St. Tammany Parish Is in the Top 3 Fastest Growing Parishes

St. Tammany Parish is in the top 3 fastest growing parishes in Louisiana.  The entire Baton Rouge area (Ascension & Livingston Parishes) had the highest amount of growth in 2016 at 3.66% and 3.27% respectively.  St. Tammany Parish grew by 3.08% from 246,026 residents in 2014 to 253,602 in 2016. The census shows that there is a lot of “Southshore / Northshore movement” with people moving into St. Tammany Parish from Jefferson and Orleans parishes.  There are also new home

residents moving in from Tangipahoa and Washington parishes, adjacent to St. Tammany Parish.  People from Pearl River County (Picayune, MS) also reported moving to St. Tammany Parish in 2016.

St. Tammany Parish has been on a progressive growth trend since 2010 with 7.5% growth from 2010 to 2016.  There are two main reasons for this – the birth of new children and the steady incoming tide of new or returning St. Tammany homeowners.  The actual numbers that show this growth are 234,568 residents in 2010 grew to 253,602 residents reported on the census during 2016.  This growth is not overshadowed by the “Katrina effect” where we saw a surge of home buyer and renters from the Southshore right after the storm.  This growth is independent and accounts for 2,000 to 3,000 people moving to St. Tammany Parish annually over the last 16 years.

St. Tammany Parish also has a high “retention rate” with more people staying in the parish than

moving out of it.  In 2016, for instance 2,416 more people moved into the parish than those moving out. Also, St. Tammany Parish has proven to have the ability to attract a “brand new audience,” attracting more people moving into the parish from out-of-state than any other parish in Southeast Louisiana.

Other facts to note include that births in St. Tammany Parish have been approaching the amount of 3,000 since 2011.  In 2016, that birth rate amount finally topped 3,000, so that has accounted immensely for growth in St. Tammany Parish. The “small town feel” with all of the trappings of commercial development, retail, entertainment, dining, and services of the cities of Slidell, Covington, and Mandeville are the draw of people moving into the parish.  Although still considered a “bedroom community,” St. Tammany Parish also offers homeowners pretty much any lifestyle amenity they could need.

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Pelican Park Receives Excellence in Parks Award

One of Mandeville’s treasured landmarks which also services up to 1 million visitors a year, Pelican Park was recognized by the Louisiana Recreation and Park Association, receiving the Excellence in Parks Award for 2017 at the association’s recent annual conference in Baton Rouge.

Pelican Park and the Castine Center are located in an independently goverened district in St. Tammany Parish called Recreation District No. 1.  All oversight for this district is handled by a

seven-member administrative board. The district takes in sales tax from its approximately 70,000 and uses the funds to run the park and event hall of the Castine Center.

Pelican Park itself offers 33 athletic fields, 2 gyms with a total of 4 courts, a dog park, walking trail, outdoor volleyball courts, and an 18-hole disc golf course. Events are held regularly at the Castine Center’s 46,000 square-foot facility located on the Park grounds.  Care and maintenance of Pelican Park and the Center are actually done by a lot of volunteer work.

“Thanks to the past and present dedicated volunteers, coaches and staff who have all contributed to making Pelican Park what it is today,” said Kathy Foley, Pelican Park Director, regarding the presentation of the Award of Excellence.

St. Tammany Parish’s Recreation District No. 1 recently bought approximately 100 acres to expand the services offered by Pelican Park.

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Interesting History of the Bank Building in Old Mandeville

The Candy Bank, located in Mandeville at the corner of Claiborne and Carroll Street, famous slogan is “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is!” This sweet filled store sells candy and ice cream and is owned by Thomas and Lisa Keiffer. Why they chose this catchy phrase can be explained by the history of this well-known Old Mandeville landmark.

St. Tammany Banking Company and Savings Bank was founded in 1905. The first president and one

of its founders was Harvey E. Ellis.  The bank opened a branch in Mandeville and was the first tenant to occupy the building in 1907.  The company opened its doors with $5000 in stock on January 1, 1907.

