It is our goal at The Parks at Plaquemines to keep our buyers informed about the latest information from the local, state-level, and national real estate industry. We post content to our blog that we hope that you as our custom home buyer will find helpful. Look here for information about financing your new home, building restrictions for new homes, and real estate legislation that will impact you as you are looking to buy or build a new home in the Greater New Orleans area.

Popular Exterior Paint Colors for Selling Your Home

When you are in the market to sell your home, one of the most important factors to consider is your home’s curb appeal. When a potential buyer pulls up to your home, the exterior is one of the first things they will see. Like in life, first impressions are very important and can impact the whole perception a buyer will make of your home. Your favorite dream home might be a white with bright blue trim, but this is not everyone’s favorite. Using a bold and unique mix of colors can make a home stand out in a negative way. If you are trying to decide on a color for your potential listing, consider these tips for selecting an exterior paint color.

When choosing a paint color to use on the exterior of your home that you are about to sell, there are many things to consider. First off, remember that you are not choosing the color you want, but a color that would appeal to the mass. To figure out the best option, take a look at the color schemes of your neighbor’s homes, your home’s architectural style, roof color, stonework and landscaping and construction materials. You want to keep up with the trends, however, you do not want to do anything too stylish or off-the-wall. A good choice is to go with warm, earthy neutral colors that blend well with your home’s natural environment. A classic that never goes out of style is classic white which is both simple and traditional.

There are other options, but you need to consider them carefully to make sure they fit. Charcoals and blacks are popular nowadays, especially on a modern home, but make sure these are not too bold for your neighborhood. Navy blue has also become a popular choice and can be used on a variety of home styles. If you can’t go without a pop of color, think about adding a bold color to your front door such as red, yellow or blue.

Remember seeking out your Realtor’s advice can be a win-win situation. A local sales agent will not only be familiar with what is trending but will also know what will fit on your home in your neighborhood.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

This Year’s Southern Living 2022 Idea House Is Located in North Carolina

This year Southern Living chose River Dunes which is located in Oriental, North Carolina for their 2022 Idea House.  The community features 14 miles of waterfront on the Pamlico Sound, Intercoastal Waterway and the mouth of the Neuse River.  River Dunes offers wonderful amenities which include a 400-slip marina.
The home represents coastal living at its best and was brought to life by a team including Jordan Maroules of SLD Custom Homes, Charlotte Lucas of Charlotte Lucas Interior Design and William Court of Court Atkins Group.
“Our vision was to create a Southern ‘coastal-inspired’ home that has a strong traditional sense of place-but a slightly more contemporary sense of detail,” says architect William Court.
The home features multiple structures instead of just one which includes a guest home.  The main house sits at 4,125 square feet and includes a wraparound porch for outdoor living.  The porch gives a nice harbor view with great space for outdoor entertainment.  The exteriors are constructed of James Hardie siding which will stand up to the harsh coastal elements.
“While we are blessed with unparalleled beauty in the Southeast, the climate comes with humidity, moisture, salt air and pests. We love using Hardie fiber cement products in southern coastal areas because they hold their own in rain, sleet or snow. This allows us to provide our clients with a great low-maintenance and sustainable alternative to natural wood siding. Anytime we can get the look and feel of natural wood without the headache of ongoing maintenance, that’s a win, ” says Court.
The siding design used on the home is the Artisan shiplap siding by James Hardie.  “In our more contemporary coastal designs, we want to blend the use of historical proportions and familiar colors with unexpected details and clean lines. Our design team relies heavily on the range of products by James Hardie to create realistic historical details, as well as updated contemporary profiles with a sense of weight and proportion. Using the Artisan shiplap siding with mitered corners was a natural choice to get a crisp clean edge-but with an elevated sense of detail,” says Court.
The 2022 Southern Living 2022 house will only be on tour until the end of the month.  Currently the home is decorated for the holidays and can be toured by purchasing a ticket. All the proceeds will go to local charities.

