle Nelson and Trulia.com for the great article!

When parents of school-aged children or teenagers look for a new home, it is important for them to consider the educational options available in the area. There was just an excellent resource published by Gambit Weekly that gives excellent information about schools in the Greater New Orleans Area:

This resource is excellent, and lists some of the important factors to consider for each school in the area such as:
- School's addresses & websites 
- Whether the school is private or public, co-ed or all girls/boys
- Grades taught
- Year founded
- School Principal
- Average class size
- Student/teacher ratio
- Total enrollment
- Tuition

Here's a link to Gambit's Website for more information on how to get this resource: http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/GuideToSchools/Page

And if you have any more questions about schools in the GNO, be sure to call Team Tangie at 504-401-2616

by Robert Stephens

Just last month, Team Tangie celebrated another year of real estate sales for the teams clients by having a party at the famous Rock'n'Bowl in MidCity! Check out the team having a great time!

by Robert Stephens

According to the National Association of Realtors, the number of homes "pending" for sale is up this January! This means that it is an excellent time to buy a home. For more information, check out the video below:

We love our clients, and are always appreciative of great feedback. Thanks for taking the time to fill these out!

by Robert Stephens

Happy New Year!! 2012 sure went by fast! Team Tangie had an outstanding year, and hopes that your 2012 was amazing as well. This blog is devoted to keeping you informed about the 2013 real estate market. Subscribe to keep up with Team Tangie's progress throughout the year.

We're excited to announce that two members have joined our team. These two new members will be making huge contributions to Team Tangie in 2013:

The first new team member is Stacey Catalano. Stacey is excited to have joined Team Tangie and will be a key player in 2013. Bringing twelve years of Real Estate experience to the Team, she has an ABR designation and is a licensed Realtor. Stacey’s 5 year old daughter, Madison keeps her very busy: Mom and Madison enjoy watching movies and taking bike rides together!

Our second new team member is Rob Stephens (Jr.). Rob is our Social Media Manager in charge of maintaining our Facebook, Craigslist, Pinterest, Blog, etc. (he's the one writing this post, for example). The oldest son of Tangie and Robert, Rob received an MFA in Creative Writing from Florida State University in 2012, and is currently working on his Master's in Library Science right now.

The Wall Street Journal reports that 2013 will be a great time to buy a home! Home prices are starting to recover, but they are still very low, and interest rates are at historic lows! This makes 2013 the perfect time to buy a home.

In fact, real estate expert and chief economist of the real estate firm Zillow says this of the market: "We think the answer, definitively, is that home prices have bottomed. Right now, buying looks very attractive, even for short-term time horizons.

Click here for the full article from the Wall Street Journal.

We've talked before about how New Orleans is a great place to buy a home (click here for our article called the Top 5 Reasons to Move to New Orleans). And in 2013, it isn't stopping: the city is going to be aflame with tons of amazing activities that will bring big business and huge success for its residents.

Just one reason why 2013 is a great city for New Orleans: the SUPER BOWL! Yes, Saints fans are sad that our home team won't be there this year, but on February 3 two phenomenal teams will be grinding it out to be NFL champions.

What's better -- Nola.com reports that the 2013 Super Bowl will by far surpass the last New Orleans Super Bowl. Here are a couple of stats that show just how huge the event is for our city:

The Super Bowl will drive an estimated $434 Million worth of economic activity to New Orleans! It's a great time to have a business in the city!

In 2002, the last NOLA hosted Super Bowl, 3,500 media members flocked to the city. This year that number has increased: 5,000 media members will be in our city covering the Big Game!

Also, Doug Thornton, Senior Vice President of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, recently discussed the city's legacy as a host of major sporting events. He said this of the city's recent hosting efforts: "This, ladies and gentlemen, represents an unprecedented run by any city in America." Wow!

It's no news to say that for a while there the housing market swung downward; but there's a silver lining and it's not just on the horizon: the market is recovering RIGHT NOW! 

That's right, the real estate market is definitely on a huge upswing right now, and (depending on who you ask), is the best it has been in the past 4-6 years!

For example, Jed Kolko, Chief economist at Trulia.com (one of the sites where Team Tangie promotes listings),  evaluates the market every month based on three criteria: construction starts, existing home sales, and delinquency/foreclosure rate. In October, Kolko reported the biggest three month jump to date! For more information, see the article here.

Also, Corelogic reported that "the Home Price Index, based on sales prices for the same homes over time, posted a 6.3% year-over-year gain in October, which was the largest annual increase in home prices nationwide in more than six years, since June 2006." This information was further supported by Dr. Mark J. Perry, professor of economics at the University of Michigan, who claims:  

If you're interested in the full report from Corelogic and Dr. Perry, click here.

So what does this mean in terms of buying a home? It means that now is the time to do it! Buying a house is a great investment, especially because the market is so swiftly recovering, because your house will only gain value!

Contact Tangie Stephens today at 504-338-7653 for more information on the market recovery and on buying a home in the New Orleans area!

New Orleans just keeps on topping the charts! Most recently, CNN's travel section just named New Orleans the top romantic city in the world!

And there's a lot to be said for the romance of our city: you and your love can take a trip down the Mississippi on a the Steamboat Natchez, have a glass of wine while listening to world class jazz at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro, or explore the beauty of the Garden District.

And also, New Orleans has been ranked the Number 1 City for Singles by Travel and Leisure magazine, so if you are looking for a place to move to meet that somebody special, consider the Big Easy! 

Just another reason for you to buy a house in our great city! For more information on the best of New Orleans and where to buy a home in the city, contact Team Tangie at 504-338-7653!