In this Baton Rouge Housing updating, January 22-28, 2012 are reported for the eight (8) parish MSA including East Baton Rouge, Ascension, Livingston and West Baton with  Iberville, East and West Feliciana and Pointe Coupee combined as “ALL”. 

Other Greater Baton Rouge Housing Statistics January 22-28:

LISTINGS:

Total Current Listings: 5,035

Foreclosure Listings: 490 or 10% of total listings

3rd Party Active Listings: 330 or 7% of total listings

Short Sale Active or Potential SS Listings: 250 or 5% of total listings

SOLDS From 01/22/2012 – 01/28/2012:

Total Number of Solds: 65

Foreclosures Sold: 14 or 22% of Solds

3rd Party Solds: 8 or 12% of total solds

Short Sales Solds: 8 or 12% of total solds

Foreclosure, 3rd Party and Short Sales Solds: 30 or 46% of all solds

Low To High Sales Prices: $16,000 to $475,000

New Home Sales: 18 or 28% of all sales

East Baton Rouge MLS Area with most home sales: 43 with 9 sales

CUMULATIVE TOTALS FOR 2012Total Number of Sales: 290

ASCENSION: 65
EAST BATON ROUGE: 149
EAST FELICIANA: 0
LIVINGSTON: 59
IBERVILLE: 2
POINTE COUPEE: 8
WEST BATON ROUGE: 6
WEST FELICIANA: 1

Foreclosures Sold: 69 or 24% of Solds

3rd Party Solds: 33 or 11% of total solds

Short Sales Solds: 47 or 16% of total solds

Foreclosure, 3rd Party and Short Sales Solds: 149 or 51% of all solds

AVERAGE SALES PRICES FOR LOCAL PARISHES:
EAST BATON ROUGE: $192,043
ASCENSION: $190,747
LIVINGSTON: $144,439
OTHER: $158,993

MEDIAN SALES PRICES FOR LOCAL PARISHES:
EAST BATON ROUGE: $158,500
ASCENSION: $166,450
LIVINGSTON: $138,900
OTHER: $159,900

AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET (CONTINUOUS):
EAST BATON ROUGE: 116
ASCENSION: 105
LIVINGSTON: 133
OTHER: 157

LISTING-TO-SALES PRICE RATIO (What Percent Below Listing Price Home Sell For):
EAST BATON ROUGE: 97%
ASCENSION: 99%
LIVINGSTON: 97%
OTHER: 92%

_____________________________________________________________________

Important Video: Foreclosure Mythbusting by John C. Jones

_____________________________________________________________________

OTHER NATIONAL AND LOCAL HOUSING NEWS:

December Existing-Home Sales Show Uptrend

 Business Report Releases Baton Rouge’s 10 most expensive home sales of 2011

Juban Crossing Developer: Site work continues; deals with retailers in the works

 _____________________________________________________________________

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of 01/01/2012 to 01/28/2012.  This information was extracted on 01/29/2012.  Excludes Manufactured Housing.

http://www.batonrougerealestateappraisal.com/ - Difference Between Baton Rouge Home Appraisals Versus Home Inspections In A Mortgage Loan Process.

The Home Appraiser is hired by the bank to decide the estimated market value of a house.  The Appraisal Report protects the Bank or Lender and not the home buyer. The buyer pays for the home appraisal and that price will depend on if the lender is employing a third party to order the appraisal.  Depending on how the appraisal is ordered from the Bank, the cost can range from $350 up to $600, the higher price is if an AMC or Appraisal Management Company is hired (a middle-man that orders, reviews and delivers the report by hiring local home appraisers).  

Home Appraiser’s inspection generally consists of an inspection of the neighborhood first, then measuring the home based on national ANSI standards, taking lots of required photos of interior and exterior and determining condition and quality level of home.  Appraiser takes this “subject” data and compares other recent home sales in the same market, applies market adjustments of pluses and minuses for differences and arrives at an estimated value.  NOTE: Home Appraiser condition inspection is limited to what can obviously be seen with the eye, at eye level.  An Appraiser inspection is not a roofing inspection, hot water heater inspection or central heat and air inspection, the major expensive items that tend to lead home buyers into believing that home appraisers should inspect these items and guarantee them.

Call or email Accurate Valuations Group for more details: 225-293-1500 or info@accuratevg.com.

FHA even protects the Appraiser with this form below presented to buyers that tells them to “Get A Home Inspection”!

Home Inspections inspect detailed condition. are a very detailed inspection of various items around the home and inside the walls, attic and underneath the home  if there’s crawl space. Inspectors can inspect things like pest control, roofing, chimney, electrical, plumbing, for harmful mold and other negatives that might cost the buyer money in repairs soon after they buy the home. They are hired by the buyer to inspect the condition of the home on the day of inspection.

The home inspection fee is normally paid by the buyer. The costs for home inspections is not known and is really based on the size and complexity of the home.  Naturally, the longer the inspection will take, the higher the fee.

There are TWO (2) local Greater Baton Rouge Home Inspectors I recommend because I’ve known each of them for years now and can count on them to do their job right and not sorry that I referred them. 

Kevin Dinkel, Advantage Services, 225-753-8114 email info@extramileteam.com

James Bohac, Alltell Home Inspection 225-806-7572 4alltell@cox.net

Last week, David Jacobs, with the Baton Rouge Business Report, reported a startling study about how high and out of sync Greater Baton Rouge housing prices are when combined with transportation. The article, Baton Rouge-area household spends 52% of income on housing and transportation, was published on 8/9/2011. In the article or study, the CNT recommends spending no more than 45% and that combining local housing prices with true transportation costs provides “an accurate measure of of the true affordability of housing”.

Other Studies. We also know that according to Core Logic, Baton Rouge is in its’ 9th straight month of home price correction. We also know from the 24/7 Wall Street study that Baton Rouge made America’s 10 Sickest Housing Markets list this month.

We’re In For More Correction. It would appear, based on these 3 studies, that Greater Baton Rouge Housing is in for more correction.

This is my reply below to David Jacobs submitted on 8/10/2011:

I read your Business Report Weekly and wanted to thank you for reporting on this. This has really helped me. Just 3 weeks ago, I was ready to go for a visit to the LSU Real Estate Research Department with similar questions as to where should GBR Housing be priced relative to local incomes? I think this is a foundational question going forward and might possibly shed some light on where the bottom might be in local housing prices in the future. If GBR housing is out of proportion, by how much or by what percentage? Are the current still nose-bleed high housing prices sustainable? Obviously if we asked this question in 2007 from some of the Zachary and ASC $300,000 neighborhoods, the answer today is probably not. $140/sf for new homes wasn’t sustainable across the board. This is why builders like DSLD Homes are having such success……because the insanity in local new home prices from 2006 to 2008 was never sustainable based on local incomes.

As a local home appraiser, I’ve been scratching head all along here wondering WHY local housing is so expensive…..in Louisiana. Baton Rouge has been a wonderful place to grow up and now raise my family, but we’re not California with almost a perfect climate where one would expect high prices. Why are home prices so high here….still in 2011? Even with the modest correction, it would certainly seem that we’re still at nose bleed levels on the pricing of some local housing relative to local incomes. I scratch my head monthly on this issue.

