The Collateral Valuation Report (CVR) is a desktop application program that is capable of valuing properties as accurately as a URAR report, and can be delivered to you in about 24 hours. This report is designed to be completed by a certified appraiser who has local area knowledge of the neighborhood.

This appraisal report is ideal for:
* Replacing BPOs
* HELOCS
* Portfolio Analysis
* Reviews
* Litigation

CVR integrates public records, MLS, flood, imagery and other relevant data directly to the report. In addition, the appraiser can define the neighborhood and use the most sophisticated analytics available. Adjustments are supported, comparable sales and listing are ranked and scored and ultimately, all of the data is available for an appraiser to interactively provide the most supportable valuation solution. The CVR is an affordable valuation solution. Better than a BPO, Less than a URAR.

The Summary Page Of A Sample CVR Report Is Below! A COMPLETE SAMPLE CVR REPORT is available to review at this link!

HOW DOES ONE ORDER A GREATER BATON ROUGE CVR REPORT?

Tags: CVR, Collateral Valuation Report, Comp Cruncher, Baton Rouge Home Appraisal, Baton Rouge Home Appraisers, Baton Rouge BPO, Baton Rouge BPOs, Baton Rouge HELOC

Country Club Estates is conveniently located near the center of Baton Rouge, near Bocage Area and generally within the Baton Rouge Garden District!

Solds In Country Club Estates Subdivision from 1/2010 to 12/31/2010 revealed:

Average Sales Price: $155,650 ($154,000 in 2009)
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $120.28/sf ($115.78/sf in 2009)
Median Sold Price: $158,500 ($155,000 in 2009)
Number of Sales: 5 (3 in 2009)
Average Number of Days On Market: 80 (48 in 2009)
Low To High: $131,900 to $177,000
Number of Sold REO/Foreclosures Noted In MLS: 0
Current # Listings: 3, 0 Are Foreclosures
Current Listings Price: $134,900 to $299,000 or $118/sf to $132/sf

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010. This information was extracted on 1/14/2011. YES, this appraiser does have the permission of GBRMLS to use the chart above Subdivision Price Trends Report!

Tags: Appraisers Baton Rouge, Appraisers in Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge Estate Minute, Baton Rouge Garden District, Baton Rouge Home Appraisers, Baton Rouge Homes, Baton Rouge Housing, Baton Rouge Housing Market, Baton Rouge Real Estate, Baton Rouge Real Estate Trends, Baton Rouge Realtor, Baton Rouge Realtors, Country Club Estates, 70809

Overall, there were nine (9) 2010 sales which brought the median sales price higher than 2009′s $304,400 and higher than 2008′s $294,500. In 2010 as compared to 2009, the Average Sales Price has declined 7.8%, Median Sales Price increased 3.5% and Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft. declined $4.48/sf. There is one (1) foreclosure noted on Lake Stream Drive. And, that unfinished home that sat vacant for about 1 year or more was sold in 2010 for $148,000, an MLS sale, and is being finished. NOTE: If you are considering purchasing a home in Bellingrath Lakes and don’t want to pay too much, I would advise one to order a “Pre-Purchase Appraisal” from Accurate Valuations Group as there are at least two (2) current listings in Bellingrath Lakes well above market support.

Solds In Bellingrath Lakes Subdivision from 1/1/2010 to 12/31/2010 revealed:

Average Sales Price: $293,700 ($318,550 in 2009)
Avg Sold $ Per Sq. Ft.: $119.27/sf ($123.75/sf in 2009)
Median Sold Price: $314,900 ($304,400 in 2009)
Number of “MLS” Sales: 9 (6 in 2009)
Average Number of Days On Market: 102 (188 in 2009)
Low To High: $155,000 to $162,000
Number of Sold REO/Foreclosures Noted In MLS: 1
Current # Listings: 4, 0 Are Foreclosures
Current Listings Prices: $285,000 to $379,000 or $120/sf to $149/sf. NOTE: The $142/sf listing on Bellingrath Lakes Ave, not on the lake, is grossly overpriced for this market based on the numbers or support above.

