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What rights do or should tenants have?:

Can this Shreveport landlord be jailed? Judge delays blight case to determine answer. Amar Shreveport Holdings owns three of the four apartment complexes at which utilities, such as water and electricity, this year were shut off over nonpayment.

This article is interesting. It teaches you to take a critical look at statistics in general to ensure you are getting the best picture:

Central City home prices rose while parts of the French Quarter fell. A look behind the numbers. Housing prices in fell slightly in the first half of 2024 across most of Orleans Parish, as insurance costs and high mortgage rates kept a damper on home sales. But

Love this look, Happy Saturday!!!!:

OPEN TOPOSSIBILITIES BY JYL BENSONContributing writer A structure is just skin and bones un

This storm was a bit different, call us with any insurance questions:

Hurricane Francine's unusual structure led to heavy rain, high winds in New Orleans area Hurricane Francine's unusual structure included a broad but weak center that helped fuel high rainfall and wind across the New Orleans area Wednesday.

Here is the last Tropical Tidbit video on Hurricane Francine. Click on the weird pic below:

Tropical Tidbits Tropical weather and Atlantic hurricane information, analysis, and forecasts by Levi Cowan.

Here's the updated release from Tropical Tidbits Again, click on the goofy looking page to attain the link:

Tropical Tidbits Tropical weather and Atlantic hurricane information, analysis, and forecasts by Levi Cowan.

Here is the Tropical Tidbits piece for Francine from yesterday. I will post the next one, when it comes out. Just click on the weird photo below to gain access:

Tropical Tidbits Tropical weather and Atlantic hurricane information, analysis, and forecasts by Levi Cowan.

I will post the Tropical Tidbits forecast today as soon as it comes out. Time to start crossing your fingers and toes.....and arms...... and legs:

Tropical Rainstorm FRANCINE 2024 | AccuWeather Track Tropical Rainstorm FRANCINE 2024

The iconic (mainly because it was the only tower in the city) Capitol One building in Lake Charles was razed today after staying vacant following Hurricanes Laura and Delta. See the video, here. Listen for the dude who says, "I'm not breathing that stuff in." Times have gotten smarter, even if we say they're not:

VIDEO: Former CapitalOne Tower demolished Saturday morning - American Press The former CapitalOne Tower was taken down with explosives Saturday morning. The tower had been vacant since Hurricane Laura significantly damaged it in 2020. Email newsletter signup Sign up for our daily email newsletter

Before reading this article please identify a nice piece of wood:

Has there ever been a September without a tropical storm? September is historically the peak of hurricane season, when there is the highest chance of tracking a cyclone across the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, but some years turn out to be more active than others.

Here is the annual Advocate article on average home sales prices in the Greater Nola area. With a bit of mortgage rate relief anticipated, some better insurance rates and a market evolving to more seller concessions, it would seem housing sales rates should increase:

New Orleans area home prices were in a slump. In some neighborhoods, things are changing. For more than two years, the New Orleans area housing market has been in a slump, hammered by high interest rates and skyrocketing insurance premiums that slowed homebuying and pushed

Here's the annual Advocate home sales stats, a few thoughts: 1. They cite increased sales prices as being a positive, which it is. However, less time on market at last year's prices would probably be most welcome. 2. I wonder if the net sales prices are actually up, as sellers are making rather large concessions on sales:

New Orleans area home prices were in a slump. In some neighborhoods, things are changing. For more than two years, the New Orleans area housing market has been in a slump, hammered by high interest rates and skyrocketing insurance premiums that slowed homebuying and pushed

While you're trying to find a bit of respite during this Labor Day weekend, take a few minutes to peruse this beautiful Uptown New Orleans residence:

EXTERIOR DESIGN BY JYL BENSONContributing writer When Kenneth and Nina Friend bought t

The whole Fortified Home project from contractors/roofers through the insurance companies is still in a learning curve. I expect the program to grow exponentially the next 5 years. As part of the expansion, the state is about to open the grant program application process again. Real Estate Agents should be looking to catch our brand new C.E. on the subject:

Louisiana is giving out more $10K grants for fortified roofs. See what's changing. The state is limiting the next round of grants to people in 20 parishes and is changing its selection process to a lottery.