Please understand, I’m not a conservative appraiser. Whatever the housing market’s decision has been, in the form of home sales, I reflect in my reports. However, we’re now about 9 months into this local correction and I’m beginning to think that locals are finally coming to their senses on what they pay for local housing relative to local incomes. There are A LOT of sellers in denial right now, and Hurricane Katrina didn’t help with that at all. It only made it worse. Today, some local Real Estate Agents are hiring me for my Listing Appraisals on their listings that have been on the market for months now, they know are overpriced and they bring me in to show the seller the reality of the local numbers in comparison to sellers perception that their home is worth more.

The chart below doesn’t indicate a huge problem in GBR housing, not like some sour markets in the USA where there’s 3-4 years of supply. However, talk to most appraisers locally and you’ll find that we’re checking “Slow” market for growth or sales and in some subdivision/markets, there’s been such few home sales that it’s become very difficult to complete appraisals for the lack of comps sold within 3 to 6 months, especially under $125,000.

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of August 2010 to July 2011. This information was extracted on 8/10/2011. YES, this appraiser does have the permission of GBRMLS to use the chart above.

These are some of the things I’ve been thinking about in GBR Housing since 2007 and going forward. Are we fairly priced or still way out of balance? Yes, the market is correcting back to some sense of sanity…..finally…..and how many more months or years will it be till we reach equilibrium (sanity) based on local incomes.

New Homes Are Still Priced High. I still see a local builder and have them say something like, “This market is killing me…when the market coming back?!”. And that builder just doesn’t get it….that the post Hurricane Katrina builder’s market isn’t coming “back” in terms of such exaggerated pricing. The odd thing here is the LHBA (La Home Builders Association) would probably tell you today that we’re too low for their builders to make a decent profit on local home building. What they experienced in 2006-2008 (unsustainable pricing) and expect in the future just wasn’t/isn’t sustainable.

This is why I believe that new TND in Zachary recently announced will take a decade or more to build out because $140/sf to $200/sf just isn’t what local incomes will support and until local builders understand this, they’ll be more developments started and then finished by DSLD Homes. This is also why I believe that new Wyndam Estates development in Denham Springs with 1600sf homes on “tiny lots” in $190′s or $120/sf will also take much, much longer than expected to fill and should be filled with homes in the $150s to $160s. It’s about market economics and local incomes and the local economics, at least outside of Baton Rouge itself, is in favor of DSLD Homes pricing. Those builders and developers that fail to understand local incomes will continue to have their fledgling developments sold to and finished by developers like DSLD Homes after spending millions to break the dirt.

Bill Cobb, Appraiser

Below is a compare and contrast showing the marketing differences in perspective of home listing photo at normal elevation versus elevated elevations. Local Real Estate Agents prefer to combine normal photos and elevated photos in their marketing plan for their listings.

This service is also included in Bill Cobb’s AVG Pre-Listing Appraisals whether those are ordered by Local Real Estate Agents or for those selling FSBO without an Agent, see Greater Baton Rouge Pre-Listing Appraisals

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According to the University Hills Civic Association website, “University Hills has one of the widest entrances of any subdivision in Baton Rouge. And, it has the one of the oldest and most historic live oaks on public property in the city. The larger Centennial oak has been estimated to be nearly 300 years old. (In 1979 , it was designated “Legacy Oak” 0002 by the City-Parish Beautification Commission, meaning that it was the second oldest live oak on public property in East Baton Rouge.) The other oak, on the corner of Delgado and Tulane Drives, is approximately 200 years old.”

Legacy Oak Designation Above!

The Homes Of University Hills Below Ranging in sizes from 768sf up to 4,168sf

Bill Cobb is Greater Baton Rouge’s Home Appraiser frequently called upon by banks, homeowners, and savvy real estate investors to assess property values. A home appraiser with 20 years experience, Bill Cobb brings a wealth of knowledge to the table as a home appraiser.

Bill’s company, Accurate Valuations Group, serves Greater Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, Western Livingston Parish and Northern Ascension Parish).

Contact Bill Cobb and Accurate Valuations Home Appraisal Group for your next home appraisal:
Office: 225-293-1500, Cell: 225-953-0638
Fax: 1-866-663-6065
info@accuratevg.com
http://www.accuratevg.com/

THE GOOD NEWS!

There’s Confidence in the local Greater Baton Rouge housing market! The home purchase appraisal orders have really picked up this week with momentum like I haven’t seen yet this year. Just this week, we’ve seen a surge of orders for home purchases. Bill Cobb, Appraiser

THE NOT-SO GOOD NEWS!

Baton Rouge Business Report‘s Real Estate Weekly reports the housing market as “flat” in Louisiana and down in Baton Rouge.

According to the Businss Report, “The number of houses sold in Louisiana during the first quarter was virtually unchanged from the first three months of 2010. There were 5,604 homes sold through the end of March, according to figures from the Louisiana Realtors. That’s 0.6% more than the 5,568 homes sold through the first quarter of 2010. Houma-Thibodaux was the strongest metro market, with 202 homes sold during the quarter, a 14.1% increase over the first three months of 2010. The Lake Charles market also saw a double-digit percentage increase, with 289 sales, 10.3% more than the 262 sold in the first quarter of 2010. Home sales were up 7.9% in New Orleans to 1,837, 2.6% in Lafayette to 640, and 2.5% in Alexandria-Pineville to 248. Shreveport-Bossier City had the biggest sales drop, falling 12.8%. There were 775 homes sold during the first quarter, compared with 889 the year before. Monroe had a 4% drop in sales, to 388; and Baton Rouge was down 3.3%, to 1,225. Statewide, the average sale price of a home fell by 1.5%, from $177,381 to $174,687. For the rest of Real Estate Weekly, click here.

AND, LOCAL AGENT, RYAN SPENCER, OFFERS HIS UPDATE!

“1st Quarter 2010 to 2011 Avg. List Price $198,078/$192,161
Avg. Sale Price $191,506/$185,769
Avg. Days on the Market 95/104
List to Sale Price Ratio 96.68%/96.67%
Months of Inventory 9.19/10.76

The home buyer tax credit was in effect last year which may have boosted sales numbers in the first quarter of 2010. Despite tough economic times our market is still pretty strong overall. If you have any questions please contact me at 225-505-5619 or email me at ryan.spencer@coldwellbanker.com“

This is an on-going series into the decline of Greater Baton Rouge Home Values and why potential buyers should beware and not pay too much for “some” local overpriced listings. YES, there are overpriced listings in the Greater Baton Rouge Housing Market! Bill strongly recommends in this housing environment to obtain a Pre-Purchase Appraisal to gain ALL of the facts before making a local home purchase decision.

A recent home appraisal in and analysis of Old Jefferson revealed this interesting finding. From 2008 to 2011, the median sales price has continued to decline. From 2008 to 2010, the median sales prices were $149,900, $147,000, $145,000 and in 2011 it’s currently $140,200 based only on 4 sales (the chart below isn’t updated yet). Again, this is only based on 4 sales in the first 4.5 months of 2011. In 2010, there were 22 total sales, so one can see that the number of home sales has dropped considerably. NOTE: There is no indication per GBRMLS sheets that any of these 4 2011 sales were distressed or foreclosures, just a correction to a lower price level.

THE CORRECTION IN HOME PRICES – This is becoming the familiar “Stair Step Up and Stair Step Down”…..The Climb And Then Descent Of The Stairs In This Chart Below Visually Explains The Correction! And, so does the chart below it showing a correction.

