So You Want a New House on the West Bank of New Orleans…
The New Orleans area has a national reputation for our historic architecture and
old, established neighborhoods. BUT, not everyone wants a resale home and buying a newly built home has some perks as well. In Louisiana, all builders are required by law to provide a one year warranty on the property. Additionally, many builders are offering assistance to the purchaser with closing costs or are providing discounts on upgrades.
Where can you find new construction on the West Bank?
There are currently 124 newly constructed homes for sale on the West Bank, from Algiers to Waggaman, from the starter home to luxurious, top of the line new homes in secure, gated communities.
What’s for sale in your price range?
Take a look at the properties available as of 12/18/2007:
$130,000 - $150,000
- 25 new homes for sale
- 24 three bedroom homes and 1 four bedroom home for sale
- See these new West Bank homes for sale here
$150,000-$175,000
- 14 new homes for sale
- 2 two bedroom homes and 12 three bedroom homes for sale
- See these new West Bank homes for sale here
$175,000-$200,000
- 37 new homes for sale
- All are 3 bedroom homes
- See these new West Bank homes for sale here
$200,000-$225,000
- 8 new homes for sale
- 7 three bedroom homes and 1 four bedroom home for sale
- See new West Bank homes for sale here
$225,000-$250,000
- 7 new homes for sale
- 3 three bedroom homes and 4 four bedroom homes for sale
- See these new West Bank homes for sale here
$250,000-$300,000
- 12 new homes for sale
- 6 three bedroom homes and 6 four bedroom homes for sale
- See these new West Bank homes for sale here
$300,000-$350,000
- 3 new homes for sale
- 1 three bedroom home and 2 four bedroom homes for sale
- See these new West Bank homes for sale here
$350,000-$400,000
- 6 new homes for sale
- 3 three bedroom homes and 3 four bedroom homes for sale
- See these new West Bank homes for sale here
$400,000-$450,000
- 4 new homes for sale
- 3 four bedroom homes and 1 five bedroom home for sale
- See these new West Bank homes for sale here
$450,000-$550,000
- 2 new homes for sale
- Both newly built homes have 4 bedrooms
- See these new West Bank homes for sale here
$550,000-$650,000
- 4 new homes for sale
- 3 four bedroom homes and 1 five bedroom home for sale
- See these new West Bank homes for sale here
$650,000 and up
- 2 new homes for sale in English Turn subdivision
- Both newly built homes have 4 bedrooms
- See these new West Bank homes for sale here
When you are ready to purchase a new house on the West Bank of New Orleans, please call me. I’ll be happy to help you find the right place to call home.
When buying or selling a home on the West Bank of New Orleans, you deserve professional, local expertise and advice. Lisa Heindel provides full time, professional real estate services to buyers and sellers in Algiers, Algiers Point, Belle Chasse, Gretna, Terrytown, Harvey, Marrero, Westwego and more.
West Bank Homes for Sale – Find a home for sale on the West Bank or other New Orleans metropolitan area.
Contact Lisa Heindel for help buying or selling your New Orleans area home
Free online home evaluation of your New Orleans West Bank home
Copyright 2007. Lisa Heindel, All rights reserved.
What Can YOU Buy on the West Bank of New Orleans for under $150,000?
You sat down with your lender and discussed all of your financial options. You 
have supplied all of the required documents for your loan approval. You have determined that you qualify to buy a home for up to $150,000. So, what can you buy on the West Bank of New Orleans without breaking your budget?
Homes Priced under $100,000
- 101 single family homes for sale
- About 80% of these homes need updating, with a large number needing total renovation
- 5 homes have 1 bedroom
- 26 homes have 2 bedrooms
- 55 homes have 3 bedrooms
- 14 homes have 4 bedrooms
- 1 home has 5 bedrooms
| Area | Number Listed |
| Avondale | 11 |
| Belle Chasse | 2 |
| Bridge City | 1 |
| Gretna/Terrytown | 11 |
| Harvey | 13 |
| Marrero | 19 |
| Algiers | 24 |
| Waggaman | 12 |
| Westwego | 8 |
Homes Priced $100,001-$125,000
- 131 homes for sale
- 27% listed in Fair or Poor condition, indicating a large amount of work is needed on the property. The majority of the homes are listed in Average condition. Typically, a home in Average condition may be outdated, but is structurally sound.