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010. This information was extracted on 1/10/2011. Yes, this appraiser has obtained permission from GBRAR MLS to use the above pricing chart!

Tags: Baton Rouge Homes, Baton Rouge Housing, Baton Rouge Housing Market, Baton Rouge Real Estate, Baton Rouge Real Estate Housing, Baton Rouge Real Estate Trends, Central City, Central La, Greenwell Springs, Bellingrath Lakes

Solds In Camelot Subdivision from 1/2010 to 12/31/2010 revealed:

Average Sales Price: $180,949 ($184,741 in 2009)
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $74.83/sf ($76.49/sf in 2009)
Median Sold Price: $181,500 ($189,000 in 2009)
Number of Sales: 6 (11 in 2009)
Average Number of Days On Market: 117 (133 in 2009)
Low To High: $140,000 to $228,000
Number of Sold REO/Foreclosures Noted In MLS: 2
Current # Listings: 1, 1 Is A Foreclosure
Current Listings Price: $148,000 or $64/sf

The Median Sales Price has declined from $189,000 in 2009 to $181,500 in 2010. The Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft. has declined from $76/sf in 2009 to $75/sf in 2010 (rounded)!

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. This information was extracted on 1/1/2011. YES, this appraiser does have the permission of GBRMLS to use the chart above Subdivision Price Trends Report!

Tags: Baton Rouge Estate Appraisers, Baton Rouge FHA Appraisers, Baton Rouge Housing Market, Baton Rouge Real Estate, Baton Rouge Real Estate Housing, Baton Rouge Real Estate Trends, Camelot

Home appraisals for settling an estate is not an easy process after the death of a loved one, legally and emotionally, this presents different variables when taking control of all possessions left. From all the posterior decisions about the beloved one’s wealth, it is important to derive this precept, that a certified estate layer is the right person to assist and advice all the process involved in the distribution of property and possessions. Obtaining a home appraisal for settling an estate is the most accurate procedure when making decisions that affect family members, friends, and other associates. In this respect, estate appraisers in Baton Rouge are the best solution to obtain a home appraisal to make this process easier and fairer to all people involved.

Baton Rouge estate appraisers are a great deal of the estate settlement process since they accurately determine a property’s value. Given all the variables involved in the process such as emotions and speculation, estate appraisers Baton Rouge can provide detailed official documents concerning the value of an estate. Certainly, this appraisal is done through reliable and clear studies of the property so that there is no place for conjectures or disputes among heirs and/or tax agencies. Certainly, this will help to simplify all solutions about current taxes and to appraise inheritance tax liability, if necessary.

There are certain characteristics of property appraisals, of which the unknown factors significantly affect the estate settlement process itself. In this sense, estate appraisals are not absolute since there are certain characteristics out of the appraiser’s reach. Great affairs of state such as economic recession have shown how well-made appraisals can become imprecise or obsolete after some months or weeks. Nonetheless, estate appraisers Baton Rouge rely heavily on fundamental variables like lot size, property’s age, number of rooms, amenities, and geographic location. Subsequently, these variables are compared with other properties appraised in order to adjust values.

Baton Rouge estate appraisals always include detailed documentation concerning the settlement process of the given property. These documents clearly explain how the estate was valued by taking into account all its characteristics and variables. This process is followed through special standards, depending on the property and the reasons to appraise it, estate appraisals Baton Rouge follow the right one.

In relation to this, it may be suggested, that services from Baton Rouge estate appraisers provide amiable and effective estate appraisals. Baton Rouge home appraisals are important when settling estates simply because they serve as neutral mediators in the final settlement of a property’s value. This way, people involved will always get the fairest part of any estate left by someone. A good way to accomplish this process is to get the services of a certified local appraiser who clearly understands the area. In this case, Baton Rouge estate appraisers are the perfect choice when looking for home appraisals in this specific area.