The Chart below shows a considerable correction since May 2010 for home comparable to a larger 2,000sf in Zip 70817. Yes, the average home in Old Jefferson is 1,500sf to 1,600sf. The home I was appraising had an addition.

CURRENT LISTINGS. There are 20 current listings from $117,000 to $174,900 with 18 active and only 2 pending or under contract. So, there is a major oversupply of available homes for sale in Old Jefferson. The Average Listing Price per sq. ft. is $91.23/sf, which is too high and the reason these homes aren’t selling. If you examine the chart above, 2011 support is now in the $80s/sf, not the $90s/sf. This is called sellers in denial. AND, the 2 pendings have an average listing prices of $83.60/sf, further proof that reaching $91/sf in Old Jefferson was something that took place in 2010 but no longer in 2011. And, CoreLogictells us that Baton Rouge is in its’ 8th straight month of declines.

DISTRESSED LISTINGS. Out of the 20 current listings, 1 is a foreclosure and 3 are short sales. So, 20% of available listings are distressed in nature.

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of January 1, 2008 to May 20, 2011. This information was extracted on 5/206/2011. YES, permission was granted by GBRMLS to use Subdivision Price Trends Chart Report!

AUTHOR’S BIO:

Bill Cobb is Greater Baton Rouge’s Home Appraiser frequently called upon by banks, homeowners, and savvy real estate investors to assess property values. A home appraiser with 20 years experience, Bill Cobb brings a wealth of knowledge to the table as a home appraiser.

Bill’s company, Accurate Valuations Group, serves Greater Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, Western Livingston Parish and Northern Ascension Parish).

Contact Bill Cobb and Accurate Valuations Home Appraisal Group for your next home appraisal:
Office: 225-293-1500, Cell: 225-953-0638
Fax: 1-866-663-6065
info@accuratevg.com
http://www.accuratevg.com/

This is an on-going series into the decline of Greater Baton Rouge Home Values and why potential buyers should beware and not pay too much for “some” local overpriced listings. YES, there are overpriced listings in the Greater Baton Rouge Housing Market! Bill strongly recommends in this housing environment to obtain a Pre-Purchase Appraisal to gain ALL of the facts before making a local home purchase decision.

A recent home appraisal in and analysis of Park Forest East revealed this interesting finding. From 2009 to 2010, the median sales price remained stable at $135,000. However, in 2011, based on 3 sales, 2 of which were foreclosures, the median sales price has slipped to just $81,000. Again, this is only based on 3 sales in the first 4 months of 2011. In 2010, there were 11 total sales. Again, this drop is due to foreclosures and/or distressed sales.

THE CORRECTION IN HOME PRICES – This is becoming the familiar “Stair Step Up and Stair Step Down”…..The Climb And Then Descent Of The Stairs In This Chart Below Visually Explains The Correction! And, so does the chart below it showing a major correction.

The Chart below shows a considerable correction since May 2010 for home comparable to a 1,400sf in Zip 70814.

CURRENT LISTINGS. There are 9 current listings from $99,500 to $140,000 with 7 active and 2 pending. The Average Price per sq. ft. listing is $85.48/sf, which is too high. If you examine the chart above, 2009 and 2010 support was at $83/sf and $72/sf. And, CoreLogic tells us that Baton Rouge is in its’ 7th straight month of declines. So, this average $85.48/sf is far too high. Why are these 7 listings, in 2011, priced above 2009 and 2010 when the market was stronger then. The 2 pendings average $65.69/sf.

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of January 1, 2005 to May 6, 2011. This information was extracted on 5/6/2011. YES, permission was granted by GBRMLS to use Subdivision Price Trends Chart Report!

AUTHOR’S BIO:

Bill Cobb is Greater Baton Rouge’s Home Appraiser frequently called upon by banks, homeowners, and savvy real estate investors to assess property values. A home appraiser with 20 years experience, Bill Cobb brings a wealth of knowledge to the table as a home appraiser.

Bill’s company, Accurate Valuations Group, serves Greater Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, Western Livingston Parish and Northern Ascension Parish).

Contact Bill Cobb and Accurate Valuations Home Appraisal Group for your next home appraisal:
Office: 225-293-1500, Cell: 225-953-0638
Fax: 1-866-663-6065
info@accuratevg.com
http://www.accuratevg.com/

Potential $20K Loss. This is an on-going series into the decline of Greater Baton Rouge Home Values and why potential buyers should beware and not pay too much for “some” local overpriced listings. YES, there are overpriced listings in the Greater Baton Rouge Housing Market! Bill strongly recommends in this housing environment to obtain a Pre-Purchase Appraisal to gain ALL of the facts before making a local home purchase decision. In the appraisal I recently completed, the home sold for $155,900 in 2007, a Post Hurricane Katrina high price, and is now on the market for $136,000. If this home sells for $136,000, then homeowner only loses $20,000 and will lose a total of $28,160 after paying the selling commission.

A recent home appraisal in and analysis of Villa Del Rey revealed this interesting finding. From 2009 to 2010 to 2011, the median sales price has declined from $145,000 to $137,500 to now $136,000 (chart below is not updated) into 2011 based only on 3 sales. This drop is due to foreclosure and/or distressed sales. Actually, the chart below is incorrect because GBRMLS reports “38″ solds in 2010, not just 33, with a median of $137,500. Of those 38 sales, 11 or 29% were foreclosures, which is quite high. And, in 2011, the 3 solds only sold for $119,000, $136,000 and $139,000 indicating these sold below market.

THE CORRECTION IN HOME PRICES – This is becoming the familiar “Stair Step Up and Down”…..The Climb And Then Descent Of The Stairs In This Chart Below Visually Explains The Correction!

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of January 1, 2005 to May 3, 2011. This information was extracted on 5/3/2011. YES, permission was granted by GBRMLS to use Subdivision Price Trends Chart Report!

AUTHOR’S BIO:

Bill Cobb is Greater Baton Rouge’s Home Appraiser frequently called upon by banks, homeowners, and savvy real estate investors to assess property values. A home appraiser with 20 years experience, Bill Cobb brings a wealth of knowledge to the table as a home appraiser.

Bill’s company, Accurate Valuations Group, serves Greater Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, Western Livingston Parish and Northern Ascension Parish).

Contact Bill Cobb and Accurate Valuations Home Appraisal Group for your next home appraisal:
Office: 225-293-1500, Cell: 225-953-0638
Fax: 1-866-663-6065
info@accuratevg.com
http://www.accuratevg.com/

Greater Baton Rouge Home Prices, in general, are in correction mode per the CoreLogic report for the 7th straight month and reflected in local housing statistics I see almost daily. The favorable Highland Creek Subdivision is no exception.

Highland Creek. Per the HOA Website http://highlandcreekbr.com/, “Highland Creek is an awesome neighborhood off highland road in beautiful Baton rouge. It is conventialy located to downtown BR, the LSU campus, three major retial outlets and two hospitals; great for kids of all ages.” Highland Creek was developed around 1982-1983 with 1 to 2 story garden homes ranging from 1,076sf up to 2,330sf situated on smaller lots. Approximately 75% of Highland Creek is located in the Flood Zone per the FEMA map below, map from a recent appraisal.

Highland Creek Homes

THE CORRECTION IN HOME PRICES – The Climb And Then Descent Of The Stairs In This Chart Below Visually Explains The Correction!