The Future Sees An Increase in Housing Inventory

Studies reveal that the population in many communities is ramping up.  Gainesville, Georgia has seen its population jump from 100,000 to 250,000 with around 15,000 projected listings.  Other areas in the county that have seen an increase in population are Port St. Lucie, FL with 23,800, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC with 44,850, North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL with 40,141, Nashville-Davidons-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN with 82,050, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler AZ with 136,394 and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA comes in at 280,999. The market in June 2023 is predicted to see 7.3 million homes come on the market in the 364 Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).
Families with children in grades K-12 should make up 22.5% of the market presence of all homes sold in the country. The report broke down each MSA by size and concluded that of those markets with a population of less than 100,000 Rome, GA had the most predicted listings to hit market by June 2023 at 4,323 properties.

Below follows a list of those markets with most homes predicted to come on the market through June 2023 in eight different population sizes:

Markets Under 100,000 Population Predicted Listings Through June 2023
Rome, Ga. 4,323
Corvallis, Oregon 4,027
Midland, Mich. 3,998
Columbus, Ind. 3,879
Kokomo, Ind. 3,395
Cape Girardeau, Mo.-Ill. 2,869
Victoria, Texas 2,792
Casper, Wyo. 2,669
Elmira, N.Y. 2,651
Grants Pass, Ore. 2,541
Markets 100,000-250,000 Population Predicted Listings Through June 2023
Gainesville, Ga. 14,911
Appleton, Wis. 14,050
Iowa City, Iowa 11,285
Punta Gorda, Fla. 11,272
Barnstable Town, Mass. 10,372
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, Ala. 10,248
Charlottesville, Va. 9,704
Oshkosh-Neenah, Wis. 8,826
Rochester, Minn. 8,808
Bend, Ore. 8,499
Markets 250,000-500,000 Population Predicted Listings Through June 2023
Port St. Lucie, Fla. 23,800
Greeley, Colo. 22,522
Fort Collins, Colo. 20,395
Naples-Marco Island, Fla. 20,041
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, S.C.-N.C. 19,061
Reno, Nev. 17,956
York-Hanover, Pa. 17,448
Fort Wayne, Ind. 17,037
Boulder, Colo. 16,591
Springfield, Mo. 15,594
Markets 500,000-750,000 Population Predicted Listings Through June 2023
Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C. 44,850
Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa 34,677
Akron, Ohio 24,866
Provo-Orem, Utah 24,726
Fayetteville, N.C. 24,490
Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla. 23,979
Port St. Lucie, Fla. 23,800
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Fla. 23,495
Winston-Salem, N.C. 23,404
Madison, Wis. 22,760
Markets 750,000-1 Million Population Predicted Listings Through June 2023
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, Fa. 40,141
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla. 35,609
Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa 34,113
Colorado Springs, Colo. 32,345
Greenville-Anderson, S.C. 30,573
Columbia, S.C. 29,307
Charleston-North Charleston, S.C. 28,193
Worcester, Mass.-Conn. 27,969
Knoxville, Tenn. 27,020
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa.-NJ. 26,980
Markets 1-2 Million Population Predicted Listings Through June 2023
Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, Tenn. 82,050
Raleigh-Cary, N.C. 66,952
Jacksonville, Fla. 64,055
Richmond, Va. 46,963
Oklahoma City, Okla. 42,448
Salt Lake City, Utah 38,769
Providence-Warwick, R.I.-Mass. 38,738
Louisville/Jefferson County, Ky.-Ind. 37,593
Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, Conn. 36,282
Milwaukee-Waukesha, Wis. 33,408
Markets 2-4 Million Population Predicted Listings Through June 2023
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Ariz. 136,394
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, Calif. 117,457
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Mass.-N.H. 114,061
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. 107,895
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colo. 100,250
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Mich. 96,938
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla. 93,578
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, N.C.-S.C. 93,354
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Fla. 89,535
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, Calif. 82,928
Markets Under Above 4 Million Population Predicted Listings Through June 2023
New York-Newark-Jersey City, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. 280,999
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas 235,338
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Ill.-Ind.-Wisc. 225,742
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calif. 214,522
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Va.-Md.-W.Va. 213,012
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Ga. 208,133
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas 202,488
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md. 150,759
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Fla. 96,356