In brief, estate appraisers in Baton Rouge have the knowledge, experience, and impartiality required to yield accurate estate settlements. Given the fact that they have nothing to gain or lose in any estate settlement process, all individuals involved in the process will obtain more benefits.

Biil Cobb, with Accurate Valuations Group, is Greater Baton Rouge’s Home Appraiser frequently called upon by banks, homeowners, and savvy real estate investors to assess home values. A home appraiser with 18 years experience, Bill Cobb brings a wealth of knowledge to the table as a home appraiser in East Baton Rouge Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, Western Livingston Parish and Northern Ascension Parish.

Tags: Baton Rouge Appraisers, Baton Rouge Home Appraisers, Baton Rouge Housing Market, Baton Rouge Real Estate, Baton Rouge Real Estate Appraisers, Baton Rouge Estate Appraisers, Baton Rouge Estate Settlement Appraisers, Baton Rouge Estate Settlement Appraisals

Solds In Greenwood Estates from 1/2010 to 10/01/2010 revealed:
Average Sales Price: $107,375
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $71/sf
Median Sold Price: $103,250
Number of Sales: 4
Average Number of Days On Market: 122
Low To High: $64,000 to $159,000
Number of Sold REO/Foreclosures Noted In MLS: 2
Current # Listings: 3, 0 Are Foreclosures
Current Listings Prices: $127,900 To $209,900

This data for this report was used with the permission of the GBRAR MLS from dates 1/1/2005 to 10/01/2010, extracted on 10/01/2010.

Over the past 3 years, I’ve been driving the streets in University Club Plantation appraising homes and seeing the home in the photos below for sale. This home and older home design (non-Country French) was built in 2007 and originally listed in GBRMLS on 6/29/2007 for $730,000. It was listed in 3 separate listings over 1,113 days (over 3 years) and finally sold on 9/21/2010 for $625,000 or $143.35/sf, for $105,000 less than original listing price.

When comparing this home’s features to the other 6 U.C.P. 2010 home sales with an average $162.57/sf selling price, it was discovered that the home in the photos sold for $19.22/sf less….and took 1,113 days on the market to sell. However, this home probably wasn’t any cheaper to build in 2007 than those homes with more favorable designs.

Choosing the design of your new home is extremely important for a better return on your investment. The design of the home in the photo is more like what was being built in the early 1990′s. And, this isn’t the only U.C.P. of this style that has experienced market reluctance. This U.C.P. home below, with a similar design, was on the market for 330 days from 2009 to Summer of 2010 without selling.

The Baton Rouge high-end homes purchaser prefers the “Country French” style…….At Least For Now!

Data for this market lesson was used with permission of the GBRAR MLS, extracted on 9/28/2010, from dates 6/29/2007 to 9/21/2010.

These two photos below were taken in Rolling Meadows 70817 and Bellingrath Lakes 70739 during Saturday’s home appraisal inspections and reveal that LSU Tiger Spirit is alive and well in the Greater Baton Rouge community!

There’s a new report out by CNNMoney.com and eCreditDaily.com that says 950,000 Taxpayers Must Repay Homebuyer Tax Credit according to the U.S. Treasury. Read the entire articles at the links above. Buzz is providing a few snippets below.