As with Hurricane Katrina, the Median Sales Price rose from $125,000 in 2005 up to $138,500 in 2006. Then median sales price from 2007 to 2009 from $145,000, $147,500 and $154,000 rounded. 2010 began the descent to $148,500 and 4 sales in 2011 currently have it at $126,500. At the highs, the Average Sold Price was at $104/sf and now in 2011 it’s at $84/sf. YES, 2 of the 4 2011 sales were foreclosures helping to bring down the 2011 numbers. However, even the 2 non-foreclosures sold at $90/sf and $99/sf showing a correction from 2008 and 2009 highs.

However, is it only Highland Creek correcting or are other competing developments correcting as well? YES, other developments are correcting as well. This chart below of 64 competing home sales in the 1250sf to 1650sf range in 70808, 70810 and 70820, homes in subdivisions that would be comparable to Highland Creek, shows a -6.2% decline.

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of January 1, 2005 to May 2, 2011. This information was extracted on 5/2/2011. YES, permission was granted by GBRMLS to use Subdivision Price Trends Chart Report!

For More Information On Highland Creek, Check Out The HOA Website here:

Author’s Bio:

Bill Cobb is Greater Baton Rouge’s Home Appraiser frequently called upon by banks, homeowners, and savvy real estate investors to assess property values. A home appraiser with 20 years experience, Bill Cobb brings a wealth of knowledge to the table as a home appraiser.

Bill’s company, Accurate Valuations Group, serves Greater Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, Western Livingston Parish and Northern Ascension Parish).

Contact Bill Cobb and Accurate Valuations Home Appraisal Group for your next home appraisal:
Office: 225-293-1500, Cell: 225-953-0638
Fax: 1-866-663-6065
info@accuratevg.com
http://www.accuratevg.com/

ASCENSION PARISH

SOLDS:

5 from $67,000 to $229,900, Average Sales Prices $168,180 or $99.98/sf, Median Sales Price $185,000, Average Days On Market 41.  

LISTINGS:

Currently Actives Total: 744 $234,268 Average Listing Price and Median Price $198,200.

Currently Pending: 246 $194,128 Average Listing Price and Median Price $174,975.

New Listings: 40 With Average Listing Price of $195,992, Median Listing Price of $169,900

Pending Listings: 39 With Average Listing Price of $202,851, Median Listing Price of $189,000

Withdrawn Listings: 13 With Average Listing Price of $259,753, Median Listing Price of $224,900

Expired Listings: 7 With Average Listing Price of $155,673, Median Listing Price of $129,000

EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH

SOLDS:

42 from $21,900 to $575,000, Average Sales Prices $222,343 or $102.28/sf, Median Sales Price $187,000, Average Days On Market 123. 

LISTINGS:

Currently Actives Total: 2695 $247,876 Average Listing Price and Median Price $176,900.

Currently Pending: 613 $209,906 Average Listing Price and Median Price $167,900.

New Listings: 133 With Average Listing Price of $220,158, Median Listing Price of $175,000

Pending Listings: 102 With Average Listing Price of $203,939, Median Listing Price of $169,450

Withdrawn Listings: 18 Average Listing Price $184,066, Median Listing Price of $142,500

Expired Listings: 23 With Average Listing Price of $468,832, Median Listing Price of $214,900

WESTERN LIVINGSTON PARISH

SOLDS:

19 from $22,500 to $448,000, Average Sales Prices $124,242 or $74.59/sf, Median Sales Price $89,000, Average Days On Market 74.

LISTINGS:

Currently Actives Total: 778 $193,809 Average Listing Price and Median Price $159,900.

Currently Pendings: 171 $151,976 Average Listing Price and Median Price $148,000.

New Listings: 37 With Average Listing Price of $186,735, Median Listing Price of $153,900

Pending Listings: 21 With Average Listing Price of $159,738, Median Listing Price of $146,900

Withdrawn Listings: 15 Average Listing Price $162,826, Median Listing Price of $147,500

Expired Listings: 17 With Average Listing Price of $170,894, Median Listing Price of $167,900

WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH

SOLDS:

1 for $179,700 or $127/sf, Median Sales Price $179,700, Average Days On Market 267.

LISTINGS:

Currently Actives Total: 109 $196,436 Average Listing Price and Median Price $186,300.

Currently Pending: 21 $186,897 Average Listing Price and Median Price $185,900.

New Listings: 3 Average Listing Price of $204,900, Median Listing Price of $134,900

Pending Listings: 2 Average Listing Price of $175,900, Median Listing Price of $175,900

Withdrawn Listings: 1 Average Listing Price $49,900, Median Listing Price of $49,900

Expired Listings: 1 With Average Listing Price of $195,000, Median Listing Price of $195,000

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of April, 16, 2011 to April 22, 2011. This information was extracted on 04/23/2011.

Author’s Bio:

Bill Cobb is Greater Baton Rouge’s Home Appraiser frequently called upon by banks, homeowners, and savvy real estate investors to assess property values. A home appraiser with 20 years experience, Bill Cobb brings a wealth of knowledge to the table as a home appraiser.

Bill’s company, Accurate Valuations Group, serves Greater Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, Western Livingston Parish and Northern Ascension Parish).

Contact Bill Cobb and Accurate Valuations Home Appraisal Group for your next home appraisal:
Office: 225-293-1500, Cell: 225-953-0638
Fax: 1-866-663-6065
info@accuratevg.com
http://www.accuratevg.com/

Ascension Parish

Solds: 9 from $86,700 to $385,000, Average Sales Prices $186,403 or $100.32/sf, Median Sales Price $137,500, Average Days On Market 59.

Listings:

Currently Pending: 229 $191,106 Average Listing Price and Median Price $172,500.

New Listings: 48 With Average Listing Price of $197,932, Median Listing Price of $174,950

Pending Listings: 39 With Average Listing Price of $195,857, Median Listing Price of $189,000

East Baton Rouge Parish

Solds: 31 from $5,500 to $1,054,000, Average Sales Prices $216,768 or $106.51/sf, Median Sales Price $161,000, Average Days On Market 96.

Currently Pending: 585 $208,328 Average Listing Price and Median Price $166,000.

New Listings: 120 With Average Listing Price of $268,194, Median Listing Price of $186,000

Pending Listings: 100 With Average Listing Price of $208,382, Median Listing Price of $165,000

Western Livingston Parish

Solds: 10 from $29,000 to $455,000, Average Sales Prices $189,525 or $97.54/sf, Median Sales Price $168,500, Average Days On Market 98.

Currently Pending: 177 $149,140 Average Listing Price and Median Price $147,900.

New Listings: 31 With Average Listing Price of $175,716, Median Listing Price of $168,900

Pending Listings: 24 With Average Listing Price of $120,687, Median Listing Price of $127,950

West Baton Rouge Parish

Solds: 4 from $51,500 to $226,000, Average Sales Prices $166,600 or $106.33/sf, Median Sales Price $194,450, Average Days On Market 68.

Currently Pending: 21 $187,983 Average Listing Price and Median Price $193,000.

New Listings: 0

Pending Listings: 1 Listing Price of $124,900

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of April, 9, 2011 to April 15, 2011. This information was extracted on 04/16/2011.

Author’s Bio:

Bill Cobb is Greater Baton Rouge’s Home Appraiser frequently called upon by banks, homeowners, and savvy real estate investors to assess property values. A home appraiser with 20 years experience, Bill Cobb brings a wealth of knowledge to the table as a home appraiser.