The building was built in the Beaux Arts style that was popular from 1880 to the 1920’s and was not only the largest building around but also the sturdiest.  Along with its decorative touches such as a gable roof with exposed rafters and intricate cornices, the building was built like a “German Bunker.”  Locals knew this was the place to go when inclement weather was upon them. “The old vault is the place to go,” said current owner Thomas Keiffer. A well-known 20th century author Arthemise Goertz refers to the large bank building in her novel, “New Heaven, New Earth.” The main character, Dr. Victor duRocher, declares: “When the fences go, we must go too. We must get out. We must go to the bank building.”

With the change in the commercial corridor of Old Mandeville from Carroll Street to Girod Street the bank building has since housed many different tenants and businesses. The building has been a previous owner’s residence, a legal office, a medical office, a photography studio, a pet supply store and a coffee house. Many Mandeville residents even remember when the building was part of Windhaven Antiques owned by Ms. Dale Gale. Luckily this old historical landmark has kept up with the times and has held its purpose.

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Moving to St. Tammany Parish Good for Business

For people moving to St. Tammany Parish, this part of the Greater New Orleans area includes a diverse arrangement of local businesses, franchises, and big box retail stores.  There are also several large corporations that have locations in the parish, such as Chevron, LLOG, Budweiser, WalMart, and others.  It’s hard to describe a bedroom community that also includes opportunities for incredibly

well-paying jobs with national corporations and plenty of shopping, dining, & entertainment venues.  Main mall box stores include Belk’s, Dillards, & JC Penny, and other huge chains include Academy Sports + Outdoors, Target, Best Buy, and more.

However, St. Tammany Parish has cities in it that are still considered “small town” in the way that people interact.  Referral business is still one of the biggest factors when getting new business as an entrepreneur.  Pretty much any time anyone meets anyone, they immediately try to figure out the six or 16 degrees of separation of the people you and they might both know.  Because of this, the parish has great quality of life, and has experienced phenomenal growth over the last 16 years.

Now, according to the St. Tammany Economic Development Foundation, 2016 has shown a 20%

increase in new business incorporations for entrepreneurs and businesses moving into the area compared to 2015’s numbers. This growth was focused towards the last 2 quarters of the year specifically the 4th quarter.

“We saw a significant uptick in new business incorporations in the second half of the year,” said Brenda Bertus, the foundation’s chief executive officer. “And we saw the most incorporations in the fourth quarter. We’re already seeing this trend continue in 2017.”
An astonishing 54.1% increase in new business incorporations were recorded during the 4th quarter for a total of 2,401 businesses in St. Tammany Parish. Also, hotel sales reflected the same growth with a total of $55.2 million and 18.8% of that amount adding up in the 4th quarter of 2016.  Estimated total sales and sales tax collections were as follows: $4.8 billion and $229 million respectively.

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Builders See an Almost 13% Increase in New Home Sales

Throughout all regions of the United States in February, the real estate industry had something to celebrate. All regions increased new home sales compared to the same time in February, 2016.  In the South, new home sales increased 3.6%, which was 7.9% higher than the past year.  Approximately 592,000 new homes sold in February, 2017, which was 12.8% higher than last year and 6.1% higher than January new home sales.
Bloomberg analysts had estimated 565,000 in new home sale for this time period but reporting from the Census Bureau and Department of Housing showed differently.  The number of new homes available for sale going into the month of March, 2017 was approximately 266,000, which is a 5.4 month’s supply of new homes for sale.  In January, this amount was a 6.4 month’s supply, but February’s new home sales numbers trimmed this amount substantially.

The average price of a new home sold for the month of February stood at $296,200, which was lower than January’s average price of sold new homes which was $308,200.  The total average sales price increased substantially month-over-month from $355,300 to $390,400.  It increased even more when compared to February one year ago – up from $349,400.

