Gayle's Blog

The House voted 403-12 on Thursday to pass the bill after the Senate unanimously approved it Wednesday. The legislation includes provisions for the homebuyers' tax credit as well as extension of jobless benefits.

The bill would extend an $8,000, first-time home buyers' tax credit on all house contracts entered into before April 30, 2010, and closed by June 30 the same year. It would create a new, $6,500 credit for existing property owners who sell their home and buy another during the same period of time. The maximum purchase price on a home will be $800,000 with vacation homes not eligible. Income limitations are $125,000 for single tax payers and $225,000 for joint filers. 

Mr. Obama is expected to sign the bill into law on Friday. 

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) have been lobbying hard for the extension and expansion of the tax credit.  NAR claims that so far, about 1.4 million first-time homebuyers have qualified for the program and they estimated that 350,000 of these buyers would not have otherwise purchased. 

The tax credit is also set to be extended for another year for military personnel serving outside of the United States until June 30, 2011. 

Senator Johnny Isakson, who heavily pushed for the extension stated, "This is probably the last extension." 

Gayle Causey
Realtor, Relocation Specialist
318-614-5615

Keller Williams Realty, 1390 Hudson Lane, Monroe, LA USA 318-812-7653
Each office independently owned & operated.

Buying a home with a tax incentive from Uncle Sam is almost here for a whole new crop of homebuyers.

First-time homebuyers have been getting tax credits of up to $8,000 since January as part of the economic stimulus package. But the program will expire November 30. The Senate voted Wednesday to extend and expand the tax credit to include many buyers who already own homes. 

If the House approves the bill on Thursday, Nov. 6, buyers who have owned their current homes at least five years would be eligible for tax credits of up to $6,500. First-time homebuyers - or anyone who hasn't owned a home in the last three years - would still get up to $8,000. To qualify, buyers in both groups will have to close on a home purchase by June 30, 2010.

About 1.4 million first-time homebuyers have qualified for the credit through August. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) estimates that 350,000 of them would not have purchased their homes without the credit.

The credit is available for the purchase of your principal residence that would cost $800,000 or less, meaning vacation homes are ineligible. The credit would be phased out for individuals with annual incomes above $125,000 and for joint filers with incomes above $225,000.

The credit would be extended an additional year, until June 30, 2011, for members of the military serving outside the United States for at least 90 days.

Keep watching the news for updates on actions taken by Congress, or call me and I will tell you the latest info I have on the legislation.

Gayle Causey
318-614-5615
Realtor, Relocation Specialist

Keller Williams Realty, 1390 Hudson Lane, Monroe, LA USA
Each office independently owned & operated.

You may not know it, but people are moving to Monroe, LA, all the time! I recently met a new family who will be moving here soon to a new job. They are looking forward to new adventures in Monroe, but their move is a little more complicated because they have baby TWINS, plus an adorable 2-yr. old.

This family needs to find a home for their 70 Lb shepherd mix named Piper. She is very affectionate but would be happiest in a home with older children and no other dogs. She has all of her shots and has no health problems. If you can open your heart to sweet Piper, please email spencerlange@hotmail.com or email me and I will get the message to him.

Finding homes is my specialty. I guess I'll branch out to 4-legged clientele!

Gayle Causey, 318-614-5615
Gayle@GayleCausey.com
Equal Housing Opportunity.

Keller Williams Realty
1390 Hudson Lane, Monroe, LA USA, 318-812-7653
Each office independently owned & operated.

BIG NEWS! 

Watch for details coming soon about a special, invitation-only event with discounts for my friends and customers at one of the area's largest electronics and appliances dealers. The store will be closed  to the public for this special event, so you can expect to receive excellent service and the best prices!

If you want to know more about it, email me at Gayle@GayleCausey.com for details.  I will let you know the time, date and all other details. Your invitation will cost you NOTHING (-$0-) except what you choose to buy during the shopping event. There is absolutely no obligation.

This event will be at a store in Monroe, LA, on a SUNDAY evening in time for your holiday shopping.  

I hope to hear from you soon, and I look forward to seeing you there!

Gayle Causey
318-614-5615
Gayle@GayleCausey.com

Keller Williams Realty,  1390 Hudson Lane, Monroe, LA USA  318-812-7653
Each office independently owned & operated.

The University of Louisiana at Monroe is known for several outstanding academic areas: pharmacy, nursing, aviation, etc. But, to be honest, you can find these curricula in many colleges and universities around the country.

How many universities, though, are tops in WATERSKIING?     

ULM's water ski team won its 22nd national championship title at the National Collegiate Water Ski Association's 31st National Championship Tournament in Bakersfield, Calif., this weekend.  This is the fourth consecutive year ULM won the Division I Team Overall title.

ULM skiers won the tournament by more than 1,000 points even though twelve of the nation's top teams competed in Division I.

ULM men's team won first in the slalom, tricks and jumping categories, winning first place overall.

The women's team won first in the slalom competition and placed second in tricks and jumping categories, winning first place overall.

You can often see the team practicing near the ULM Alumni House in Bayou DeSiard on Hwy 80. When you have time, stop and watch them for awhile. You will be AMAZED!

For more about the Monroe/West Monroe area, visit my websites http://GayleCausey.com or http://WestMonroeRealEstate.com

Gayle Causey
318-614-5615
Relocation Specialist

Keller Williams Realty, 1390 Hudson Lane, Monroe, LA USA 318-812-7653
Each office independently owned & operated.

