Real-estate deal-breakers that are easily avoided

These things may seem like roadblocks, but they don’t have to come between you and your dream home.

By Stephan Abraham of Investopedia

more on Investopedia.com

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Purchasing a home is a stressful experience, both because it’s a huge monetary investment and because the buying process can be complicated and confusing. Buyers must be well-informed and have a good understanding of a property's underlying value before making a decision to purchase.

Once buyers select a residence that meets their personal and financial criteria, it is important to remain diligent until the property closes. Buyers should not let the home of their dreams escape over minor differences during the buying and negotiating processes. Here are some of the minor roadblocks you should recognize to keep them from ruining your dream-home purchase.

Aesthetics
Prospective buyers should not let minor aesthetic differences hinder their big-picture view of their dream house. If appliances or the decorative theme are not up to your expectations, keep in mind that most of these things can be easily modified.

Instead of focusing on the way the home’s interior is decorated, check for overall structural soundness and try to focus on potential. How do you do this? A good strategy is to secure a licensed home inspector prior to closing on your deal. The inspector will provide a detailed analysis and cost breakdown on actual required repairs. Depending upon which state you reside in, the home inspection can be part of the actual contract. The home inspector will assess every aspect of the home's interior and exterior. The inspection findings may be used as legal leverage in the homebuying process.

• Find your dream home

If the cost of repairs exceeds a preset dollar amount, the contract can be revoked if that is explicitly stated in your contract. For example, if the home inspection requires $8,000 worth of repairs for "structural soundness," but your contract states that you will not purchase the home unless repairs are below $1,000, you have legal recourse for getting out of the deal. Typically, you are responsible for the nonrefundable cost of the inspection, but most people are willing to incur that cost in order to save thousands of dollars down the road. The idea here is to focus more on the integrity of the home itself as a first step rather than your distaste for the current interior design or décor.

• Video: How much house can you afford?

Sweat equity
Buyers should not get discouraged if a potential dream home requires some old-fashioned manual labor to get it up to their standards. Real-estate professionals refer to this as sweat equity: a time investment by the buyer to clean, redo and repair the property once the purchase is complete. Rarely are homes purchased that require no effort on your part. New construction is perhaps an exception, but a poor real-estate market can be littered with short sales and foreclosures, many of which are neglected, vacant properties. Also, many purchases are older properties with excellent construction characteristics that need some elbow grease.

Similar to the aesthetic differences mentioned above, taking advantage of resources such as a licensed real-estate agent or family and friends is a good first step. Agents are likely to point out things that can be accomplished by the typical homebuyer versus those things that would be better served with professional assistance or advice.

• On our blog, 'Listed': Tax credit not the only incentive

Financial differences of $5,000
Although $5,000 is not a trivial amount of money, it’s an amount that should not interfere with purchasing your dream home. You and your real-estate agent have done your due diligence and research and put together a market analysis of the property you are interested in. You have done your part to minimize your price risk, but now that it’s time to make a deal, there is not an agreed-upon price.

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So, where can you find anywhere between $5,000 and $10,000 to make your transaction successful? Here are some considerations: Look into government incentives for homebuyers. Such incentives may be used for down-payment assistance, which could essentially cover your pricedifference. Second, ask your real-estate agent (if you are using one) to trim his commission. Asking for a 1% to 2% reduction in commission can be a good source of additional funds. Real-estate agents don’t make anything if your deal doesn't go through, so they have as much incentive to keep your deal alive as you do. If none of these applies to your particular situation, you may need to be creative. Asking the seller to buy down your mortgage points is also a viable option. Check with your mortgage broker and get a quote on how much a buydown of one point would cost. It will likely not be enough to cover a $5,000 to $10,000 deficit immediately, but over a 30-year period will save thousands of dollars.

Remember that purchasing a home is a long-term investment. Remain patient and diligent and don’t let minor repairs or a squabble over a small price difference ruin your experience.

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Housing market shows signs of healing, but danger remains

Housing market shows signs of healing, but danger remains
Low inventories spark bidding wars in some neighborhoods, but job and mortgage woes threaten a new foreclosure wave.
By James R. Hagerty of The Wall Street Journal


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There’s new evidence the housing marketis healing after a four-year slump, but the danger of further price drops remains amid persistent job-market weakness, according to The Wall Street Journal’s quarterly housing survey.