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

Why House Hunters Will Be Ready To Buy In The Next Six Months

According to a survey done by Realtor.com, 46% of potential house buyers said they were planning on purchasing a home within the next six months. This study looked at those who accessed listings and search results of homes on the site. The survey justifies that although we look like we are in a recession and the 30-year fixed mortgage rate is close to 6%, this is not detouring buyers in the market. This share of buyers reported is actually higher than reported in 2019 even with mortgage rates reaching the highest level since 2008 and home prices increasing.

Many potential home buyers are looking at the market as an advantage. Rising inventory levels are bringing more options for buyers to find a home within their budget. It is reported that two in five buyers feel that the U.S. economy is already in a recession but it will have no effect on their decision to purchase a home in the near future. Close to 27% of home buyers are more likely to purchase while the economy is in a recession. This figure is up 24% from what was reported in 2021 although there are many potential home buyers that are scared of the current market. In fact, the share of buyers who say they are more than likely not going to purchase a home during a recession rose from 5% to 6.5% this year.

The housing market is definitely tipping the scale from a sellers’ market over to a buyers’ market. Those in the industry said there are fewer buyers who are being outbid going from 12.6% to 9.4% from this spring to summer. The share of buyers who report being overbid on a home has decreased as the market has begun to correct itself

Even though there are home buyers who are willing to purchase in an uncertain economic time, it is still a sellers’ market. Twelve percent of first-time homebuyers are still being outbid in today’s market. Two in five first-time home buyers are also having a hard time finding a home within their budget. Currently, the median price of homes in the U.S. was $435,0000 according to Reatlor.com. This summer was at an all-time high of $450,000! Twenty percent of first-time homebuyers also said they are having a hard time buying because of their credit score.

If you are a first-time homebuyer or in the market to purchase a home, you will want to work with a local real estate agent who can help you navigate these uncertain waters. A local agent can help you find a home in your price range in your desired area.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

A Rise In The Number of Women In Construction

In 2020 the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 10.9% of the construction workforce were women. The number has since risen to 11% reported last year by the Bureau but only 4% of these workers are involved in skilled trades. Most of the women in the industry are in office and administrative positions.

The National Association of Home Builders’ Professional Women in Building (PWB) Week is coming up. This is an annual event that celebrates women in the residential construction industry. This is a time when the work done in the industry is highlighted as well as the good-paying careers that are available. There is a shortage overall of skilled trade workers in the industry and Tradeswoman Tuesday is the perfect time to reflect on this.

September 13, 2022, there will be an online webinar that can be joined for free. Leading tradeswomen will discuss how women can successfully be a part of the construction industry. They will discuss women in the industry and ideas on how to attract more women to the industry. Kristi Allen, UTAH PWB member and owner of Woodcastle Homes will be the moderator. Joining Allen will be Merideth Balmforth, a master electrician and Katy Higgins an experienced HVAC professional.

There will also be a PWB Week Toolkit which will have other activities to do throughout the day. One of these activities is reading The House that She Built book to children. This book was written and based on real-life tradeswomen that are featured in the webinar. The home she built is in Utah and is the home the book is based on.

“Now is the perfect time for women to explore the construction industry. There is a need for the unique talents and dedication that women bring to any field – including strategies for working smarter, not harder, and for giving their all to whatever they set their minds to. The demand for women in residential construction and service has also never been greater, and the opportunities are there to enter a career that promises great quality of life, earning a good living, having value in the work you do and pride in being a builder and contributor, ” said Balmforth.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.