Bill’s company, Accurate Valuations Group, serves Greater Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, Western Livingston Parish and Northern Ascension Parish).

Contact Bill Cobb and Accurate Valuations Home Appraisal Group for your next home appraisal:
Office: 225-293-1500, Cell: 225-953-0638
Fax: 1-866-663-6065
info@accuratevg.com
http://www.accuratevg.com/

Accurate Valuations Group (Home Appraisals) has completed an analysis of the West Baton Rouge Parish housing market from First Quarter 2010 versus First Quarter 2011. The results are below. CLICK ON IMAGE BELOW TO ENLARGE.

This study explores ALL Single-Family Residential home sales for the three (3) zip codes below. In Q1 2010 there were 27 home sales versus 28 in Q1 2011. So, for 2011, number of sales were up by 1 or approximately +3.7%.

70767 Port Allen. For Zip Code 70767, home sales volume was down 14%, Average Sales Price was down -0.7% and Average Sold Price Per. Sq. Ft. was down -5.5%.

70719 Brusly. For Zip Code 70719, home sales volume was up 50%, Average Sales Price was down -11.4% and Average Sold Price Per. Sq. Ft. was virtually unchanged at 0.4%.

70710 Addis. For Zip Code 70710, home sales volume was up 18%, Average Sales Price down -9.9% and Average Sold Price Per. Sq. Ft. was down -2.7%.

These declines are consistent with the CoreLogic report on national home prices falling for the 7th straight month, as reported on Thursday, April 7, 2011. This is the trend for much of Greater Baton Rouge home prices.

Visit West Baton Rouge Appaisers Here

Visit West Baton Rouge Real Estate Buzz On Facebook

Author’s Bio:
Bill Cobb is Greater Baton Rouge’s Home Appraiser frequently called upon by banks, homeowners, and savvy real estate investors to assess property values. A home appraiser with 20 years experience, Bill Cobb brings a wealth of knowledge to the table as a home appraiser.

Bill’s company, Accurate Valuations Group, serves Greater Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, Western Livingston Parish and Northern Ascension Parish).

Contact Bill Cobb and Accurate Valuations Home Appraisal Group for your next home appraisal:
Office: 225-293-1500, Cell: 225-953-0638
Fax: 1-866-663-6065
info@accuratevg.com
http://www.accuratevg.com/

We provide property tax appeal home appraisals for East Baton Rouge Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, Western Livingston Parish and Northern Ascension Parish. Cities we cover are Baton Rouge, Zachary La, Baker La, Greenwell Springs La, Port Allen La, Brusly La, Addis La, Prairieville La, Gonzales La, Geismar La, Saint Amant La, Denham Springs La, Walker La, Watson La. Appeal your property taxes today.

NOTE: It’s Responsible To State Here That We’ve Found Less Than 13% Of Local Housing Is “Over-Assessed”. Over-Assessments ARE NOT A Major Problem Locally! Most Local Housing Is Fairly Assessed By Assessor Teams That Strive To Be As Accurate As Possible! See “VIDEO EXPLANATION” for Parish by Parish Results…And, In West Baton Rouge Parish, We’ve Found No Over-Assessments Year-To-Date! This is not a cheap shot directed at our public servants as this video is complimentary of them. Our Tax Assessors are fair and will generally make it right. Bill Cobb, Appraiser

I’m noticing a trend in the $100K to $140K range where home sales have slowed, if not stalled. I’m reading about mortgages drying up for some. I’m looking at a 1004MC or Market Conditions Form right now in 70810 Area 53 where 12 months ago there were 17 sales and 2 months supply and in First Quarter 2011 only 1 sale in current 3 month quarter and 49 month supply. Of course, Baton Rouge home sales aren’t totally stalled for all price ranges, but for the under $140K range, there certainly has been a slowdown and increase in supply. Here’s the recent examples below.

This 1004MC or Market Conditions Report Based On Sub-Market Solds and Listings For an overbuilt home in Hermitage Subdivision, but using 1,200sf to 2300sf lowered price homes as comps in Area 53. From 17 sales 12 months ago to only 1 in current 3 months. Months supply of inventory 12 months ago was 21 months and currently it’s 48 months. Median sales price appeared to remain stable. It actually increased, BUT trend is not called just based on 1 sale.

SAME TREND IN DENHAM SPRINGS FOR 2 HOMES. I saw this exact same trend in Denham Springs last week. A couple purchased a home for $141K in 2007, surely a Post Katrina high price, and it appraised in low $130s in 2011 due to expected market correction. There was going to be a correction! 1004MC or Market Conditions Data showed 8 sales and 9 month supply 12 months ago and only 2 sales and 36 month supply in current 3 month period. In this case, median sales prices had declined, corrected.

This 1004MC Based On Sub-Market Solds and Listings For a 1,500sf 40 yr old home in South Woodcrest Subdivision. From 9 sales 12 months ago to only 1 in current 3 months for past 2 quarters. Months supply of inventory 12 months ago was only 4 months and currently it’s 45 months. Median Sales Price was $128,450 12 months ago and is now $124,125, a dip of -3.4%. Also, the Median Sold Days On The Market increased from 76 days 12 months ago to 191 in Q1 2011 .

This 1004MC or Market Conditions Report Based On Sub-Market Solds and Listings For a 1,150sf 40 yr old home in Sara Estate Subdivision. From 9 sales 12 months ago to only 1 in current 3 months for past 2 quarters. Months supply of inventory 12 months ago was only 4 months and currently it’s 45 months. Median sales price appeared to remain stable.

The Positive In The Market! I do know there is a lot of positive chatter from local Real Estate Agents on FB on the uptick in home buyer interest….and that’s a positive for the market.

PART OF THE REASON FOR “LOW APPRAISALS”. As home appraisers, the Big Banks are really concerned about Collateral Risk and want to know much more about the markets they lend in from the home appraisal. This is why today’s home appraiser works a couple of hours longer on each report to deliver all of this extra data, to better understand the markets they operate in and apply market based adjustments, whether those adjustments support a purchase agreement or not. Stats like I’m reporting here aren’t obvious on the surface when it comes to pricing a home for a listing BUT are made more transparent at appraisal time. Such stats as 45 months supply, declining median sales prices and average days on the market of 191 days do influence the final outcome on an appraisal and helps the lender make the decision as to if they are going to take the risk to lend in a market. Underwriters can choose to “cut” the appraised value.

In my opinion, sometimes a “Low Appraisal” isn’t really a low appraisal but more of a reflection on the reality in that market at that time period. And, that period of time could be months and months after that Agent’s sign went into the ground in front of that home. Markets Change! After all, if the market indicators above in the 1004MC were known to only the Appraiser and not known by the Agent marketing the home, then can you now see how and why appraisers are armed with more knowledge of market interaction? And, in the case where median sales prices were declining, can you see how that if this is not known by listing agents the trouble this causes at appraisal time? This is the newer depth of market analysis we appraisers are seeing in the markets we operate in AND the market analysis the average real estate agent is not seeing in the same market. Can you understand now why Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, RD, VA and Banks want appraisers looking at these numbers more closely? I as a home appraiser certainly can.