CNNMoney.com states, “Nearly half of all Americans who claimed the first-time homebuyer tax credit on their 2009 tax returns will have to repay the government. According to a report from the Inspector General for Tax Administration, released to the public Thursday, about 950,000 of the nearly 1.8 million Americans who claimed the tax credit on their 2009 tax returns will have to return the money. The confusion comes because homebuyers were eligible for two different credits, depending on when their homes were purchased. Those who bought properties during 2008 were to deduct, dollar for dollar, up to 10% of the home’s purchase price or $7,500, whichever was less. The catch: The money was a no-interest loan that had to be repaid within 15 years. Had they waited to buy until 2009, they could have gotten a much sweeter deal. Congress extended the credit and made it a refund rather than a loan.”

eCreditDaily.com states, “Nearly 1.8 million taxpayers claimed a total of almost $12.5 billion under the popular first-time homebuyer tax credit program, but more than 950,000 taxpayers will be required to repay the credits because their homes were purchased in 2008, according to a U.S. Treasury report released today. And many more may have to repay the credits “if the homes cease to be the primary residences of the taxpayers within 36 months,” according to the report released by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). TIGTA said the Internal Revenue Service is improving its methodology to more precisely determine how many have to repay the tax credits. Nonetheless, the announcement will come as a shock to taxpayers who purchased homes to take advantage of a program meant to revitalize the depressed housing market.
The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 created a new “First-Time Homebuyer Credit” equal to 10 percent of the purchase price of the home, limited to a maximum amount of $7,500. But that original credit served as an interest-free loan that must be repaid over a 15-year period. The following year, the homebuyer tax credit program was expanded and converted into a full credit that does not have to be repaid.”

To view the Treaury report, go to: http://www.ustreas.gov/tigta/auditreports/2010reports/201041086fr.pdf.

Image Source: http://ecreditdaily.com/

Tags: Baton Rouge Real Estate, Homebuyer Tax Credit, Mortgages

I have provided a few snippet paragraphs from this two page article below. Read the full article here: Real Estate Appraisal Rules Changing

“According to Lucien Salvant, a spokesman for the National Association of Realtors, or NAR, in Washington, D.C., the law is intended to:

*Strengthen appraiser independence.
*Sunset a problematic industry agreement known as the Home Valuation Code of Conduct, or HVCC.
*Regulate appraisal management companies.”

“Buyers, sellers can inform appraisers

That said, the end of the HVCC should help to clear up widespread confusion over who can present information — including data about recent sales — to an appraiser.

“The intent of the HVCC was to put a firewall between the lender and appraiser, but it put up such a big wall that everybody was afraid to talk to appraisers,” Salvant says. “The (new law) does say that Realtors and sellers and buyers can talk to (appraisers).”"

“Appraisal management companies

The new law also regulates appraisal management companies, or AMCs. AMCs aren’t new, but they have gained more control over real estate appraisers and appraisals in the 15 months since the HVCC was implemented.

The financial reform law requires federal oversight of AMCs controlled by federally regulated financial institutions. It also requires state registration of all other AMCs, according to the Appraisal Institute.”

“Questions to ask (editor’s note: should be rephrased “Questions AMC’s should be asking those appraisers they intend on hiring for the appraisal order”)

If there is an upside to the confusion over appraisals, it’s that homebuyers, sellers and homeowners are now more aware of these issues, says Richard Koestner, a partner at Koestner, McGivern & Associates, an appraisal firm in Davenport, Iowa. He says they are more likely to ask questions about the appraiser’s experience and expertise and calls the development “encouraging.” He also offers a few examples of questions buyers and sellers might want to ask:

How long have you been an appraiser?
How many appraisals have you completed?
How often do you appraise homes in this area?
How familiar are you with the local market?
Where do you get the data that you use in your appraisal reports?”

Read the full article here: Real Estate Appraisal Rules Changing

The Baton Rouge Business Report is reporting on a National Assocation of Realtors housing study “U.S. Home Sales Plunge To 15-Year Low” and I quote: “Sales of previously occupied homes fell to the lowest level in 15 years last month as the economy weakened. The National Association of Realtors says July’s sales fell by more than 27% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.83 million. It was the largest monthly drop on records dating back to 1968. June’s sales pace was revised downward to 5.26 million. Home sales picked up in the spring when the government was offering tax credits. But the market has struggled since the tax credits expired on April 30. It would take 12.5 months to sell off the 4 million unsold homes on the market at the current sales pace. The median sale price was $182,600, up 0.7 percent from a year ago.”