Inventories of homes listed for sale are down sharply across the U.S. and have reached very low levels in some areas, including Boston and Sacramento, Calif. The decrease in supplies has sparked a return of bidding wars on lower-end properties in some neighborhoods, but the national picture is mixed.

Fundamental market drivers look relatively strong in metropolitan areas of Minneapolis; Raleigh, N.C.; Dallas; Houston; and Washington, D.C., where mortgage-default rates are below the national average and job markets are likely to outperform the U.S. as a whole, according to Moody’s Economy.com.

But other areas look decidedly less hopeful. Miami; Las Vegas; Phoenix; and Orlando, Jacksonville and Tampa, Fla., had the highest rates of defaulting borrowers among the 28 markets surveyed. The weakest job-market prospects this year were found in Tampa, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Detroit and Phoenix, according to Moody’s Economy.com.

MSN Money: Find a mortgage under 5%
Jobs and mortgage woes will help shape the housing market this spring, the busiest time of year for home shoppers. Without a return to job growth, it will be hard to sustain demand, and mortgage defaults will eventually lead to foreclosures, dumping more supply on the market.

In the Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla., area, about 28% of mortgage borrowers are behind on payments or in foreclosure, according to LPS Applied Analytics, compared with 8.6% in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and 13.2% in the entire U.S.

Learn about loan modification programs
Meanwhile, prices continue to stabilize in much of the nation. The S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city composite index in November edged up 0.2% from October on a seasonally adjusted basis. It was down 5.3% from a year earlier and was about 29% below the peak set in 2006. In Las Vegas, the index was up 0.1% from the previous month, but still down 56% from the peak in 2006.

Video: Is stimulus enough? Real-estate trends
“We’ll probably be seeing a fairly strong spring selling season” in most of the nation, said Jody Kahn, a vice president at John Burns Real Estate Consulting. Her recent surveys of homebuilders across the U.S. showed shoppers have been out in greater numbers in recent weeks and seem more serious about buying. “Consumers are starting to feel a little more comfortable” that the worst of the job losses are past, Kahn said.

Bank dispute leads to bulldozed home

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A four-bedroom home in Woodbridge, Va., about 27 miles southwest of Washington, recently attracted 12 offers and sold for $217,000, far above the $175,900 asking price set by the foreclosing lender, said James Nellis II, an agent at Re/Max Allegiance. The home had sold for $350,000 just two years earlier.

One reason for such bidding wars is that many buyers can qualify for tax credits of as much as $8,000 if they agree on a home purchase by April 30. Meanwhile, economists say mortgage rates — currently around 5% for standard 30-year fixed-rate loans — are likely to be at least modestly higher later this year as the Federal Reserve withdraws support for the market.

Analysts at Credit Suisse in New York say that rate could end the year at 5.10% to 5.25%. Mark Zandi of Moody’s Economy.com predicts 5.75%.

The number of homes listed for sale is down sharply across the U.S., according to the survey. The supply would last four months or less at the current sales rate in the Boston, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco areas. A six-month supply is considered roughly balanced between buyers and sellers.

Some builders said they were putting up more houses before receiving orders, to be prepared for buyers seeking the tax credit this spring. “Don’t delay!” said a flier that KB Home, a national homebuilder, was handing out to prospective purchasers.

But foreclosures could soon put downward pressure on prices.

More than 7 million households are behind on mortgage payments or in foreclosure, and lenders eventually will put many of those homes on the market. Unless the job market improves, it will be hard to find buyers for all those foreclosed homes, and prices could again lurch lower.

There also remains a hard-to-measure “shadow” inventory of homes that will hit the market once more foreclosures are finalized.

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Lenders haven’t even started the foreclosure process, which often takes more than a year, for about 2.5 million households that are more than 90 days behind on payments, according to data from LPS Applied Analytics. It wasn’t clear how many of those borrowers could be saved through loan modifications that cut payments.

Meanwhile, though the lower end of the housing market has generally gained strength over the past year, the market for higher-priced homes remains weak.