In Louisiana, September usually has 90+degree temps. We've had a little reprieve lately that leads me to the hope that fall may be coming soon. During this week's "rain event" in which the Monroe/West Monroe area has received 2" of rain per day since Saturday, the temperatures have been lower than the norm. Chances of rain today are 80%, so I think it will be another mild, though soggy, day.

Three things are the signs of fall to me:

1.  The majestic pecan trees in my back yard are heavy with pecans. This is good news because last year was a year of rest for the trees. We had NO pecans in the area. In contrast, my 2 trees yielded 72-lbs. of pecans in 2007! I don't know if another record crop is in the cards, but I'm looking forward to the time when the nuts begin to fall. In the meantime, leaves from the pecan trees are beginning to slowly leave the tree. Nothing dramatic enough to crank up the lawnmower to chop them up, but I know that day is coming!

2.  It's LOVEBUG season!  I had to look up the scientific name--Plecia nearctica Hardy. The common name "lovebug" has been given to these black colored, orange-backed flies because they are most often seen flying around in mating pairs.  If you're driving in Louisiana this time of year, you'll be smart to visit the car wash a little more than usual to rid your vehicle of the bodies of the insects. Experts say they do not fly at night and heavy rains dimish their numbers. Even though they are a nuisance, their life span is short, only about 4-5 weeks.

3.  Friday night football!  No matter where you live in the US, you've probably heard about the LSU Tigers and their famous stadium, nicknamed "Death Valley".   Many LSU players are the product of Louisiana high school football, especially healthy in all of north Louisiana.  The insane antics of Tiger fans are duplicated in and around the stadiums in Monroe, West Monroe, Sterlington, Calhoun and the surrounding small towns on Friday nights. This is definitely a football-loving area! Football fans have the opportunity to go to so many games each week that the choice is often difficult. Rivalries are very strong. I don't dare have a favorite, so GOOD LUCK to all our local teams!

If you are moving to Monroe, West Monroe, Calhoun or Sterlington and want to know more about the area, don't hesitate to call or email me. You can also find links to many points of interests and local schools at http://WestMonroeRealEstate.com and http://GayleCausey.com

Gayle Causey
Relocation Specialist
318-614-5615

Keller Williams Realty, 1390 Hudson Lane, Monroe, LA USA  318-812-7653

Those of us who live in the Monroe area are sometimes guilty of going to another city to find "something to do." If you take the time to look, you'll find that there's plenty of good entertainment right here in your own back yard!

Gayle Causey, 318-614-5615
Relocation Specialist

Keller Williams Realty
1390 Hudson Lane, Monroe, LA USA
***   ***   ***

Options on tap
Sept. 12, 2009, The News Star 

By the time Clay Couturiaux raises his hands at the Monroe Civic Center to start the Monroe Symphony Orchestra's 2009-10 season, the ULM Warhawks will be playing the second quarter against Texas Southern at Malone Stadium, the home opener for the football team.

As halftime nears at Malone, country music singer and songwriter Linda Davis will begin presenting "An Evening with Linda Davis" at the Dixie Center for the Arts in Ruston, concluding two days of local events surrounding that talented Texan, who appeared last in Ruston three years ago.

None of this helps you choose where you want to be Saturday night. You may want to be at all three events. No can do, folks.

The symphony is spectacular, a hometown treasure for those who hold great music close to their hearts. The Warhawks, well, we're talking about the home team, where hope springs eternal every autumn. And Linda Davis is not only lovely but gracious and a first-rate performer.  

What the surfeit of entertainment happenings does do is remind us that the answer to, "What's going on in northeastern Louisiana?" can be wrapped up in a single word: Plenty. Or, more expansively, more than we can handle on a given night.

Those three superior - different, sure, but superior - entertainment choices are offered at reasonable and family friendly prices. Presenters make that happen. Where you won't want to be come Saturday night is home, where you would miss them all.

Where you choose to land Saturday night is up to you. But it's a nice problem to have: plenty of good entertainment options. Right at home.

We shall never forget
We shall keep this day,
We shall keep the events and the tears
In our minds, our memory and our hearts
and take them with us as we carry on.

You probably know by now that I like to keep up with the real estate market in Ouachita Parish. After all, that's my JOB!  I want to know how we're doing. The news from every media source will lead you to believe that the housing market is terrible, but that's not the case in Monroe, West Monroe, Calhoun, and Sterlington.

Let's compare the summer selling season in 2009 to 2008, specifically the months of June, July & August.

From these numbers, you can see that houses have stayed on the market for 9 days longer (DOM), but more houses have SOLD in 2009 than in 2008.  It's also interesting to compare the difference in the east side of the river vs. the west side. Both sides had an increase in sales from 2008, but the West Monroe side of the Ouachita River had a larger percentage of sales and a drop in Days on the Market (DOM).

What's going on with FORECLOSURES?  Louisiana is # 40 in the US for the number of foreclosure filings for the month of July, 2009, the most recent statistics available from RealtyTrac.  As I view the MLS, I see no significant change over the past several years in the number of foreclosures locally. We have no way to count bank-owned properties through our MLS, though, so this is only my personal observation. 

Bottom line: Ouachita Parish is a great place to live and it's still a smart move to invest in real estate here. As you can see, values have not declined, and HOMES ARE SELLING!

Let me know if I can help you in any way. Call, text or email me if you would like details on any particular neighborhood.

Gayle Causey--318-614-5615
HOMEwork is my specialty.

Keller Williams Realty, 318-812-7653
1390 Hudson Lane, Monroe, LA USA
Each office independently owned & operated.