With average high temperatures hitting the upper 60's, the itch to dig in the dirt has hit folks all over the New Orleans West Bank. I've seen tons of homeowners out working in their yards...clearing out dead plants, cutting back overgrown shrubs, and putting in fresh new flowers and mulch.

I love spring in New Orleans! The Japanese magnolias have already been blooming, letting me know that it's about time to get out there and work in my own yard.

One of my favorite places for locally hardy plants and some expert advice on where to place them is New Orleans Garden Center & Landscape. Located right in Algiers, for years it was known as DeBattista's Nursery. Nicky DeBattista was my go-to guy for decades and when he retired his godson, Blair, took over the business.

Blair has done a great job of updating the center, with a wonderful spot full of garden decorations and flair to dress up your landscape with. There is a wide selection of annuals, trees, and shrubs and greenhouses full of indoor plants as well.

The last time I visited was right before Christmas, when the snapdragons and pansies were in full bloom. Hmmm....I wonder what the weather forecast is for this weekend?

Feeling the urge to dig in your own dirt? Or maybe you need some professional help with your landscaping? Stop in at New Orleans Garden Center & Landscape and take a stroll around...you won't be sorry and (yay!) it's another way to continue to support our neighborhood businesses and StayLocal!

All photos copyright 2008-2009 Lisa Heindel

Are you sprucing up your West Bank home in preparation for the spring selling season? Don't forget to contact the West Bank Living Team for local, expert real estate advice. It would be our pleasure to assist you.

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After all of the Mardi Gras celebrations, you would think we would be paraded out on the West Bank.  Not a chance!

This Saturday is the annual Pawdi Gras parade in Gretna, held to benefit the Plaquemines Animal Welfare Society, a no-kill animal shelter in Belle Chasse that has partnered with the City of Gretna.

Here's a picture of the royalty from last year's parade as they were honored Monday night at Lundi Gras

From the wonderful folks at GEDA:

You can register your 4-legged friend Saturday at Second and Huey P. Long Avenue beginning at 10:00am, Costume Contest & Crowning of Royal Court at 10:30am, parade to follow at 11:00am.

While you’re waiting for the parade, visit the Gretna Farmers’ Market and enjoy fresh shopping and eating! We’ll have smoked meats, dressings & dips, lunch specials from Capt’n Jack, fresh brewed coffee, cookies & breads, fresh squeezed lemonade and kettle corn, vegetables and strawberries, wine, cheese, sausage, cracklins, pralines, Creole cream cheese and much more to tempt your appetite!

So throw a costume on Fido or Spot and head on over to the celebration on Saturday morning - hope to see you there!

Today is Lundi Gras in New Orleans...the day before Mardi Gras.  For years when I was growing up, it was a day with no parades, a chance to rest up before the big celebration taking place tomorrow all around the city and the suburbs.  Now, it's a different story, with one of the biggest parades rolling tonight as the Krewe of Orpheus (founded by Harry Connick Jr.) parades through downtown and uptown. 

Throughout the city there will be parties, live music and tons of folks packing their ice chests to spend the entire day outside tomorrow...or, if you're like me, it takes sustenance to ride on a float!

Yesterday (known locally as Bacchus Sunday) was one of the biggest days leading up to Fat Tuesday, with 4 parades back-to-back through Uptown New Orleans.  While it was a long day, we were lucky enough to have friends living right on the parade route who opened their home to everyone and allowed us to hang out all day and into the night as the parades passed.

For those of you who aren't here to see and celebrate for yourselves, here is a little taste of New Orleans...

Even the trees get to catch beads!

The Queen of the Krewe of Mid-City...the only krewe that decorates their floats in foil.

The parades lasted into the night, when we greeted Val Kilmer as Bacchus 2009

I love the night parades, with the lighted floats and the traditional flambeaux carriers...

Wishing everyone a very safe and Happy Mardi Gras - especially my new friend Jason who really got into the spirit of things at his first parades...

Happy Mardi Gras!!

****** SORRY, THIS HOME IS OFF THE MARKET ******

Great investment opportunity in the wonderful Mid City area of New Orleans.  Easy access to downtown New Orleans and mass transportation, just around the corner from Rock N Bowl, restaurants and retail shops.

Live in one unit and rent the other, or keep the existing tenants and invest in the Crescent City.

$299,000

2 unit, raised basement double one block from S. Carrollton and 5 blocks from Canal Street.

• First unit has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath and is currently rented for $1,148 per month
• Second unit has 4 bedrooms, 2 baths and is currently rented for $1,400 per month
• Separate meters
• Off street parking
• Disclosures available to qualified purchasers

For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact the West Bank Living Team.