- 1 home has 1 bedroom
- 19 homes have 2 bedrooms
- 95 homes have 3 bedrooms
- 15 homes have 4 bedrooms
- 1 home has 5 bedrooms
| Area | Number Listed |
| Avondale | 20 |
| Belle Chasse | 2 |
| Bridge City | 2 |
| Gretna/Terrytown | 15 |
| Harvey | 16 |
| Marrero | 27 |
| Algiers | 25 |
| Waggaman | 22 |
| Westwego | 2 |
Homes Priced $125,001-$150,000
- 228 homes for sale
- Less than 3% are in fair or poor condition, making this the easiest price range to find a home in move in condition.
- 13 are 2 bedroom homes
- 179 are 3 bedroom homes
- 39 are 4 bedroom homes
- 1 is a 5 bedroom home
| Area | Number Listed |
| Avondale | 11 |
| Belle Chasse | 3 |
| Bridge City | 6 |
| Gretna/Terrytown | 40 |
| Harvey | 30 |
| Marrero | 66 |
| Algiers | 53 |
| Waggaman | 12 |
| Westwego | 7 |
When you are ready to begin your search for a home for sale on the West Bank of New Orleans, please call me. I would be happy to help you find the perfect place to call home.
When buying or selling a home on the West Bank of New Orleans, you deserve professional, local expertise and advice. Lisa Heindel provides full time, professional real estate services to buyers and sellers in Algiers, Algiers Point, Belle Chasse, Gretna, Terrytown, Harvey, Marrero, Westwego and more.
West Bank Homes for Sale – Find a home for sale on the West Bank or other New Orleans metropolitan area.
Contact Lisa Heindel for help buying or selling your New Orleans area home
Free online home evaluation of your New Orleans West Bank home
Copyright 2007. Lisa Heindel, All rights reserved.
Buying a Piece of History
One of the things I love about the New Orleans area is the fact that we don’t have too many cookie cutter houses. There are wonderful areas to live that are not part of “subdivisions”…they are neighborhoods in the true sense of the word. Some of the most beautiful areas to live in are older, established and, in some cases, deemed historic.
To me, any house over 75 years old is a historic home. Lucky for us, we have a large selection of homes that give us a peek into the history of our city and the surrounding area. Some of them have been restored to their original grandeur, some have been completely modernized and some are waiting for the right person to come along and give them a facelift.
When looking for a home in a historic area, don’t dismiss the potential of converting a double into a single family home. At the time these homes were originally built, most people didn’t live in really large houses and the kitchens were not the center of the home like they tend to be now. The process of converting a double to a single allows you to increase your living area by rethinking the entire footprint of a home and how the spaces are used. Kitchens and bathrooms can be relocated to more convenient locations, rooms expanded to accommodate our desire for open floorplans and updated mechanical systems can be installed.
There are some great local places that carry architectural items that can be used during renovation to maintain that old New Orleans look and feel. Some sources for replacement architectural items include:
- Crescent City Architectural Salvage
- Ricca’s Architectural Sales of New Orleans
- Carrollton Lumber & Wrecking Company
What is available in the historic housing market?
There are currently over 60 historic homes for sale on the West Bank of New Orleans, with the majority of them located in Algiers Point. Since Algiers Point is the second oldest neighborhood in New Orleans, it makes sense that they have the largest number of historic homes available for sale. However, Gretna, Marrero and Westwego also offer a few of these gems for sale as well. Whether you are looking for a home that is ready to move into, or one that you can put your own personal stamp on, there is a historic home for you. Call me today and we can get to work finding the perfect one.
Copyright 2007. Lisa Heindel, All rights reserved.
Selling Your West Bank Home on Your Own?
December 14, 2007 by lisa
Filed under Blog, For Sellers, Real Estate Talk
With so many homes for sale on West Bank of New Orleans, some sellers are opting to go it alone…For Sale by Owner. While I don’t encourage this (of course not!) there are people who are successful in selling their own homes.
If you have chosen to market your home yourself, here are a few things you need to know:
Pricing Your Home
Price is the most critical factor in your sale. Too high and no one will even look
, too low and you are reducing the amount of profit you will make. Remember, buyers shopping for sale by owners know that you are not paying a commission and expect the home to be priced to reflect that fact.
