Lafayette Real Estate Video Blog with Robbie Breaux

How we helped Jules Breaux by exceeding expectations.

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Thu, 9 Jun 2016 07:28:00 -0700

"It was outstanding! They work very hard. The first time I reached out to him was on the Sunday after Christmas, within 20 minutes he was calling. The whole entire experience was really great, very professional. They sold our house after 14 days on the market. The effort they put in and the passion they have for what they do speaks volumes. They really exceeded all my expectations."
Jules Breaux, Home Seller

Determining What You Can Afford in Lafayette

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Thu, 2 Jun 2016 10:41:00 -0700

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Do you know how much you can afford to spend on a home? When you’re looking to balance the budget on a home payment, you need to look at four things:

How much can you afford?
How much is a bank willing to lend monthly?
What does that translate to in sales price?
How much are you comfortable spending monthly?

Typically, banks will lend $6 to $7 a month for every thousand dollars you spend. On a $150,000 house, that translates to $800 to $900 a month, depending on the tax area you’re in and the monthly insurance premiums. How does the bank determine what your payment is? They’ll take your total income and divide it by the total debt that you have, like house payment, car payment, student loans, revolving debt like credit cards. On a $5,000 income, the banks would take approximately $2,000 a month in total monthly debt to be what they approve you for.

Just because a bank is willing to lend you $2,000 a month for you monthly payment doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what you need to spend. You need to do what’s right for your family. List out all the debts and outgoing payments you have like food, utilities, entertainment, and others, and write it down to see what your monthly income looks like, and how much you have left coming in.

If you have any other questions, please let us know via email or a phone call. We’d love to hear from you.

How we helped Chase Hardy by working fast to resolve issues.

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Thu, 2 Jun 2016 07:35:00 -0700

"They worked really fast and found what I wanted! There was a flood issue and he told me exactly what to expect. That was the only issue we had. I would definitely recommend them to others. I have already given out my agents number."
Chris Hardy, Home Buyer

Lafayette Real Estate Market 1st Quarter Wrap-Up

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 13:00:00 -0700

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Today, we’ll go over how the Lafayette housing market has done in the first quarter of this year.

In March, we had 262 closed residential transactions. That’s a slight decrease from March of 2015, which had 266 units sold. Dollar volume is also down by about 8.5%.

The $260,000 and under price range sees the most traffic in our market, which is why the average sales price is $215,000. That’s a 2.9% drop from March of 2015, when the average sales price was $221,000.

The good news is that the list-to-sales price ratio is 97%. That means when you list your home, you are likely to get 97% of the asking price. That is happening market-wide, from Lafayette Parish all the way down to the Youngsville area.

Pending sales typically indicate what the market will look like. Last year, March was the biggest month we had, and there were 359 pending sales. This March, we had 312 pending sales. That’s a 4% difference. We are still on par with the three biggest months in real estate in 2015. Things are still moving at a brisk pace.

The good news for buyers is that listings are up by 2.25%. We now have a 6.3 month supply of listings. Inventory is starting to climb and there are tons of options for buyers looking for houses priced $300,000 or up.

Interest rates are incredibly low. You can get a 3.6% interest rate for a 30-year fixed loan, a 3.5% rate for an FHA loan, and 3% or less for a 15-year loan. The right lender can get you 2.9% on a 15-year loan, and I can connect you with a great lender.

If you have any questions, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Lafayette Market Update for February 2016

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 14:49:00 -0800

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Today we’ve got a quick market update for you for January 2016. Last year, we eked out a .64% increase in sales compared to 2014. We did see a drop in sales at certain points throughout the year, but ended the year with an overall increase.

Many of the numbers we saw this January were very comparable to the numbers we saw last January. For example, we sold 196 homes in January of 2015, and sold 195 in January of 2016.

Our average sales price has dropped a bit, and now sits at $216,000, but that’s likely due to the lower price ranges moving at a quicker pace than the rest of the market. We are also seeing an increase in new construction, and that shows in the year-over-year drop in the number of homes listed in Lafayette.

