http://www.ascensionrealestateappraisers.com/ – Northern Ascension Parish Quarterly Home Sales By Zip Code Q1 2010 versus Q1 2011 Report. Home Sales volume is down 18.8% while correction in Average Sales Price Per Sq. Ft. Continues. Average Sales Price was mostly unchanged or up some. ASC shows the largest percentage decline in number of home sales. EBRP had -3% decline, Western Livingston Parish -7% decline and West Baton Rouge +4% increase.

Accurate Valuations Group South (Home Appraisals) has completed an analysis of the Northern Ascension 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 five (5) zip codes below. In Q1 2010, there were 303 home sales versus 246 in Q1 2011. So, for Q1 2011, the number of home sales declined by 57 or -18.8%, THE largest declining Parish in home sales by percentage as compared to EBRP, Livingston and West Baton Rouge. The percentages below are rounded.

70769 Prairieville. For Zip Code 70769, home sales volume was down 17%, Average Sales Price was unchanged and Average Sold Price Per. Sq. Ft. was down -4%.

70737 Gonzales. For Zip Code 70719, home sales volume was down 24%, Average Sales Price was up 2% and Average Sold Price Per. Sq. Ft. was down 3%.

70734 Geismar. For Zip Code 70734, home sales volume was down 22%, Average Sales Price down -5% and Average Sold Price Per. Sq. Ft. was down -2%.

70774 Saint Amant. For Zip Code 70774, home sales volume was down 33%, Average Sales Price was up 43% and Average Sold Price Per. Sq. Ft. was up 25%.

70778 Sorrento. For Zip Code 70778, home sales volume was up 42.9%, Average Sales Price up 18% and Average Sold Price Per. Sq. Ft. was down -4%.

These declines in average sold price per sq. ft. 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.

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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/

http://www.ascensionrealestateappraisers.com/ – Bankrate.com: Summary Of Real Estate Appraisal Rule Changes In Dodd-Frank Act 2010. These are the new rules that apply to Northern Ascension Parish (Prairieville, Gonzales, Geismar, Saint Amant) Home Appraisals!

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

http://www.ascensionrealestateappraisers.com/ – With Federal Tax Credit Expiration, Ascension Parish Home Sales Numbers Decline 31% Into July 2010! Prairieville, Gonzales, Geismar, Dutchtown, Saint Amant!

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.”

http://www.ascensionrealestateappraisers.com/ – Ascension Parish FHA Appraisers Photos From The Field: Pelican Crossing Subdivision

North Ascension Parish (Gonzales, Prairieville, Geismar, Saint Amant Areas) Appraisers photos from the field. In these photos, Pelican Crossing is shown as of 5/15/2010.

Tags: Greater Baton Rouge Appraisers, Baton Rouge Home Appraisers, Ascension Parish Appraisers, Pelican Crossing, Gonzales Louisiana Appraisers, 70737, Pelican Point Golf Community

http://www.ascensionrealestateappraisers.com/ – North Ascension Parish Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers: Info on Granite Countertops. Prairieville, Gonzales, Geismar, Saint Amant Areas.

http://www.ascensionrealestateappraisers.com/ – Geismar Dutchtown Louisiana Ascension Parish Real Estate Home Selling Tips: 4 Ways To Sell Your Home Faster. This article was written for homeowners and may be helpful for Real Estate Agents as well.

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 Geismar Dutchtown Lousiana Ascension Parish 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

http://www.ascensionrealestateappraisers.com/ – Northern Ascension Parish Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers – Accurate Valuations Group 225-293-1500. Prairieville, Gonzales, Geismar, Sorrento, Dutchtown, Saint Amant Louisiana.