Weekly Economic Summary from Bank of America

Weekly Economic Summary - February 5, 2010 OVERVIEW ~ There was a great deal weighing on the markets during the week of January 25 through January 29: the inquiry into the bail-out of the American International Group (AIG), exploring the possibility that there may have been irregularities in the decision to pay existing credit default swap contracts at full par; the State of the Union address; the Federal Reserve’s regularly scheduled FOMC meeting, to decide on where interest rates should go (nowhere, yet); and the probable vote on whether to re-confirm Ben Bernanke as chairman of the Federal Reserve (which Congress did). As the week began, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) stood at 10,172.98, and the 10-year Treasury note yield was 3.597%. By week’s end, the Dow had declined to 10,067.33. Over all of January, the DJIA fell by 3.5%. The 10-year note, meanwhile, edged up to 3.611% on Jan. 29. And the Freddie Mac average rate for the 30-year FRM was 4.98%, one basis point below last week’s average rate. FOCUS ~ The performance of the DJIA, and of stocks in general, is watched with interest every January. Generally, the stock market doesn’t do that well over the course of the year if it doesn’t get a good lift-off in January, and vice versa. This is more a superstition than a proven fact, but investors nonetheless pay attention. Far more important just now, though, is the market’s current overriding theme, which is wrapped up in three questions, constantly asked, but still unanswered: How much of the stock markets’ and credit markets’ strength in 2009 was caused by supportive governmental programs? How much of that strength, on the other hand, resulted from an unassisted recovery in the markets themselves? And how much will the market weaken when the government, stops supporting the markets? The Fed, for example, has been buying up billions of dollars’ worth of mortgage-backed securities, thereby creating so much demand that the interest rates on these securities have remained very low. That has translated into low rates throughout the credit markets. Both Moody’s Economy.com and HSH Associates have predicted mortgage rates would be about half a percent higher without this governmental support. This support is scheduled to stop at the end of March. Meantime, the markets may be reflecting the growing worries among investors. Economic summary content © 2010 Right Side Marketing, (800) 456-4395. Duplication or reproduction without prior written consent is prohibited. Any opinions expressed herein are that of Right Side Marketing only. Right Side Marketing is not owned, operated or controlled by Bank of America, N.A. or its parent or affiliates. This publication is provided for your general information only and the observations and statements expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Bank of America, N.A. or its affiliates. Bank of America and Right Side Marketing assume no liability for loss or damage as a result of your reliance on information in this publication. Our goal is for the content of this publication to be accurate as of the date this issue was printed. However, due to rapid changes occurring in the financial environment, and associated programs, products, and services offered within the home financing industry, we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information presented. Any information herein should not be relied upon without independent verification by the reader. THIS INFORMATION IS INTENDED FOR MORTGAGE, REAL ESTATE AND/OR BUILDER PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY AND IS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR CONSUMER OR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION. Credit and collateral are subject to approval. Terms and conditions apply. This is not a commitment to lend. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. AR103566 Contact Me Chere Noto Retail Sales Manager Direct line: (225) 315-9007 Ext. visit my website ECONOMIC INDICATORS (As of 4:30 p.m. eastern 2/1/2010) 10-yr Treasury note…3.65% 30-yr Fixed-Rate Mortgage (avg)…5.39% Spread between 10-yr note and 30-Year FRM…1.74% Brent Crude Oil Future…75.10 Gold 100 oz Future…1115.30 Copper…309.15 Dow Jones Industrial Average…10185.53 S&P 500…1089.19 FTSE 100…5247.41 NIKKEI…10205.02 Mortgage Bankers Association Mortgage Applications Index ~ Week ending 1/22/10 Overall 513.0 (Up 9.1%; up 0.5% the week prior) Purchase Money Loans 213.7 (down 10.9%; up 4.4% the week prior) Refinancing Loans 2260.4 (down 15.1%; up 10.7% the week prior)