Disclose, disclose, disclose.  This is an agent's mantra when advising sellers during the process of listing their home.  Hiding defects is not only foolish (since the home inspector will more than likely find it anyway) but deliberately withholding information about defects in the property is also fraud. 

So, what happens if you are just careless in filling out the required Louisiana property disclosure?

Let me tell you a quick story.

A young lady purchasing her first home contacted us recently.  She had very specific criteria for what she was looking for, from the number of bedrooms and bathrooms to the neighborhoods she was interested in.  One of her hot button issues was the flood zone.  She was adamant that any home she purchased must be in flood zone B or flood zone X and did not want to see any home outside of those zones, no matter how beautiful or well priced it might be.

Since many sellers don't bother to complete that portion of the disclosure statement (I don't know why, it's not a secret!), lots of time was spent calling listing agents to have their sellers check their records for the flood zone.  Flood zones on the West Bank can vary from block to block within the same community, so we cannot just assume that one house is zoned the same as another in the area. 

Finally, we found several homes that met her needs AND were located in the right zones.  She narrowed down her choices, picked her absolute favorite and successfully negotiated an offer with the seller.  Inspections were done and repairs were negotiated as well.  Everything was going along just fine.

Until she started pricing flood insurance.

It turns out that the home she had fallen in love with was not located in a B or X zone and she could not get a preferred rate on her premiums.  As a matter of fact, her flood insurance would be about 3 times more expensive than she had planned for.  I did mention that she's a first time home buyer, right?  This turned out to be a deal breaker.

The end result was that the contract was canceled and the seller is now out of pocket several hundred dollars for the cost of inspections in addition to losing marketing time while the home was under contract.  Why?  Because the buyer argued (and rightfully so) that she would never have even looked at this particular home, much less made an offer on it, if she had been given accurate information from the beginning. 

Don't fall into the trap of just assuming that you remember everything about your home.  I can't tell you how many times I've heard sellers say "oh we just replaced that hot water heater a couple of years ago" only to find that the tag on it is 10 years old.  Completing your disclosures can be a long and tedious process, but doing it correctly can save you money in the long run.

Ready to sell your West Bank home?  Contact the West Bank Living Team for professional guidance through the entire marketing and sales process. 

I'm seeing the sun peeking in and out of the clouds and crossing my fingers and toes and arms and eyes and everything that I have two of that the weather will hold out for the parades on this big West Bank Mardi Gras weekend.  During each parade, the Gretna Heritage Festival is sponsoring live bands at the corner of Franklin Avenue and the West Bank Expressway in the City of Gretna.  The Bucktown All-Stars perform tonight at 7:00 pm, Aaron Foret is tomorrow at noon, and the Top Cats are playing at 1:00 pm on Sunday.

The Krewe of Cleopatra will kick off the season with their parade tonight that starts at 6:30 pm in Algiers with 17 floats and the theme "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" to go along with floats decorated with different cocktail themes such as Margaritaville and Mai Tai.  This is the traditional first parade for the West Bank and the ladies of the krewe are known for being generous with the throws, so get there early and stake out the best, dry spot.

We'll be out there to catch the parade at the beginning of the route and then starting to load our own floats for tomorrow's ride with the Krewe of Choctaw.  Parading on Valentine's Day is always fun and this year's theme is "The Mardi Gras of Love".  Look for me on float 14, driver's side and I'll throw you one of the special Cupid Arrow plush spears!   Choctaw rolls with over 300 riders at 11:00 am and will be followed by the Mystic Knights of Adonis at 11:45 am.

The weekend will wrap up on Sunday with the Krewe of Alla, one of the largest West Bank krewes with 32 floats and over 500 riders, following the new Algiers, Terrytown, Gretna route starting at noon.  This year's theme is "Alla Tells Tall Tales" and the highlight of the parade is always the extra long double decker Alla-gator float.

I hope you have a safe and fun-filled weekend!

2009 West Bank Parade Route

From the covered front porch to the gingerbread details and white picket fence, this Gretna cottage is a real charmer. Tucked away on a quiet street in Old Gretna, it's a hop, skip and jump to the Crescent City Connection and downtown New Orleans or to the West Bank Expressway.

Walking distance to churches, schools and more. Take a neighborhood stroll and grab dinner at the local deli on the way home.

$130,000

Featuring 2 spacious bedrooms and an adorable bath, there is ample living space with over 1500 square feet of living area. The formal dining room would make a perfect office or could be converted to a third bedroom.