As for the amount of inventory we have on the market right now, it’s sitting at about an 8.5, 9-month supply, where most of our action is coming in the $300,000 and below range.

If you have any questions for us about the market, or want to know what your home could sell for, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Where Can You Find the Best Home Inspector in Lafayette?

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 13:23:00 -0800

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Home inspections are crucial for buyers and sellers. We recommend that everyone get an inspection done on their home or their potential home. This is a proactive move that can eliminate issues down the road.

A home inspector is a trained professional that comes out to inspect the major systems in your home such as your electrical wiring, your furnace, and your plumbing. They will check for much more than this, and they’ll report potential problems to you. This way you can make the repairs or negotiate with the seller to have repairs made. An inspection can cost anywhere from $500 to $600, but it’s all well-worth the money.

If you need a home inspector, we have a few that we like to refer to our clients. Don’t hesitate to ask us about this!

Home Decor and Lafayette Listings

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 15:50:00 -0800

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An easy way to grasp a buyer’s interest is through gorgeous home decor. This might be drapes, paintings, or other trinkets.

However, as a buyer, you need to be especially conscious of this. Stay focused on your needs. Keep an eye on room dimension, and don’t fall for the details. Avoid falling for the small details inside a home.

There’s a flipside to this, though. As a seller, you’re going to want to tap into the buyer’s perspective. This presents an awesome opportunity. Set up an attractive offer with our stager and make your home pop to get the best results when selling!

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home in Lafayette, give me a call or send me an email today! I look forward to hearing from you soon.

How we helped Nick Perron by using our resources

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Thu, 4 Feb 2016 15:52:00 -0800

"Great results! Very satisfied with the house I purchased through them and their services. Anytime I have any questions about my house Robbie said I could call him at any time. Since it's my first home, he'd be able to help me - I actually called him today and he helped me find an electrician and how to do home repairs."

- Nick Perron, Buyer

How We Helped Jim Find the Perfect Place

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Sun, 24 Jan 2016 11:42:00 -0800

"Laurie Kraemer was our agent. She did an outstanding job! She stayed on the search and was patience with us. We ended up bailing out of a house that we had made an offer on, and started the process all over again - her pleasant attitude of working with us never wavered. She did a wonderful job. I'd highly recommend anyone to use them. We were very pleased!"

- Jim, Home Buyer

What Do 3D Tours Add to the Table?

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 16:21:00 -0800

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Today I want to talk about the next step when it comes to home photography. Here at the Robbie Breaux Team, we are always looking to push the needle when it comes to technology. That is why we have invested in offering 3D Virtual Home Tours for our clients, and they are going to be great.

Here is an example of a 3D Tour. With these tours, potential buyers have the ability to look in, around, above, and throughout the house. These tours offer many different ways to look at the home, including a dollhouse view, a blueprint view, and a first person virtual walk-through. By being able to do all of this virtually and remotely, you can increase the traffic your home gets without even having to open the door.

We’ve seen some great benefits already from using this technology. Most of our sellers are getting a higher number of qualified buyers looking at their home, instead of the looky-loos that are really just browsing with no intention to buy.

If you’re interested in checking this out some more or want to see what a 3D tour could do for your home sale, give us a call or send us a quick email. We would be glad to help out!

Letters from Santa

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 15:02:00 -0800

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Santa Letters are back! We had such a great response from our favorite little fans last year. We're excited to announce we're doing it again this year.

It's simple! Fill out the form in the body of this email. Write a letter to your son, daughter, niece, nephew, or grandkids. They will get a personalized letter on Santa's stationary straight from the North Pole!

The kids love it. Fill everything out by December 15th, so your loved one will get the letter in time for the holidays. We had a bunch last year, and we want to make sure we get everybody's out there.