© 2009 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. Monday, February 8, 2010 This Month in Real Estate February 2010 This Month in Real Estate February 2010 ............................................................................................................................................... Commentary January began the new decade with indications that the economy is beginning to gain traction. Real GDP grew by 2.2 percent in the third quarter of 2009 and preliminary signals point to a continued positive trend for the following quarter. GDP is a measure of total products and services produced by a country and indicates the health of the country's economy. A dip in home sales in December was due in large part to timing. First time buyers that would have liked to close in December but qualified for the tax credit bumped their timeline up in order to cash in. News of the credit’s extension reached many of them after their plans to close in December were set. Interest rates are back below 5% and home prices are up compared to last year. The government continues to attempt to minimize the impact of troubled homeowners by continuing to improve its foreclosure prevention program and has also taken steps to help foreclosures buyers purchase faster. Although the unemployment rate is expected to stay high as jobs increase modestly, experts expect the economy to continue to grow in 2010. The Housing Market Existing Home Sales After a rising surge for three straight months, existing home sales slowed in December after first-time buyers rushed to meet the original November tax credit deadline and evidenced by first timers accounting for 51% of sales in November compared to 43% in December. “It’s significant that home sales remain above year-ago levels, but the market is going through a period of swings driven by the tax credit,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. December sales of 5.45 million remain 15 percent above the 4.74 million-unit level last year. Median Home Price Existing-home price was $178,300 in December, 1.5 percent higher than December 2008 and 8.2 percent above its low in January 2009. It was the first year-over-year gain in median price since August 2007, attributable to an increase in the number of mid- to upper-priced homes in the sales. Inventory The supply of homes continued to shrink, falling 6.6 percent to 3.29 million, representing a 7.2-month supply at the current sales pace. Compared to a year ago, there are now 11 percent fewer homes on the market. This is the lowest level of competing homes on the market since March 2006. Mortgage Rates Mortgage rates have moved back to less than 5 percent, which have been categorized by industry experts like Freddie Mac chief economist Frank Nothaft as “near a record low.” This move that may help boost home loan demand and lend support to the housing market recovery. On January 28, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 4.98 percent. Affordability Affordability remains at record levels, supported by the lowest mortgage rates in decades, low home prices, as well as the first-time buyer tax credit. So far this year, the home price-to-income ratio has fallen well below the historical average of 25 percent. The ratio now stands at 15 percent. Sources: National Association of Realtors, Freddie Mac Government Action FHA Tightens Lending Requirements The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insured almost 30 percent of all purchase loans and 20 percent of refinances from September 2008 to September 2009, up from about only 2 percent of all loans three years earlier. The influx of loans combined with falling capital reserves, which cushion against rising defaults, has led the FHA to announce several measures to strengthen its economic vitality. On January 20, the FHA announced it will do the following: 1. Raise Insurance Fees - In exchange for FHA backing, borrowers pay an up-front premium. Previously it was 1.75% of their loan. It’s now risen to 2.25%. 2. Cap Seller Contribution to Buyer’s Closing Costs - Sellers can contribute a maximum of 3%,down from 6%, of the sales price to the buyer’s closing costs. The higher cap created risk by incentivizing homes to sell at a substantially marked-up price to compensate for contribution. 3% is still a significant proportion to closing costs. 3. Require Higher Down Payments for Poor Credit - Beginning this summer, borrowers with a credit score below 580 will need to make a down payment of at least 10%. The FHA will still provide a viable alternative to the 1% of FHA borrowers who fall in this category, whereas most lenders’ credit score cutoff is 620. The good news is the FHA, an integral player in the market, has stepped up to protect itself so it can continue helping first-time buyers, those with less cash for a down payment, and those with less-than-perfect credit obtain home loans. Additionally, these proactive measures aim to protect the agency from needing taxpayer funds from the government. Source: The Wall Street Journal FHA to Help New Foreclosures Sell Fast FHA has announced it will lift the 90-day seasoning requirement for one year. The FHA ‘s 90-day “seasoning” provision requires that a home sold to an FHA buyer must be owned for at least 90 days by the seller before closing. This is intended to prevent buyers from purchasing property from “flippers” at an overly inflated value. In the current climate, quickly selling foreclosures has risen in importance while the prominence of “flippers” has dramatically decreased. Acquiring, rehabbing, and reselling a foreclosure often takes fewer than 90 days. Banks have been reluctant to sell foreclosures to FHA buyers if they would need to push closing back to meet the FHA requirement. There are additional stipulations; for more, please visit the press release. Quickly moving foreclosures out of the bank’s hands and into those of home buyers is an important step in stabilizing home prices, neighborhoods, and communities leading toward a healthy housing market. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Topics For Buyers & Sellers Price it Right Sellers who listed their home at the price originally recommended by their agent sold it: 38 days faster For 2.25% higher With 1 less price reduction Compared to sellers who did not take their agent's recommendation. Staging Stats Compared to homes that were not staged, staged homes had: more showings a higher list-to-sell percentage Other notable stats found include: Only 1 in 3 sellers staged their home, even with all the commonly accepted advantages of staging. Staging typically took between 2 - 6 hours to complete. Including the cost of a staging professional and items purchased or rented, staging cost an average of $523. Although it has advantages at all price points, staging was also found to be particularly important for homes priced over $600,000. Source: Keller Williams Realty Research Study Monday, January 11, 2010 This Month in Real Estate January 2010 This Month in Real Estate January 2010 ............................................................................................................................................... Commentary December closed out the year with further indications of a budding recovery, illustrating we’ve come far from the pessimistic outlook this time last year. Soft home prices, affordable financing conditions as well as the government’s tax break targeted at the housing market have contributed to providing the much needed boost to the housing market. Solid gains in home sale activity helps to pare down inventory to a healthier level, which in turn will likely bring more stability to home prices. The most recent Federal Reserve meeting indicated a more positive outlook about our economic condition as they pointed to plans to reel in emergency programs. Mortgage rates, which have hovered around 5 percent for most of 2009, are starting to climb again. Economists expect these unprecedented rates to go back up as Fed’s program to purchase mortgage-backed securities expires in March and private investors are demanding higher returns. According to Nar 2009 President Charles McMillan, “Even with price declines in recent years, the typical home seller saw their equity increase 27 percent.” NAR’s most recent Home Buyers and Sellers survey reported that 87 percent of survey respondents consider their home a good investment, and more than half see it as a better investment than stocks. This indicates that Americans still see homeownership as a source of steady long-term wealth accumulation. Employment will continue to be closely watched and steps on the road to recovery will likely continue to come one-by-one. Although concerns remain, many experts are hopeful of a brighter year in 2010. The Housing Market Existing Home Sales - Up 44% from last year Existing home sales surged a record-breaking 44 percent from a year ago, the highest annual gain since NAR started tracking the data in 1999. The strong gain can be attributed to first-time buyers who accounted for 51 percent of all home sales, the highest on record dating back to 1981, as they rushed to beat the deadline for the first-time buyer tax credit that was due to expire November 30. The previous high was 44 percent in 1991. Sales activity is at the highest level since February 2007 when it reached 6.55 million. Median Home Price - Very favorable Low home prices continue to add the extra boost to home sales. Existing-home price was $172,600 in November, 5 percent higher from its low in January. While still 4.3 percent down from a year ago, it is the smallest decline in two years. Distressed properties, which accounted for 33 percent of all transactions in November, continue to hold down the median home price, as they typically sell for 15 to 20 percent less than traditional homes. Inventory - Lowest level in almost 3 years The supply of homes is now at the lowest level in almost three years. The supply of existing homes for sale at the end of November declined 1.3 percent to 3.52 million, representing a 6.5-month supply at the current sales pace, down from a seven-month supply in October. Generally, a six-month supply is considered balanced. Compared to a year ago, there are now 15 percent fewer homes on the market. Mortgage Rates – Inching Up Mortgage rates have begun to inch back up as government support runs its course and interest rates rise. On December 24, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 5.05 percent, the first time it has gone above 5 percent since the end of October. According to Amy Crews Cutts, deputy chief economist at Freddie Mac, “Extraordinary resources have been put into keeping the rates down and supporting the mortgage market, and it’s hard to imagine that the rates can go much lower than they are.” Affordability – Best since 1970s Affordability continues to be at a record level thanks to unprecedented interest rates, low home prices, as well as the first-time buyer tax credit. So far this year, the home price-to-income ratio has fallen well below the historical average of 25 percent. The ratio now stands at 15 percent. Sources: National Association of Realtors, Freddie Mac Government Action Residential Retrofit Program Vice President Biden recently announced a program called “Recovery Through Retrofit.” In addition to creating energy performance labels, it will create national energy performance measures for existing homes. It will provide the following: 1. Access to home energy retrofit information 2. Access to financing for retrofits 3. Access