Sometimes low appraisals happen because the overpriced listing was based on what the seller wanted versus pricing that home based on market support. Sometimes low appraisals happen because the home wasn’t properly measured and may be smaller than stated. There is supposed to be a real estate professional measure each listing based on the National ANSI Standards, whether that person be the actual Agent, their team or an appraiser. Sometimes low appraisals happen because excessive seller paid concessions were not deducted from the comps used by Agent to establish the listing price. Fannie Mae instructs appraisers to deduct excessive seller paid concessions and expects Agents to do the same at listing time. And, when the comps or solds used in the appraisal state seller paid concessions of $6,000 to $8,000 to $10,000 to $12,000, then those excessive concessions will be deducted from those comps. If typical is $3,000, then in the example above, -$3000, $-5000, -$7,000 and -$9,000 will be deducted to bring these comps back down to market normalcy! Fannie Mae, FHA and lenders know that when there is no “skin-in-the-game” or downpayment, they are more likely to get that home back. And, there are some P.A.’s written to utilize excessive seller paid concessions to get people into housing. It’s as if the regulations are asking the appraisers to help correct this situation in the market.

A Decrease In Mortgage Lending In These Price Ranges? Is there a decrease in mortgage lending in these price ranges or just harder to qualify for a mortgage loan….or both?

The longer I appraise homes for purchases, the less I understand about how homes are properly and ethically priced for listings! This post is about an example in the Greater Baton Rouge housing market I recently experienced. THE HOME DID NOT APPRAISE FOR THE PURCHASE PRICE! AND, this was one of those deals where they tried to roll in excessive seller paid concessions.

Disclaimer. In order to protect the identity of the Agent and the home in question, which is still Pending, details as to location and physical address are withheld.

Physical Details. Subject or home under contract is located somewhere in Greater Baton Rouge. Subject is 20 years old, 1,750sf to 2,000sf 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms located in a restricted subdivision where the homes are similar size and age. There is 1 sale and current listings in this development. Price range is somewhere between $180,000 to $220,000. While subject is in good condition, it’s not updated and has some inferior vinyl flooring.

Appraisal Inspection Setup & Request For Comps Used To Market Subject. As is my custom, at the same time the appraisal inspection was setup, the comps used to market the home were requested from Listing Agent. I’ve always believed that there are 2 to 3 real estate professionals involved in the sale or purchase of a home: the Listing Agent, Selling Agent and The Appraiser. Agents do know and see things in the market that appraisers do not and I want to know what I might be missing about a deal. School district could be an example. And, by requesting the comps up front, I hope to avoid an appeal or rebuttal later.

Home Was Priced High And The Sellers Gave it Away! Before visiting subject, I noticed subject was priced high and Agent provided 5 “sales”, which turned out NOT to be true comps. When I arrived at the home, the sellers were obviously nervous and were asking me questions about the appraisal and comps and making stating statements like, “I hope the home appraises with the extra concessions rolled in because we have a contract on another home…..”

The “Sales”, not “Comps” Sent. Also, Note That Appraisal Is Being Completed In March 2011 and Lenders Want Comps Within 90 to 180 Days Or 3 to 6 Months. Here’s a review of the 5 sales sent to me.

Sale #1, sold in 4/2010, is 200sf smaller in size, is similar in age but is updated. While this sale can be added a supplemental comp, this “sale” is too old for underwriters in 2011 to give heavy consideration to it.

Sale #2, sold in 6/2010, is 240sf smaller in size, was built in 2006 or is 5 years old, is located in a newer development with a newer design/appeal. So, design/appeal, age, location and condition are all superior. How is this “5″ year old home comparable to a 20 year old home? The 240sf difference in size raises the gross and net adjustments above underwriter tolerance of 15%, which indicates it’s not truly a comparable. Also, the 6/2010 “sale” is too old for underwriters in 2011 to give heavy consideration to it. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing here!

Sale #3, sold in 8/2010, is 312sf smaller in size, was built in 2005 or is 6 years old, is located in a newer development with a newer design/appeal AND an IG Pool. So, design/appeal, age, SLAB GRANITE COUNTERS, location, IG Pool and condition are all superior. How is this “6″ year old home comparable to a 20 year old home? The 312sf difference in size raises the gross and net adjustments above underwriter tolerance of 15%, which indicates it’s not truly a comparable. Also, the 8/2010 “sale” is too old for underwriters in 2011 to give heavy consideration to it. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing here!

Sale #4, sold in 10/2010 is within 75sf of subjects size, BUT was built in 2000 or is 11 years old, has a newer design/appeal AND is located on a half acre subdivision lot. So, design/appeal, age lot size and condition are all superior. How is this “11″ year old home comparable to a 20 year old home?

Sale #5, sold in 6/2010, is within 75sf of subjects size, is similar in age and condition. While this sale can be added a supplemental comp, this “sale” is too old for underwriters in 2011 to give heavy consideration to it.

What I did and didn’t do! This appraiser ended up using Sales 1, 4 & 5 in the report, Sale 4 simply because of the lack of sold homes in this market, along with 2 other more recent solds to comply with underwriters wanting more recent comps. This appraiser did not bend ethics and use Sales 2 & 3 as there was NO remote similarity to the subject and 5 & 6 year old homes. And, per lender requirements, this appraiser also added 3 listings into the report from the immediate market, of which were located in subjects own development.

THIS IS NOT A HOUSING MARKET OF STRENGTH AND….THIS POST HURRICANE KATRINA MARKET IS UNDERSTANDABLY AND LOGICALLY STILL CORRECTING! While GBR is performing better than the general U.S. housing market, we do face challenges. There has been a barrage of economic data and news suggesting national economic malaise in the housing sector with no signs whatever of even price footing, U.S. home prices continue to fall, and Corelogic and Baton Rouge Business Report reporting that Greater Baton Rouge is in its’ 6TH STRAIGHT MONTH OF HOME PRICE DECLINES. Greater Baton Rouge also has a fore closure and shadow inventory problem with 22 months of current shadow inventory. I’m not here to put down our market, but I do believe it’s about time we admit the challenges and price local listings accordingly, especially in the under $300K range where it really matters. The over $300,000 market appears to be weathering this downturn better than the under $300,000 markets.

WHAT I DON’T SOMETIMES SEE IN THE GBR HOUSING MARKET. What I don’t see sometimes, not all the time, are GBR home listings priced according to these facts and trends above! Some homes are priced as if it were still 2007. Homes shouldn’t be listed based on the sellers dictating listing price but rather based on market support and a little cushion for negotiation and normal seller concessions.

LOW APPRAISALS. And, when homes are overpriced, this is why that “low appraisal” occurs. Low Appraisals could be the result of a faulty appraisal, and/or it could be more about bringing reality to the situation and reflecting a flaw in the expectations created by a faulty and unrealistic listing pricing at the beginning of the process. This is exactly the example I have provided in this article, the totally unrealistic listing price for this home that didn’t appraise. And, it didn’t appraise based on the Agent’s 3 actual comps and the 1 sale and 2 current listings in the subjects own development. I believe those 5 & 6 year old “sales” provided were to help prop up the deal, which didn’t happen with this appraiser!

