Gayle's Blog

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.