Thanks for participating in Santa Letters! As always, if you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

Please download the Request Form (see link below) and send it back to us at amber@robbiebreaux.com OR call us at (337) 267-4099..

Download the Request Form here >>

What's Happening with the Lafayette Real Estate Market?

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Mon, 2 Nov 2015 13:04:00 -0800

Selling your Lafayette home? Click here for a free Home Value Report

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Today we're here with a quick market update on the third quarter in 2015.

Overall, September's numbers look pretty good. There was a little dip in the number of closed units from 2014 to 2015. Last year we had 289 closed units, and this year we had 266 closed units, which is about an 8% decrease.

On the other hand, the number of pending transactions is up 12% from October of 2014. Last year we had 277 pending transactions, and this October saw 308 pending transactions. This is a good barometer of what our market will look like for the rest of the year.

Listings are also up from 300 new listings in 2014 to 413 new listings this year, which means there are a lot of good options out there for buyers to look at right now.

The average sales price in Lafayette is also up from $221,400 in 2014 to $227,900 this year, which is a good increase in home value.

Overall, our market is very strong. We have 4.2 months of inventory on the market for buyers to look at, and interest rates are still strong at around 4%. Some lenders are even able to get a 3.8% rate on 30 year fixed loans, FHA, VA, and rural development loans. Our preferred partners are very aggressive on getting low interest rates and low closing costs.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

How we helped Jeromy by having an eye for details

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 08:16:00 -0700

"Robbie is great! He seemed very knowledgeable, helpful and available. I had a good experience with him. Robbie’s got an eye for detail, where he would notice things in houses we were viewing that I wouldn’t have."

- Jeromy Bourque, home buyer

How we helped Amanda by not letting anything stop the closing process

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Thu, 8 Oct 2015 11:33:00 -0700

"I got a cute little house and I love it! When it was time for closing there was a lot of confusion. And they took care of everything and got it done on the same day. The other person wanted to cancel at the last minute but they took care of all that and got it done."

-Amanda Black, Home buyer

How we helped Lan by making the buying process easy on our clients

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Thu, 8 Oct 2015 11:30:00 -0700

"We were buying a house and it was quick and easy and painless. It didn’t feel like we had to do very much. I thought we would have to be way more involved. But him and the company we got the loan with worked well together. It was very easy on us."

-Lan Richardson, Home buyer

How we helped Zack and Amy by always being responsive

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 10:31:00 -0700

"Everyone was very helpful! Robbie was very helpful in both selling our house and finding us a new house. Robin was obviously very helpful in finding us a new house, but it was great overall. When we were closing on the house, we were kind of in a time crunch. Robbie and Robin were very involved with the developer of the property to make sure things were done timely so that we could close when we need to close. So I think they were just very responsive."

- Amy Melancon, Home sellers

How we helped Glen by always being there when he needed us

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Wed, 9 Sep 2015 14:49:00 -0700

"They did everything I needed them to do. Trying to do the appraisal on the house, having to come here several times and open up the house for different people, just always there when I needed them."

Glen Shireman, Home seller

How we helped Erica by always being accommodating

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Tue, 1 Sep 2015 10:08:00 -0700

"We looked at a couple houses and they helped me find the one I was looking for! Robin is my realtor. She always accommodated my schedule which is after 6 and on the weekend. So she spent her weekends and, I believe, the fourth of July looking at houses. "

-Erica Mayon, Home buyer

Lending Advice for Home Buyers in Lafayette

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 11:30:00 -0700

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Today I want to speak about the lending process and some of the best practices that you should be aware of when you work with them.

One of the most important things that you can do is to keep all lines of communication open with your agent and the lender. This will speed up the time of your transaction and make it much less stressful. The quicker you can get documents to your lender, the quicker you can close the transaction.

At a minimum, we speak with our lenders at least once per week, and sometimes we contact them two or more times. We think the determination between a bad lender and a good lender is the way they communicate with us and our clients.

If you would like to hear about some of our preferred lenders, please don't hesitate to contact us. We look forward to speaking with you!