REASONS FOR LOW APPRAISALS. Low Appraisals can occur because the home listed wasn’t actually measured…this does happen in our market. Low appraisals can occur because the listing agents failed to deduct excessive seller paid concessions when they completed that MLS CMA to price that home. And, the GBRMLS doesn’t automatically deduct excessive concessions. So, if local agents don’t do more than a simple MLS CMA to price their listings, if they don’t examine seller paid concessions on each sale they base value, they could end up with a low appraisal because that appraiser IS going to deduct excessive seller paid concessions on comps used based on Fannie Mae selling guidelines, which instructs appraisers to do so below:

“Lenders are reminded that excessive sales concessions can artificially inflate the sales price of a property, which can then lead to an inflated market value. Particular attention should be given to unusual sales or financing concessions to ensure that they are properly accounted for in the appraisal report. Fannie Mae’s definition of market value is intended to ensure that appraisals reflect an opinion of market value after adjustments for any special or creative financing or sales
concessions have been made, such as interest rate buydowns or payment of condo or homeowners’ association fees.”

Fannie Mae and FHA know that when there’s no skin-in-the-game or down payment, there could be a higher default rate!

GREATER BATON ROUGE HOME BUYERS SHOULD GET A PRE-PURCHASE HOME APPRAISAL! With the local housing market still correcting and “some” overpriced listings in this market, it’s this appraisers advice to get a Pre-Purchase Home Appraisal before negotiations!

Metra Area Home Builder, DSLD Homes, has found a sweet spot in the Zachary market! In approximately one year, DSLD has filled up the first filing with new homes…new homes the market likes and wants at affordable pricing! This is the same company, or partners, that purchased approximately $10,000,000 in lots in Ascension Parish in the past two years! DSLD is meeting a need in the Greater Baton Rouge housing market by building larger homes locals can afford!

Here’s My Video Posted On March 28, 2010, 1 Year To The Day!

Here’s My Video Posted On 3/27/2011 of Windsor Place

Author’s Bio:
Bill Cobb is Greater Baton Rouge’s Home Appraiser frequently called upon by banks, homeowners, and savvy real estate investors to assess property values. A home appraiser with 20 years experience, Bill Cobb brings a wealth of knowledge to the table as a home appraiser.

Bill’s company, Accurate Valuations Group, serves Greater Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish, Western Livingston Parish and Northern Ascension Parish).

Contact Bill Cobb and Accurate Valuations Home Appraisal Group for your next home appraisal:
Office: 225-293-1500, Cell: 225-953-0638
Fax: 1-866-663-6065
info@accuratevg.com
http://www.accuratevg.com/

One 2011 Sale $205,000 or $124/sf. It appears Manchac Crossing Median Sales Prices are continuing to Decline from 2008 highs of $242,750. Median Prices since 2006 have been $218,000, $219,950, $242,750, $237,500, $233,250 and now $205,000 in 2011. So, there was the rise in prices after Hurricane Katrina, then the deflating of the market!

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of January 1, 2005 to March 25, 2011. This information was extracted on 03/25/2011. YES, permission was granted by GBRMLS to use Subdivision Price Trends Chart Report!

Total # 2010 Sales: 11
Average Sales Price: $385,127
Median Sales Price: $384,900
Average Sold Price: $116.37/sf
Average List To Sale Price Ratio: 96%
Average Days On Market: 132

One 2011 Sale $389,000 or $129/sf. It appears Woodstone Median Sales Price Is Increasing Again. Median Prices since 2007 have been $462,600, $417,450, $315,000, $384,900 and now $389,000 in 2011. So, there was the rise in prices after Hurricane Katrina, then the deflating of the market and now this specific market appears to be on the rise!

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of January 1, 2005 to March 25, 2011. This information was extracted on 03/25/2011. YES, permission was granted by GBRMLS to use Subdivision Price Trends Chart Report!

http://www.gbrcvrreports.com/

I received these two (2) questions today from a local real estate agent after she read my CVR Video Press Release. This was my reply below.

Good questions and thank you for asking. I attached a 12 page Sample CVR Report based upon the desktop Pictometry aerial views of home. I’ll let you look it over to determine if it fits your client’s needs. A full conventional URAR 1004 Home Appraisal could be from 23 to 50 pages of work, depending on the complexity of assignment.

CVR DESIGNED FOR 2 TYPES OF INSPECTIONS: OFF-SITE & ON-SITE!

There are two (2) inspection options with the CVR report from an inspection point of view:

1.) A desktop report from aerial views online, no visit to home and no real photos (but 4 aerial pictometry photos). THIS IS THE FASTEST DELIVERED REPORT. Cost $150 to $175.

2.) A visit to the home with real photos taken by me and placed into report. This cost around $200. I may even measure the home and provide a sketch for my own peace-of-mind. THIS REPORT TAKES LONGER TO DELIVER BECAUSE OF THE INTERIOR INSPECTION.

CVR IS STRICTLY AN OPTION FOR URBAN OR SUBURBAN LOCATION, NOT RURAL LOCATIONS! IS YOUR PROPERTY RIGHT FOR THE CVR?

The CVR report requires 30 to 50 good sales/comps. CVRs reports are used in highly populated Urban and Suburban markets. As long as this home in question is located in a restricted subdivision and housing market with ample comps, the CVR should be able to meet your needs.

25 TO 30 DOLLAR FEE PER REPORT.

I have to pay the data service $25 to $30 per report I complete for the extra data these reports require. Standard data is $25 plus $5 for the Veros data for forecasting, IF Veros covers the Greater Baton Rouge adequately enough. I have performed many of these reports in class based on Greater Baton Rouge MLS data for training in Texas but have not completed one locally in town yet. I do have my first order scheduled this week.

Tags: Collateral Valuation Report, CVR, Replacing BPOs, Baton Rouge Real Estate, Baton Rouge Appraisers, Baton Rouge Appraisals

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

Video Link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_Y3eTRa_D8

In this video, local home appraiser of 20 years, Bill Cobb, points out trends observations from the Area 53 housing market, generally from Essen Lane over toward Country Club of Louisiana area.

This is a “sub-market” study of homes 2900sf to 3450sf, from 11-15 to 16-20 years old, from approx. $300,000 up to $450,000 range. This is not a broad study but a limited study of homes comparable to a 3250sf home built in 1994 in the Bluebonnet 70810 market. The observations here are not broad or general, but specifics to these parameters.

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of June 1, 2008 to March 6, 2011. This information was extracted on 3/6/2011.

This is a reblog from the Move Smartly Blog that locals might find helpful for Greater Baton Rouge related divorce matters! The credit for this article goes to David Larock and here’s the link to his article: Mortgage Advice for Couples Planning a Divorce

Solds In Azalea Lakes from 1/2010 to 12/31/2010 revealed:
Average Sales Price: $193,080 ($197,147 in 2009)
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $117.61/sf ($115/sf in 2009)
Median Sold Price: $187,900 ($194,500 in 2009)
Number of Sales: 15 (14 shown on chart below)
Average Number of Days On Market: 82
Low To High: $165,000 to $255,000
Number of Sold REO/Foreclosures Noted In MLS: 1
Current # Listings: 5, 0 Are Foreclosures
Current Listings Prices: $179,900 To $379,900

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 2/17/2011. YES, this appraiser does have the permission of GBRMLS to use the chart above Subdivision Price Trends Report!

In Missouri Acres in 2009-2010, the median sales price for the 5 GBRMLS sales was $238,000 with an average sold price of $119.64/sf. The low to high sales prices were $219,000 to $258,000. However, this market is very slow and the days on the market it takes to sell a home has been increasing over the past two (2) years above the $225,000 price ranges.