The new broker commission agreements are out. This article gives a good take on the change, which in many ways, isn't much of a change, just a clarification in communication. Here's the real truth, buyers need a real estate agent to protect their interest:

Buying a house? Here's how a new law has changed the way you pay your real estate agent The change in how real estate agents do business comes from a $418 million class action case settled earlier this year that claimed homeowners were forced to pay inflated commissions when they sold their home.

I just completed the rough draft of a new real estate agent 2025 C.E. requirement, The Fair Housing Act. This article nests right into an aspect of the class, tenants' rights:

Mold is unsafe and more prevalent in low-income housing, but Louisiana’s tenants lack protection Children are especially vulnerable because they spend most of their time inside. And from the early days of the pandemic, kids tended to be home and inside for longer durations.

So, the dude in this pic, wind mitigation inspector, Ashley Vander Meulen, is our partner instructor for our brand new Fortified Homes Real Estate Agent C.E. You can click on our events link to see where we are teaching those classes soon:

This little-known inspection could save Louisiana homeowners big bucks on property insurance The inspection, which costs around $300, identifies aspects of a home that help reduce losses in the event of a windstorm.

Check out this short piece with great pics about some old NOLA buildings.....interesting tidbits of history:

& Shop. All are iconic parts of the New Orleans skyline, and for good

Yes, Yes, Yes, Go That Way!!!!

I like to note that it always seems to cost a lot in "Eden," you know, those really beautiful places, not necessarily Eden Isle. But this locale in the famous Slidell subdivision sure is nice:

OUTSIDE INTEREST BY JYL BENSONContributing writer Sandra Marks and Harold Lambert spen

Here's an interesting podcast that ties in one of our nation's greatest athletes, Hi**er, oak trees and..............housing. It's a good listen:

I have noted several times that my favorite meteorologist for tropical weather is Levi Cowan. He has a little-known site where he will give daily or bi-daily detailed reports when a storm starts to brew. Add his site to your weather favorites:

Tropical Tidbits Tropical weather and Atlantic hurricane information, analysis, and forecasts by Levi Cowan.

OK, I have never heard of the "Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), a general disturbance that moves eastward around the planet at about 30-60 days a rotation. Apparently, when its over the Caribbean / Atlantic, it promotes tropical storm activity. I tried to ascertain where the is right now, and it seems that getting that information is not so easy. Meanwhile, we have a tropical system east of the Lesser Antilles and worth monitoring. Right now, it does not seem to be a threat to Louisiana............95 Ross Hurricane Watch Days remaining:

Madden-Julian Oscillation: A Factor in Hurricane Season Forecasting You May Not Have Heard of Before | Weather.com The Madden-Julian Oscillation may not be well known, but it's an important factor during the hurricane season. - Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com

My wife would never let me in the same room as a white couch:

soul BY LEE CUTRONEPreservation Resource Center When it was built in 1918,

Good news, everyone. We are down to 100 Ross hurricane worry days, which ends on 31 Oct. Now each day will count as 1%.

Dark Oxygen, this is interesting:

Scientists may have discovered 'dark oxygen' being created without photosynthesis It has long been understood that photosynthesis creates oxygen, but researchers believe they've found oxygen being created in parts of the ocean with no light.

If you want to gain a potpourri of ideas and matters and possible solutions for our property insurance, all of which real estate agents have brought up in our real estate C.E.s, read this piece. It's worth the 6 minutes. A reminder, the bulk of our current property insurance premiums are reinsurance costs:

Louisiana passed laws to address the insurance crisis. Will they work? Louisiana is waiting anxiously for signs of relief from the state’s property insurance crisis, which has continued to squeeze residents as insurers reevaluate their business at a time when catastrophes are worsening because of climate change.

What a beautiful home in Slidell:

charm Third aBY JYL BENSONContributing writer Michael Felger has built, then rebui

Man, I'm a sucker for homes with exploding colors:

VISION BY JYL BENSONContributing writer Anais and Marco St. John

If you are looking for home insurance in the greater New Orleans area, call multiple brokers insurance agencies to get numerous prices. Call me, we'll get you a quote, and point you to other agency options:

The insurance crisis is impacting the housing market in Louisiana. That raises bigger worries. A spiraling insurance crisis has hammered Louisianans with high premiums, less coverage and fewer options, heaping intense financial pressure on residents who are already facing rising costs elsewhere. Now, the housing market in the New Orleans area is sending distress signals.