While the NAR study covers the entire U.S., how does the local Baton Rouge housing sales numbers compare? The answer is that I see a similar trend. Within the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors data extracted from 1999 through August 24, 2010, covering almost 12 total years, for all of East Baton Rouge Parish itself, the lowest yearly rate of home sales has been in 2010 with 2,032 year-to-date. If this pace of home sales continues, 2010 projections will total 3,048 sales, the lowest within the 12 year period.

What about a monthly sales numbers comparison? This comparison leads to the same conclusion. The two lowest monthly housing sales periods in East Baton Rouge since our MLS began tracking the numbers in 1999 have taken place in 2010, see chart.

HOWEVER,

I want to responsibly point out that just because the “number” of home sales have been declining in 2010 doesn’t mean the “housing prices” are equally declining significantly! And, this is an important point. As a home appraiser, the one thing I hear from local homeowners is a misunderstanding of the local market. They say things to me like, “I know this is a horrible time to be refinancing and getting an appraisal with the housing market the way it is, but we just couldn’t pass up the low mortgage rate”. I hear this constantly from locals and you can’t watch the national news and apply that to our local market. Linda Fredericks, former President of the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors, is correct when she delivered the message that housing marketings are “local” and you can’t apply the national news headlines to a one size fits all local housing market!

Take The Baton Rouge Business ReportPoll: When will the U.S. housing market recover? So far results are:

NOTE: Data Used With Permission of the GBRAR MLS. Data was extracted on 8/24/2010 from periods 1/1/1999 through 8/24/2010.

Tags: Baton Rouge Economic Report, Baton Rouge Homes For Sale, Baton Rouge Housing Market, Baton Rouge Real Estate, Baton Rouge Real Estate Agents, Baton Rouge Realtors

The Baton Rouge Business Report Daily PM Report is report a Capital Region home sales plunge of 21% in July 2010. “The number of homes sold in metro Baton Rouge fell by 21% in July compared with the year before, as the market corrected itself after being bolstered by the federal homebuyer tax credit. There were 523 homes in the Capital Region sold in July, compared with 665 sales in July 2009, according to figures from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service. An $8,000 tax credit for homebuyers expired earlier this year, and transactions had to be under contract at the end of April to qualify for the money. That led to Capital Region home sales posting 21% and 28% increases in April and May over last year. The average sale price in July was $197,076, down from the $203,735 average in July 2009. Sales were down nearly 31% in Ascension Parish in July, from 111 in 2009 to 77. Livingston Parish saw a 25% drop, from 114 homes changing hands to 85. In East Baton Rouge, there was a 24% drop in home sales, from 414 to 313. The other category, which includes MLS sales in West Baton Rouge, Iberville and the Feliciana parishes, actually saw an 85% increase, from 26 to 48. Through the first seven months of the year, home sales continued to run slightly ahead of the 2009 pace. There were 4,107 homes sold through the end of July, up 3% from the 3,985 sales total at the end of July 2009.”

I recently completed this home appraisal on this Baton Rouge home marketed as a “Fixer Upper”! It was more than just a fixer upper as this home wasn’t inhabitable nor would the City issue an occupancy permit.

WHY I ALWAYS RECOMMEND A “PRE-LISTING APPRAISAL“: Agent stated Living Area Error of 149 square feet! This home was listed at an “even” 1,500 sq. ft., which indicated to this appraiser that the home probably wasn’t phyically measured. With a Pre-Listing Appraisal from this appraiser, your home will be properly measured as is the standard you should expect from a local real estate professional…No Exceptions!