West Baton Rouge Real Estate Appraisers is an information source provided by local West Baton Rouge Parish Home Appraiser, Bill Cobb, and Accurate Valuations Group West. Bill has 20 years experience as a residential appraiser and updates his local network of sites weekly with reports, videos and audio reviews of local housing market conditions! Some of the videos on this site are housing market updates provided by Bill himself and others are videos of local homes for sale by area Agents.

http://www.batonrougerealestatebuzz.com/ is also a helpful resource for local West Baton Rouge Real Estate Buzz!

While Baton Rouge Real Estate Trends Dot Net reports on the broad or macro Greater Baton Rouge Housing Markets, Baton Rouge Market Metrics Dot Com reports on the individual subdivisions within the four (4) local Parishes that make up the Greater Baton Rouge Housing Market.

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 02/13/2011.

http://www.homeappraisalsbatonrouge.com/

Ok, we know from the recent LREC release that in all of 2010, the number of home sale was down -7.3%. Total home sales volume was down -5.2%. And, that the “Average Sales Price”, which I am not a fan of reporting on, rose 2.3% from $197,587 in 2009 to $202,138 in 2010. To find out why I’m not a fan of using Average Sales Price, see this explanation under “AVERAGE SALES PRICE IS NOT INDICATOR WHAT WE SHOULD BE RELYING ON! .

WHAT INDICATIONS CAN WE DRAW FROM JANUARY 2011 NUMBERS? So, with 2010 being a down year for the number of home sales, how did January 2011 perform to give us an indication of what 2011 might result in?

On Facebook in 2011, there’s been a lot of positive comments from local Agents about the uptick in Agent showings and buyer interest. Is that translating into actual increase in the number of home sales?

Number Of Home Sales Down 9%. January home sales were down 9% from 2010 with 328 total sales recorded for the first month of the year versus 360 for January 2010.

No Improvement In Number Of Sales By Parish. There was no improvement in the number of home sales for ALL four local Parishes. Ascension had 73 sales in 2010 versus 72 in 2011, down 1%. East Baton Rouge had 206 sales in 2010 versus only 183 in 2011, down 11%. Livingston had 74 sales in 2010 versus 66 in 2011, down 11%. And, West Baton Rouge had 7 sales in 2010 versus 7 in 2011, unchanged.

Average Sales Price Unchanged. Average home sales prices were up 0.61% from 2010 $188,529 to $189,688 for 2011.

Median Sales Price Up 2.5%. Median home sales prices were up 2.5% from 2010 $164,850 to $168,950 for 2011.

Average Sales Price Per Sq. Ft. Down 2.3%. Average home sales prices per square foot was down 2.3% from $99.70/sf in 2010 versus $97.40 in 2011.

Days On Market Increased. Marketing time periods also increased in 2011 to an average of 103 days versus 92 days in 2010

Number of Existing Home Sales Down, Prices Up Just Slightly. Existing home sales made up 79% or 259 of the total sales recorded with an average sales price of $189,356, median sale price of $159,900. In 2010, Existing home sales made up 76% or 274 of the total sales recorded with an average sales price of $185,144 and median sale price of $159,450. So, the 2011 average sales price is up 2.3% while the median sales price was virtually unchanged.

Number of New Home Sales Down, Prices Up. New home sales made up 21% of the total sales recorded. There were 69 new homes sold in 2011 with an average sales price of $202,197 and median sales price of $179,900 versus 86 in 2010 with and average sales price of $199,313 and median sales price of $176,598.

Number of Foreclosure Sales Up 15%, Prices Down! Bank sales were up 15% from the prior year and average bank sales prices were up 21%. Average REO Sales Prices in 2010 were $113,265 versus only $106,247 in 2011. There were 60 “REO” sales in 2011 versus 52 in 2010.

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of January 1, 2010 to January 1, 2011. This information was extracted on 02/11/2011. Source For Quarterly Indicators chart is LREC.

Search Parameters were Ascension, Livingston, East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge Parishes, All property types except Manufactured Housing and All ages.

Tags: Ascension Parish Real Estate, Baton Rouge FHA Appraisers, Baton Rouge Home Appraisers, Baton Rouge Homes, Baton Rouge Housing, Baton Rouge Housing Market, Baton Rouge Real Estate, Baton Rouge Real Estate Agents, Baton Rouge Real Estate Housing, Baton Rouge Real Estate Trends, Livingston Parish Real Estate, West Baton Rouge Parish

The LREC or Louisiana REALTORS are reporting on comprehensive housing numbers for 2010, including 4th quarter 2010. So, the source for this report and charts and graphs is LREC.

NUMBER OF SALES DOWN 7.3%. Overall, the number of Greater Baton Rouge Home Sales was down 7.3% for 2010. Total volume for 2010 was 5,708 versus 6,160 for 2009.

AVERAGE SALES PRICE. The average home sales price increased in 2010 to $202,138 vs $197,587 for 2009. This would appear to be due to strong local employment numbers of 355,797 in 2010 versus 354,044 in 2009. However, the Baton Rouge Business Report just reported this morning that “B.R. home price index drops for fifth month running“. So, according to the CoreLogic Home Price Index for Louisiana, Baton Rouge home prices are continuing to correct to the downside, not the upside, and I would agree. And, a look at the median sales prices would be more helpful than average sales prices since average sales prices can include homes from $10,000 up to $3,000,000 – outliers.

SOME IMPROVEMENT. Not all areas are declining though, but marketing time periods are well over 6 months. I’m appraising the 2011 St. Jude Dream Home in Prairieville and the general market of competing solds and listings is showing a rising median sales price, but very long marketing time periods of well over 6 months. Some homes in one local high end development on Highway 73 in Prairieville have been on the market since 2008 without selling.

AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET. The average days on market remained almost unchanged at 90 days in 2010 versus 91 in 2009.

The LREC or Louisiana REALTORS (source) is reporting on the state of Louisiana foreclosures as of fourth quarter 2010. There report is below.

Solds In Village St George Subdivision from 1/2010 to 12/31/2010 revealed:

Average Sales Price: $125,857 ($126,909 in 2009)
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $89.61/sf ($86.39/sf in 2009)
Median Sold Price: $129,000 ($123,000 in 2009)
Number of Sales: 21 (11 in 2009)
Average Number of Days On Market: 94 (67 in 2009)
Low To High: $79,000 to $160,000
Number of Distressed Sales Noted In MLS: “3″
Current # Listings: 11, 3 Are Distressed Listings
Current Listings Price: $89,900 to $149,900 or $61/sf to $120/sf

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2010. This information was extracted on 1/31/2011. 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,

Solds In Monticello Subdivision from 1/2010 to 12/31/2010 Home Ages 16-20 +revealed:

Average Sales Price: $133,350 ($154,573 in 2009)
Average Sold Price Per Sq. Ft.: $75.09/sf ($90.92/sf in 2009)
Median Sold Price: $145,000 ($150,500 in 2009)
Number of Sales: 12 (12 in 2009)
Average Number of Days On Market: 79 (130 in 2009)
Low To High: $82,000 to $168,500
Number of Distressed Sales Noted In MLS: “4″
Current # Listings: 12, 6 Are Distressed Listings
Current Listings Price: $64,900 to $185,000 or $50/sf to $96/sf

NOTE: Based on information from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS®\MLS for the period of January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2010. This information was extracted on 1/301/2011. 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,