Our Market is Looking Pretty Great

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 11:25:00 -0700

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We have been seeing some great signs in the Lafayette real estate market lately. Today we are going to run through the statistics for July and give you an update on those.

July's market statistics look really good. We have seen a 7.5% increase in units, a 13.5% increase in dollar volume, and a huge increase in new construction.

Another thing that's on the rise is our average sale price. It has gone up 5.5% and now sits at $268,500. Overall, our listing inventory is up 5% and new construction is down a little bit.

Right now, we are looking at a 4.5 month supply of inventory on homes listed under a million. The most activity in our market, however, is seen in the $150,000- $300,000 price range, where there is about 3-4 months of inventory.

Interest rates are still doing fantastic. A 30-year fixed rate can be had for 4% and 15-year fixed loans are even lower at about 3.375%.

Overall, the market looks really strong and there is a lot of movement. If you have any questions for us, we would love for you to give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help out!

How we helped Amber by always going above and beyond

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 07:55:00 -0700

"We had great results. Robin helped in every way she could and now we have a beautiful new home."

-Amber Morrow, Home Buyer

How we helped Allen by making the process easy for him

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 14:25:00 -0700

"It was very easy, and very quick. Robbie knew what I wanted and made it nice and simple for me. He made everything fit for what I needed. He was always able to go out and look at houses or if I needed anything outside of that, he was right there and able to take care of it for me. "

-Allen Green, Home Buyer

How we helped Blaise by providing a consistent level of excellence

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Tue, 4 Aug 2015 11:44:00 -0700

"We had 14 showings in less than a week and three offers! I’ve used Robbie Breaux & Team a couple times and I’ve referred them a couple times so I’ve come to expect his level of excellence. But one thing he did in closing was point out that his commission on my house was too high. That was over and above when it came to honesty."

-Blaise Gregory, Home Seller

How Do Fantastic Lafayette Market Conditions Affect You?

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 12:03:00 -0700

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Today, I share a full Lafayette market update for the first half of 2015.

We've already had a little over 1,600 sales since January, which is up from the mid 1,500's in the same time frame last year. In total number of units sold, sales are up about 4% - while in dollar volume, sales are up 11%! This is likely due to a jump in average sales price, which went from $217,000 last year to $231,000 this year.

Despite all of these fantastic market trends, interest rates remain near record lows! The best way to get an idea of where our market is going to head moving forward is to look at pending sales. Currently, we had 340 homes that went under contract in Lafayette Parish in comparison to only 301 at this time last year. This is a difference of about 11%, and year-to-date we're a little over 4%.

What does all of this mean for you? Well, it doesn't look like our market is going to slow down anytime soon. Inventory levels are healthy, and the market is active, making now a wonderful time to consider making your move.

If you have any questions about our market, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're always here to help with your real estate needs.

Are Home Inspections Important in Lafayette?

Info@RobbieBreaux.com (Robbie Breaux) — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 08:50:00 -0700

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Hey there everyone, today's topic is home inspections, and the importance of getting them done. So, we are now currently under contract with a buyer and seller who have agreed to terms and price. The next step is scheduling a home inspection, as well as a termite inspection.

A general home inspector's job is to look for symptoms to see if a specialist is needed to address a larger problem, whether it's for the roof, plumbing, electrical, or other parts of the home. Once we get bids from all the specialists out there, we submit them to the seller to get them fixed. After this, one of three things will end up happening:

1. The seller will come off the house price
2. We can get cash in lieu of repairs
3. We can get them to fix the problem

Once we submit this to the seller, they have 72 hours to decide if they will do some, all, or none of the repairs. If they agree to do all, we proceed with financing. If they agree to do none or some of the repairs, you then have 72 hours as a buyer to decide whether you want to accept, reject, or counter. This continues until either we can get an agreement, or the contract dies.

If you have any questions for us about home inspections or anything else, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to help you out!