]]> http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisal.com/2010/07/baton-rouge-real-estate-appraiser-photos-from-field-havent-seen-a-fixer-upper-this-bad-in-a-while/feed/ 0 http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisal.com/2010/06/greater-baton-rouge-real-estate-pre-foreclosure-driveby-inspection-process/ http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisal.com/2010/06/greater-baton-rouge-real-estate-pre-foreclosure-driveby-inspection-process/#comments Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:53:51 +0000 Baton Rouge Real Estate Appraisal http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisal.com/baton-rouge-real-estate-appraisal/greater-baton-rouge-real-estate-pre-foreclosure-driveby-inspection-process/ http://www.accuratevg.com/ – Greater Baton Rouge Real Estate Pre-Foreclosure Driveby Inspection Process

In this video, Greater Baton Rouge Home Appraiser, Bill Cobb, performs a pre-foreclosure driveby inspection somewhere in Baton Rouge.

This is the section of Gardere Lane I’m describing, see map above. View the photos below in the slideshow. This section of Gardere Ln has been in this condition for close to 2 decades now. I call it “The War Zone”! Multiple units have the doors kicked in and are vandalized. It would seem that the residents of EBRP have been paying extra just to pay the EBRP Sheriff’s Office for their increased patrolling of this immediate area. This very immediate area, within the map drawn boundaries, is plaqued with crime (just check WAFB.com for verification). The photos below don’t even come close to showing all of the vacant and vandalized units in this immediate section. It’s years past time for the leadership of EBRP to have taken action and demolished this area to begin anew.

AND, by the way, I’m not a “Big Government” believer either.   But think about it!   Who’s on the tab for paying for this fraud (as described below)?   The US Tax Payer is!   That’s you and me!  How long are we going to allow the investors and crooked appraisers to keep sending us the bill for their “activities”?

Recent History. In the mid 2000′s, some local investors (and their repesentatives) courted the California money investors, which bought into multi-family (Duplexes and Fourplexes). A California investor would need to spend 2 to 3 times as much in California to receive the same ROI in a “stable” rental market. Many units were sold to naive California investors, some at exorbitant prices. Post Hurricane Katrina only made this situation so much worse – the fraud aspect! While there were at least 16 local immediate MLS solds of 4 plexes in the $105,000 to $147,000 range, appraisers (some from out-of-town) were brought in to appraise these for fraud purchases of $165K up to $250K and at the same time ignoring the conditions of these units. Instead of using the numerous MLS solds as comps, these appraisers used the “private” investor sales which were so exorbitant and fraudulent. Or, the appraisers went all the way over to the Staring Ln @ Perkins Rd for better comps. Some of the photos below are of a 4 plex that wasn’t worth any more than perhaps $130K, but fraudulently appraised at over $240K. One can see from the Blue Tarp that the roof was not in even acceptable condition at the time of appraisal.

From the GBRAR MLS Stats from 5/2009 to 5/2010 for new homes to 5 year old homes, extracted on 5/9/2010, the months supply of inventory appears to have declined from a 13 month supply in May 2009 to 3 months in April 2010. The median sold price in this period has been $283,000, average sold price $135/sf taking about 116 days to sell a home in Fairhill.

Tags: Baton Rouge Real Estate, Baton Rouge Real Estate Photos From The Field, Real Estate Baton Rouge, Fairhill At Bluebonnet, 70810, Baton Rouge Real Estate Buzz, Baton Rouge Real Estate Tube

Solds In Rushmore from 1/1/2009 to 12/31/2009 revealed:
Average Sales Price: $138,800
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $99/sf
Median Sold Price: $142,000
Number of Sales: 9
Number of Sold REO/Foreclosures Noted In MLS: 1

Solds In Rushmore from 1/1/2010 to 04/28/2010 reveal:
Average Sales Price: $136,000
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $101.30/sf
Median Sold Price: $136,000
Number of Sales: 2
Number of Sold REO/Foreclosures Noted In MLS: 0

Home sales in both periods ranged from $105,000 up to $160,200. The average sold price per sq. ft. increased by over $2/sf into 2010. And, it’s difficult to call a trend based only on 2 sales in 2010. Now, Rushmore is built up with both newer and older homes. There are 6 total listings with 2 pending or under contract. Two of the older 21-30 yr old homes are listed for $97/sf and $98/sf while one of the newer 6-10 yr old homes is listed at $104/sf.

