Gayle's Blog

There was a B-I-G event in Monroe yesterday! Governor Bobby Jindal was in town to share a bountiful Thanksgiving luncheon at CenturyLink's headquarters on Hwy 165N. During his visit, President and CEO Glen Post and Gov. Jindal made the announcement that CenturyLink will be adding 350 jobs here in Monroe within the next 4 years.  Post also announced that the company is committed to remain in Monroe at least until 2019.

CenturyLink has tripled in size since the acquisition earlier this year of Embarq Corp. It is now the 4th largest telephone company in the US.

Adding to the excitement, Fox News was broadcasting live from CenturyLink headquarters office for most of the day.

You can read the complete story from our local newspaper: http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20091119/NEWS01/911190331/More-jobs-coming-to-area

This is wonderful news for Monroe, West Monroe and northeast Louisiana. Homeowners can feel confident that their investment is likely to remain secure. Home buyers should be looking now while prices are reasonable and interest rates a historically low.

Call me! I can help.

Gayle Causey
318-614-5615

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

...but MARTHA STEWART certainly is! YUM!

If you're looking for the right side dish or dessert, I'm sure Martha has the recipe. Martha and her friends on SIRIUS Satellite Radio are offering a FREE Thanksgiving Cookbook. (We like FREE.) You can download it here:

http://www.sirius.com/thanksgiving

Have fun getting ready for the big day.

Gayle Causey, 318-614-5615
Find your house with your mouse at http://WestMonroeRealEstate.com

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

I'm IN! I hope you will be, too.

Gayle Causey--318-614-5615
http://WestMonroeRealEstate.com

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

This nice home is in a very quiet cul-de-sac, tucked away off Ole Hwy 15 outside of West Monroe. You may not even know the neighborhood is there. The homes are all large with at least 2 acres, many with pools.

I represented the buyers in their purchase of this home. They are moving here from another state quite a ways north of here, so getting ajusted to LA weather will be a challenge. I'm sure all their new neighbors will reach out with a big West Monroe welcome to make them feel at home.

Listed at $385,000, sold for $375,000.  This is a 4BR/3.5-bath custom home with high ceilings and an open floor plan. The master suite and a guest room are downstairs. 2-bedrooms, each with private bath are upstairs, and there is a bonus room over the garage.

I doubt the new residents will be using the saltwater pool this week, but it will be so-o-o nice to have next summer!

Sitting on 5-acres of beautiful lawn, this home is a perfect place for entertaining. I know my customers will love living there.

If you're thinking of selling your home or buying a new one, please allow me to share with you how I may help make your move easier. I'm here to help.

Gayle Causey, REALTOR
Relocation Coordinator
318-614-5615
Find your house with your mouse at http://WestMonroeRealEstate.com

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

To keep you posted so you can make good decisions about buying and/or selling, here are the statistics for sales of homes in Ouachita Parish for the period of Jan--October. I have included the past 2 years so you can see how the market has moved during this "housing crisis".  It has pretty much been a non-event here in Ouachita Parish.

I will admit that homes are staying on the market longer, but I don't consider 7 days to be catastrophic. Local Realtors sold 22 more homes in 2008 than the same period of 2009. However, the number of homes sold compared to the number listed was greater in 2009. (That means that fewer homes were withdrawn from the market or the listings expired.)

More 3-bedroom homes are available for sale, so we sell more of them than any other configuration. You may notice that the average price of a 4-bedroom home is considerably higher than 3-bedroom units, so that probably has a lot to do with it, too. More buyers can afford a 3-bedroom home.

Please note that the average price sold has GONE UP each year. What that means is that homes continue to APPRECIATE IN VALUE in Ouachita Parish!  Good news for homeowners and for those who want to be homeowners.

If you are moving to Monroe, I hope this will help you see that you will be making a good investment when you buy a home in Monroe, West Monroe, Sterlington, Calhoun or all the places in between!

This information is from the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

For more information about the local real estate market, or about any home for sale now, please call or email me. I'm here to help.

Gayle Causey
Real Estate Consultant/Relocation Coordinator
318-614-5615
Find your house with your mouse at http://WestMonroeRealEstate.com

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

It's the Military, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. It's the Military, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It's the Military, not the politicians that ensures our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It's the Military who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag.

Please pray for our men and women who have served and are currently serving our country and pray for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. 

Thank you for your service and your sacrifice.

God bless America.

Gayle Causey
318-614-5615

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

Stop what you're doing and say a prayer for US military and especially those at Ft. Hood .

AP Photo

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.