to trained professionals to perform the retrofit The goal of the imitative is to create more energy efficiency in homes to benefit the country’s energy consumption. Retrofits include but are not limited to energy efficient heating, cooling, and water systems, insulation, roofing, flooring, windows, and solar panels. Source: National Association of Realtors Cash for "Clunky" Appliances In efforts to vamp up energy efficiency, the federal government is implementing a rebate program for appliances. People can swap in their old appliances for new energy-efficient ones, saving electricity and saving on monthly bills. A 20-year-old fridge can use three times as much energy as a new Energy Star-approved fridge. The age of your appliances impact your actual savings, so check into it before purchasing. Important things to know: 1. Plans vary by state. Check out energysavers.gov for details. 2. Buy before it ends. Like the car rebate program Cash for Clunkers, this program has a set amount of federal money allocated to it. Once the $300 million is gone, the program will likely end. It is expected to run out quickly. Source: The Associated Press Government Calls for Increased Lending by Banks According to the FDIC, lending has fallen for five consecutive quarters – even though banks have become profitable again and have started to repay government loans. Banks lent $600 billion less from September 2008 to September 2009, representing a 7 percent decline. Banks site a lack of qualified borrowers as the primary reason and point to the trend of decreased borrowing during recessions. The goals of banks and the government appear to be in line now with each bank representative talking about getting aggressive with small business lending over the next year. Goals for 2010 small business lending include $5 billion for Bank of America and $4 billion for Chase. As banks continue to be profitable, they can be expected to use the proceeds to repay the government as well as increase their efforts to make good loans. Small business owners should expect an increase in the amount of loans available during 2010 compared to 2009. Holding true to the trend in 2009, a good credit score and steady employment will likely continue to be important conditions of obtaining a mortgage. Sources: The Washington Post, FDIC Topics For Buyers & Sellers Energy Savers for Buyers to Keep an Eye Out For 1. Begin with a right-sized home. If the home you buy is simply too large for you or your family’s needs or plans, you stand a good chance of wasting energy through excessive heating and cooling costs. If it’s too small, you’ll feel cramped and uncomfortable. It’s a big investment, so seek balance and buy it “right” from the outset. 2. Purchase ENERGY STAR appliances such as your TV, dishwasher, washer and dyer, and microwave. And especially the refrigerator, as it alone contributes about 10 percent of the energy use in a home. Also, unplug electronics not in use or turn off power strips to avoid phantom charges. 3. Install efficient lighting such as compact fluorescent (CLF) or LED bulbs in every fixture. Lighting accounts for about 6 percent of an energy bill each year. 4. Get an energy audit and have tests performed to identify ways of improving your efficiency. You can always upgrade your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system as well as your thermal envelope, which includes insulation, windows, and doors and the seals or weather-stripping around them. Visit energy.gov/energytips for more tips Making Home Maintenance Routine Home ownership has its wonderful benefits, and as one of the single biggest financial assets many people own, preparing, planning, and making home maintenance a routine are important. Personal finance experts recommend setting aside at least 1 percent of your home price each year in a separate account for maintenance and repair costs. Automatically deducting the funds from your paycheck or automatically transferring it between accounts each month can make this easy. Some years homeowners will have less than 1 percent in maintenance costs or repairs and some years they will have more. When something big and unexpected happens; for example it’s finally time to replace the roof; this will provide the financial cushion to take care of it and the peace of mind knowing one of their biggest assets is well taken care of. Source: MSN Money Subscribe to: Posts (Atom) About Me Real Estate Weekly with Nicole Dion-LeBlanc Belle Rose, LA, United States As a full time, licensed Realtor, Nicole’s experience in computer technology, sales, customer service and business management provides her with the expertise to offer a level of service to her clients unmatched in the real estate industry. Nicole’s attention to detail, honesty, dependability and endless source of energy will ensure clients she will work hard representing their interests, without compromise. An ability to listen to the real estate needs and a dedication to achieving the goals of her clients is evident through Nicole’s motto: “Each client is my #1 priority” Nicole’s expertise, commitment and dedication guarantee clients professional representation in all real estate transactions. As a member of the Greater Baton Rouge Area MLS and the New Orleans Exchange, Nicole is able to provide her services across Southeastern Louisiana. Whether you are buying, selling, or simply considering a move, I will be happy to speak with you. New Construction, Residential, Commercial, Investment Property, Rentals Proudly serving South Louisiana! View my complete profile Facebook Badge Nicole Dion-LeBlanc, Realtor; Keller Williams Realty G.I. on Facebook This Month in Real Estate History Loading... Styled, Staged & Sold Loading... 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