“Sub-Market” comparison is below. A Sub-Market comparison is comparing the subject home or sudivision to similar homes within that market. Sub-Market search parameters for a 10 year old 1,400sf in Rushmore might be other homes in MLS Area 41 with 150sf of 1400sf and within 5 years of 10 years old, which might look like 1250sf to 1550sf and ages 5 to 15 years old.

NOTE: Based on Detached Single Family information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS\MLS. This information was extracted on 04/28/2010.

Watch Her Video Below!

Oh My Goodness!!! This Baton Rouge Realtor, Dana Patureau, has just increased the level of local professional video listings in a significant format enhancement by employing the services of Kevin Delaune with RealtyStudioHD. If you haven’t watched Kevin’s awesome HD video tours, check them out here!

How has Dana Patureau just increased the level of local professional video listings in a significant format enhancement? Because SHE’s IN THE VIDEO and becaue she’s in the video, she’s working on building her local “Trust Agent” identity – a phrase borrowed from Chris Brogan’s “Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust! By the way, Chris Brogan has over 25,000 subscribers to his blog. In 2010, those in business build their “LOCAL BRAND” and “TRUST” by being seen online and in person in an authorative manner – speaking as the local professional.

Doubt Me? This is how Gary Vaynerchuk with Wine Library TV built a $60,000,000 business online…..with video and a blog! I’ll have more on this later!

Enjoy Dana’s new video!

In my opinion and after 18 years as a residential appraiser, this is one of the finest porches I have witnessed, certainly one of the largest. This home is located somewhere in the Greater Baton Rouge housing market and this porch measured exactly 900 sq. ft.. The porch is new, an addition after the Hurricane Gustav damage in 2008. Enjoy the photos.

Baton Rouge Real Estate Housing News Update April 13 2010. Baton Rouge FHA Appraiser, Bill Cobb, quickly highlights the area real estate news.

http://www.accuratevg.com/

The Baton Rouge Business Report AM is delivering Great News for the Greater Baton Rouge housing market. The link to the article is here!

Here’s the good news:

“Baton Rouge is ranked second by Southern Business and Development magazine among the top 10 mid-markets of the decade, based on the amount of new and expanded project wins over the last 10 years. Some of the notable projects in the top-10 issue include: Albemarle, Electronic Arts, SNF Holding Company and The Shaw Group. Project wins that affected rankings must have consisted of 200 or more jobs and/or $30 million or more in capital investment. Huntsville, Ala., was the only city to top Baton Rouge.

Baton Rouge was also ranked third-best metro area in economic development in 2009 by Site Selection magazine.

Adam Knapp, BRAC president and CEO, says he attributes the area’s success to the chamber’s “Campaign for a Greater Baton Rouge.” The Southern Business and Development Story can be found here.“

These are some recent photos I took of renovation projects taking place within the Southdowns housing market. There were multiple projects underway.

Tags: Baton Rouge Real Estate, Baton Rouge Estate Appraisers, Baton Rouge Real Estate Appraisers, Baton Rouge Southdowns, Baton Rouge Garden District, LSU

CBS Money Watch is reporting on 4 Ways To Sell Your Home Faster! Click the blue link to read the article! Here’s a snippet:

“Home sellers, buckle up: Spring selling season is here, and it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

For now, the April 30 deadline for closing on a house to claim the home buyer tax credit is boosting sales. But with mortgage rates edging up, deals are fragile and lenders are on edge. “Last-minute glitches are holding up things far longer than we have ever seen before,” says Michael Onorato, president of the Illinois Association of Realtors.