The kitchen opens to the living and dining combination with a working fireplace and french doors leading to the absolutely awesome backyard.

Bricked patio, above ground pool with deck, fish pond, covered gazebo and more. Crawfish boils can't get a better setting than this one!

Take a virtual tour of 1102 Perry Street Gretna, LA 70053

For more information or to schedule a private showing, contact the West Bank Living Team.

SORRY!  THIS HOME IS NO LONGER FOR SALE.  FOR A LIST OF AVAILABLE PROPERTIES IN THE AREA, PLEASE CONTACT THE WEST BANK LIVING TEAM.

Attention bargain hunters! Check out this gorgeous home on the Stonebridge Golf Course that has just been reduced to only $299,000.

Even more photos and details can be found at: 60 Lake Elizabeth Harvey LA 70058

Golf Course Living At It's Finest

60 Lake Elizabeth, Harvey, LA 70058 View Map

Absolutely Gorgeous!

Tastefully decorated with custom touches throughout, this golf course home in the Esprit section of Stonebridge has all you could want and more.

The breakfast area overlooks a second floor balcony and the golf course. The master bedroom has a huge walk in closet & adjoining room for study, sitting area or dressing. Master bath w/garden tub & separate shower. Awesome bath updates include a vessel sink and more.

Two story foyer with marble floors. Updated fixtures throughout. Iron fence and gates surrounds backyard. Wood burning fireplace. Low HOA fees of $100 per year.

Mature landscaping completes the curb appeal on this wonderful home. Call for your private showing today.

Details

Asking Price:

$299,000

MLS:

774476

Sq. Feet:

2915

Lot Size:

65x110

Bedrooms:

4

Bathrooms:

3.5

# of Floors:

2

Garage Size:

2 car

Subdivision:

Stonebridge Esprit

Year Built:

1995

Property Amenities

- Sink Disposal
- Full Refrigerator
- Dishwasher
- Fireplace
- Vaulted Ceilings
- Security System
- Attic

- Balcony
- Patio
- Grass Lawn
- Fenced Yard
- Central A/C
- Central Heat
- Walk-in closet

- Tile floor
- Family room
- Living room
- Dining Room
- Breakfast nook
- Cooktop
- Wall Oven

Community Amenities

- Golf course

- High-speed Internet

Contact Info

Lisa Heindel
Louisiana REALTOR

Main 504-207-2007
Dir 504-616-6262
Email | Website

Saturday was glorious!  The weather was absolutely perfect, thanks to the efforts of the Medicine Man, as the Krewe of Choctaw celebrated with their annual River Parade.  The morning started off at Front Street Station in Gretna, with a breakfast buffet prepared by owner Joey Istre and his wife Pam.

Suitably fortified, we made our way across the street to the Gretna Ferry Landing to board the Steamboat Natchez.

We were greeted by the Officers and Captain along with the crew of the Natchez

As passengers began boarding, the calliope was playing our song...

And the party began!

The view of the city was incredible:

The fireboat guided us up and down the river, spraying streams of water into the air

I hope you can join us on Valentine's Day as we parade through the streets of Algiers, Terrytown and into the City of Gretna.  Visit the Krewe of Choctaw for a map of the parade route.

Happy Mardi Gras and Hail the Chief!

All photos and content copyright Lisa Heindel, 2009.  West Bank Living.  All rights reserved.

I've been so busy that Mardi Gras is kind of sneaking up on me.  But this Saturday is the Krewe of Choctaw's annual River Parade and it's one of my favorite events of the season.  Choctaw is the only krewe to offer a river parade in New Orleans and it's a tradition that dates back many, many years.  I remember when I first heard about it and dismissed it out of hand thinking that it was just a boat ride.  Boy, was I wrong!

Rub shoulders with the royalty and court members, enjoy some great music, dancing and  food.  Those famous Natchez Steamboat Bloody Mary's are on tap for what is expected to be a beautiful day.  Thank goodness, because the last couple of years have been cold AND rainy and it's about time that the Krewe got a little love from the sun gods.

Here are a couple of photos from last year's event:

Boarding starts at the Gretna Ferry Landing at 9:30 am and the boat sails promptly at 10.  (Get there early and you can browse through the Gretna Farmer's Market before walking to the ferry)  Cruise up and down the river, getting a view of the city that you don't see very often, all while enjoying a party that doesn't stop until noon when the boat docks again.

The River Parade is open to the public.  Tickets are available by contacting kreweofchoctaw@yahoo.com.

Copyright 2009.  West Bank Living.  All rights reserved.