All of this is great news for new home builders and custom home builders building new homes for sale throughout Southeast Louisiana and the rest of the Gulf Coast.  Ron Lee Homes is a St. Tammany Parish custom home builder who is building and selling new homes throughout West St. Tammany Parish.  For more information about building your new home, Contact Us at 985-626-7619 or E-mail Info@RonLeeHomes.com.

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Streetscapes on Interstate 12 Interchanges in St. Tammany Parish

As Andrew Grant the famous author puts it, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”  This is a focal point when it comes to the streetscapes on Interstate 12 interchanges in St. Tammany Parish.

“The first impression of St. Tammany needs to be a positive one. We want them to like it and come back. This is our one good chance to make a good first impression”, says administration spokesman

Ronnie Simpson.

St. Tammany Parish has six economic districts that are focusing on improving.  Parish officials point out that improving these districts by giving each district their own unique design standards will enhance St. Tammany’s appearance making it more attractive for residents, visitors, and potential home buyers. Each district will be given its own name, custom sign, unique banners, landscaping, tree preservation, sidewalks and the use of swales and rain gardens to manage the storm water.

“The vision for each of these districts is to underscore the distinctive identities of each of these communities and to entice the visitor or the resident driving by to come into that community,” Parish

President Pat Brister. “This is a proven strategy for increasing economic development by enhancing the attractiveness of the community and the businesses within the community, and as a result, commerce and revenue are increased.”

Potential names and designs are already on the horizon for the six districts’ I-12 interchanges.  A list of names include, Coquille District at the interchange of Louisiana 1077, Arts District at the interchange of Louisiana 21, Little Creek District at the interchange of Louisiana 59, Fontainbleau District at the interchange of Louisiana 1088, Centerpoint District at the interchange of Louisiana 434 and Crossroads District at Airport Road.  Concept designs are already in place for some which include Coquille District’s logo of the lighthouse along Lake Pontchartrain in Madisonville and Little Creek District’s logo which shows a bicyclist along Tammany Trace.

A 3/4 cent sales tax, approved by the parish earlier this year, is anticipated to bring in approximately $4 million which will be allotted to economic development projects.
“Essentially what we’re talking about is each of these districts are the front door of our parish as people come in and out of our parish,” Simpson said.

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Builders Surveyed About Green Building Products or Practices

A list of the 21 green building products or practices used per the standards of the National Green Building Standard Certification include solar water heaters, passive solar design, energy management systems, reused or salvaged materials, smart appliances, prefabricated components, building materials driven from renewable resources, recycling construction waste, building materials with recycled content, alternatives to dimensional lumber, on-demand water heaters, materials from regional suppliers, water conserving faucets and fixtures, efficient construction techniques that minimize material usage, moisture control measures to enhance durability, improving the home’s thermal envelope, duct systems designed to minimize leakage, ENERGY STAR® appliances, programmable thermostats, high efficiency HVAC systems, and low-e windows.

According to a survey of 337 single-family builders, builders of this survey averaged using 10.2 green products or practices in the new homes that they built.  Topping the list at 95% of builders using this green product were low-e windows.  Other very popular items included high efficiency HVAC systems at 92% of builders, programmable thermostats at 88%, ENERGY STAR® appliances at 80%, and duct systems designed to minimize leakage at 78%.

Improving the home’s thermal envelope, which is a practice that Ron Lee Homes strongly endorses came in at 67%, as well as moisture control measures to enhance durability and efficient construction techniques that minimize material usage.

Interestingly, all builders surveyed said that they used at least one green building product. Builders have the voluntary option of actually getting a green certification of the new homes that they build.  Programs such as ENERGY STAR®, LEED, and programs run by state or local jurisdictions allow a builder to certify their home a green standard.  Of the surveyed builders, 22% said that they always or almost always get this certification. Ron Lee Homes is a Certified Green Builder through the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).  Our new homes are tightly construction to minimize as many effects of the environment on the home as possible.  Contact Ron Lee Homes today to find out about designing and building using green products and practices.  Call 985-626-7619 or E-mail Info@RonLeeHomes.com.

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