Just because you have a real estate agent, that doesn’t mean you can sit back and let the pro sell your house. To get top dollar, you’ll need to take control of the relationship and micro-manage like nobody’s business. Follow these four steps to sell your house fast.“

The 4 Ways To Sell Your Baton Rouge Home Faster:

1.) Keep Your Agent on a Tight Leash

2.) Prove Your Home’s Value

3.) Get a Fair Appraisal

4.) Get Your Home Staged

As the map above illustrates, I recently learned how to use Google Maps to Geocode some of the home addresses I’ve been appraising. This process created a “Geographical Competency Map” illustrating my competency to appraise homes in certain local housing markets. In an HVCC era, this helps me to prove that I’m “geographically competent” to appraise homes locally and that I’m not traveling 50 miles out of my normal marketing area or beyond my market competency.

Question: If you as a local real estate agent created such a map to show to your listing prospects, would it help you earn more listings? I think it would!

I learned to create such a map by watching this video below and checking out REBliss.com’s How To Use Google Maps to Show Your Geographic Competency.

The Advocate Newspaper and Chad Calder are reporting “BR-area home sales see gain in March“, click on the link to read the entire article. Below is a snippet:

“The number of homes sold in the Baton Rouge metro area rose slightly in March, though the first quarter was down 2 percent.

The March bright spot is largely due to an increase in Ascension Parish.

The figures, compiled by the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors, account for about 85 percent of the market in the eight-parish area.

Realtors sold 600 homes in the metro area in March, 1 percent more than the 594 sold in the same month last year. Dollar volume in March was up 2 percent to $118.0 million.

The quarter, however, still reflects the downward trend that has characterized recent years. There were 1,406 homes sold during the first three months of the year, compared to 1,431 the year before.

Dollar volume was also down 2 percent to $270.3 million for the quarter.“

The annual Trends Seminar was held yesterday with multiple keynote speakers. The Advocates’s recap of the seminar is located here, under Baton Rouge Real Estate Perks Up. There were 3 major themes during the seminar, one being that local real estate is perking up.

A snippet of the perks up theme is below:

“It’s been a tough couple of years for nearly every aspect of the real estate market in Baton Rouge, but many sectors are showing signs that things could be getting better.

That was the overall message from industry professionals Thursday at the annual Trends seminar, which is put on by the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors and other sponsors.

The look back was mostly bleak, but participants kept things light using the seminar’s trademark humor.“

Mashable Blog has announced that Google is developing a tablet to rival iPad.

And, unlike the iPad, which I would not buy because it doesn’t play 90% of video on the web today via “Flash Video”, the Google tablet will play 90% of video on the web today.

Today’s Show Covers: WaMu getting probed. Congress helps with extensions. One steps up to end HVCC.

Tags: Baton Rouge Estate Appraisers, baton rouge homes, baton rouge housing, baton rouge real estate, baton rouge real estate agents, baton rouge real estate appraisers, baton rouge real estate trends, baton rouge realtors

I just finished a three (3) bedroom Townhome appraisal off Brightside Dr yesterday where the marketing time was 262 days on the market. Two (2) of the comparable sales used, sold in 2010, were on the market for 183 and 383 days. This spells over “oversupply”.

Oversupply! Currently, the GBRAR MLS shows 85 total attached single family (ASF) listings in zip code 70820 ($100K to $500K, all ages, 2-4 bedrooms). Based on these same parameters, since 4/13/2009, there were 101 ASF solds in 70820. If 101 solds took place in the previous year or about 8.4 per month, then there should be an approximate 10 month supply of competing ASFs in the LSU market, not including 13 FSBOs. If you add the 13 FSBO’s, then 98 listings would indicate an approximate 12 months supply.

And, the oversupply doesn’t take into consideration the under construction “The Cottages Of Baton Rouge” LSU Student Upscale Apartments, which should add 100s more units to the market and or alternatives housing options.

It’s enough to make a person scratch their head!