Before you can set a price for your own home, you need to know what your competition is.
- How many other homes are for sale in the neighborhood?
- What are their prices?
- What condition are they in and what upgrades do they have?
- Are they offering buyer incentives such as closing cost assistance, rate buy-downs or payment of the first year of insurance premiums?
Attracting Relocating Buyers
When buyers are moving from another area, they want and need the answers to these questions:
- Where are the local schools, both public and private?
- Are there nearby parks and playgrounds?
- Is there convenient shopping nearby?
- How long will their commute be?
Home Details
By Louisiana law, you must provide a completed Property Disclosure Statement to all buyers. In addition to the questions on the disclosure, you should also know:
- The square footage of your home, both living area and total area
- The age of the home
- Your average utility bills
- The age of all appliances and major mechanical systems in the house
- Are there existing warranties on any items in the home?
- What flood zone are you located in?
Ownership costs
Beyond the mortgage principal and interest payments, potential buyers are interested in other costs as well.
- How much will the property taxes be on the home at your asking price?
- How much will home owner’s insurance cost? What companies are currently writing policies in your area?
- What are the premiums on flood insurance?
Your Marketing Plan
If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail. What is your marketing plan? How will people know that your house is for sale? Here are some suggestions for advertising:
- Local newspaper. (A 30 day ad in the Times-Picayune with photos on NOLA.com costs approximately $275)
- Free websites such as Craig’s List. Over 80% of home buyers begin their search on the internet before they ever contact an agent, a seller or see a home in person. It is critical that your home be advertised on as many websites as possible.
- Be sure to take multiple photos of your home, highlighting all of its best features, and use them to create full color flyers. Don’t forget to keep the flyer box full! Color copies are available at local office supply stores for around 39 cents per copy.
- Provide a phone number that you can be reached at during normal business hours, after hours, nights and weekends.
- Open houses. If you plan to hold an open house, be sure to check your parish sign ordinances to ensure you are not illegally placing signs on public property.
More Things to Think About
- Have a plan for prequalifying buyers for a mortgage prior to showing them your home
- Don’t forget security issues!
- Never tell anyone when your home will be unoccupied and unavailable for showing
- Keep all valuables stored out of sight when showing your home
- Have more than one person present when the home is being shown
- Do not allow potential buyers to view your home without an appointment
- Do not allow buyers to tour your home on their own…you should accompany them throughout the entire property
When You Have an Offer to Purchase
- In Louisiana, all real estate contracts must be in writing. Do not accept a verbal offer…it’s not worth the paper that it’s not written on and is not binding to either buyer or seller.
- Verify mortgage approval in writing with the buyers lender.
- You must be present for all inspections. Common inspections include a whole home inspection, termite inspection, plumbing video inspection and structural inspection. Have copies of your disclosure statement to provide to all of the inspectors.
- You must be present for the appraisal.
- Be prepared to renegotiate your contract if any defects are found during the inspections.
- Ensure that the buyers are providing all necessary information to the lender in a timely manner.
- Ensure that the buyers obtain their required insurances in a timely manner.
- Coordinate the closing with the buyer’s title company or attorney.
Selling your own home can be done. If, however, you find that you are in need of professional assistance, please feel free to contact me. I’ll be happy to help!
Copyright 2007. Lisa Heindel, All rights reserved.
What is your New Orleans West Bank Home Worth?
December 10, 2007 by lisa
Filed under Blog, For Sellers, Real Estate Talk
When it comes to real estate sales, most of us have the same questions:
- How much did my neighbors house sell for?
- What are they asking for the house around the corner?
- Is anything selling in my neighborhood?
- How long is it taking homes in my area to sell?
Get the answers to these questions and more by visiting my website and signing up for my new FREE service, Market Snapshots.
What is Market Snapshot?
- A report of current home listings and recent sales in the New Orleans area
- Information is compiled from the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
- Delivered to your email on a schedule of your choosing (1 or 2 times per month)
- No obligation - You can easily unsubscribe at any time
Another service offered to you by your West Bank Real Estate Specialist, Lisa Heindel, REALTOR®.
Copyright 2007. Lisa Heindel, All rights reserved.
