Camp N.O.R.A. Plans to Help Homeless Veterans in St. Tammany Parish

The facility will be situated on 17 acres in Covington, which was once home to Danielle Inn, an orphanage.  This facility has been designed and structured to be a haven for homeless veterans who are located in St. Tammany Parish.  Out of the 200,000 homeless veterans in Louisiana, 20,000 live in St. Tammany Parish.  The name of the new organization is Camp N.O.R.A. (No One Rides Alone).  The founders of the organization and facility is a group named The Ride of the Brotherhood which was originally established to locate and bring back the remains of American soldiers in Vietnam.  This group is a non-profit consisting of veterans who are trying to help others who may be going through what these members have already overcome.

Camp N.O.R.A., upon completion, will be able to house 16 to 17 veterans at a time.  However, when it opens, 4 veterans have been vetted and are ready to enter the program of Camp N.O.R.A. which has

a three-phase recovery program.  The first phase is to sign up the veteran with the Veterans Affairs system, so that they can get all of their medical and physical needs taken care of and get used to be being on a regular schedule.  The second phase will be interviews to find out what the veteran would like to do for a living, whether it be get an education, take courses to specialize in a specific vocation, or to simply get a job.  Resources will then be offered to the veteran to help him or her achieve their goals.  The third phase is to help the veteran transition from the program to real life, find a place to live, figure out how to make money, and then buy necessities needed to survive on their own.

Camp N.O.R.A. in Covington, in St. Tammany Parish needs assistance with getting the grounds ready, getting the building ready, and donations.  Once the facility is open, they will need volunteers to help maintenance the place and keep it going.  Donations needed include men’s clothing, single beds, chest of drawers, and night stands.  Service needs include roofing work and long term sponsors. Future plans include installing a garden and bringing in livestock to make the grounds more self-sustaining.

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Student of the Year Finalists Announced

An award based on the following four characteristics: academic achievement, leadership skills, character and work with the school and community is what was given to Zoe Dieringer, a 5th grader at Lancaster Elementary, Louis Cohn, an 8th grader at Boyet Junior High, and Grace Dragna, a senior at Mandeville High School. There were the finalists for Student of the Year competition in St. Tammany Parish, and they will go on to compete in a regional competition.  The regional competition finalists will be announced next month and include students from seven regions across the State of Louisiana.

Student of the Year awards are chosen specifically from grades 5 (elementary school), 8 (middle school), and 12 (high school).  Students are chosen from both public and non-public schools.  After the regional competition determination has been made, the finalists from that event will go on to be selected as the Student of the Year for the State of Louisiana.  Portfolios by the students, writing samples, and interviews are submitted at the regional level to help in the judging of students.

The chosen students from St. Tammany Parish had numerous accomplishments.  Zoe Dieringer has a 4.0 grade point average, tutors other students, served on the Student Council, is a member of the band, playing the flute, and is  amember of the Nutritional Advisory Club, the Hammond Ballet Youth Ensemble.  She hopes to become a professional dancer and has been invited to attend the American Ballet Theatre Your Dancer Summer Workshop in New York City.

Louis Cohn’s accomplishments include starting left tackle on teh Boyet Junior High football team, a 4.0 grade point average, a member and award recipient of the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, and was named Boyet’s outstanding Student in American History, Life Sciences and Reading.

Grace Dragna maintains a 4.56 grade point average and volunteers for and leads numerous organizations including the Mandeville Youth and Government Club, Political Thinkers Club, the Mandeville High Student Council, Feeding the Needy (Covington Rotary Club), So Others Might Eat Soup Kitchen in Washington, D.C., Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, the Samaritan Center, the Louisiana Youth Legislature, and the 2018 United States Senate Youth Program.  She is also a National Merit Semifinalist.

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Important Home Buyer Walk Through Information

When most people think of a walk-through, they think of buying a new home and walking through with a builder to go over the punchlist of items which need to be completed, tweaked, or fixed before closing on the home.  However, there is another type of walk through that can be done by you as the home buyer which will help you decide if you even want to put an offer in on a home.  And, you don’t have to be an expert at construction to evaluate the merits of the home you are buying – you can just use the common sense tips below and all of your senses!

1. The first thing you will want to notice about a home for sale is how it smells. Some homeowners are smart and will install air fresheners which emit a smell throughout the home, but pay attention to any odors which seem out of place.  This could indicate a long term problem like mildew or decay.

2. Check out the paint job. See how well the paint job has aged and how well it has withstood the test of time.  If it is peeling or chipping, that might mean that there is a problem with moisture or sagging in the construction.

3. Popcorn ceilings COULD be a warning sign, but not necessarily.  Depending on the age of the home, you might want to avoid older homes which have popcorn ceilings because they were

originally applied with asbestos material.  Since asbestos is a cancer-causing agent, you will not want to purchase an old house with popcorn ceilings without either absolutely loving the house or having that checked out.

4. Look around at all of the walls, ceilings, and baseboards for the presence of water stains to make sure that there are no leaks in the roof or the exterior siding.

5. How well is the home maintenanced?  This can be a big indicator as to how well the home was taken care of by the current owner.  Just like you want to buy a car with one owner (who took good care of the car and had it maintenanced often), the same goes for a house.  If the home has long term cleaning problems or simple problems were not repaired before the home was put on the market, the more likely it is that the home was not maintenanced, which could lead to problems for you as the buyer further down the road.

6. Depending on the part of the country in which you live, as well as the season of the year, keep a lookout for bugs.  In Louisiana, many houses, no matter how well sealed and insulated, may have bugs present in the house, just because of the climate and the weather here.  However, if you can tell there are bug “droppings” and spider webs everywhere, there may be more “leaks” in the actual structure of the home which indicate an energy efficiency problem.

7. Pay attention to the type of floors in the house. Even if you fall in love with the house itself, be mindful of the condition of the floors as they may need to be repaired or replaced in the future.  You will want to be ready and realistic about the cost.

8. Renovations can be a good thing or a bad thing for home buyers.  Properly completed renovations in order to sell the home like new carpeting, an excellent paint job, exterior landscaping, and replacing deck boards or trim can be a good thing.  If the homeowner offers the information about renovations, question that information closely to make sure that it was done correctly, not last minute, and is now completed.  Poorly done construction renovations will not last, and unfinished renovations should be required by your contract to be finished before you close on your home.

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Taking Care of the Details During the Closing Process

You’ve found or had a builder build your perfect home for you, and now it is time for you to complete the transaction and close on your home.  Closing day, if you have never done it before, can be a nerve-wracking process, so this article will help you with the requirements for that day.
In the original sales contract, there will be a “close-by” date that doesn’t necessarily mean the actual day that you will close on your home. This date is established to make sure that the contract is completed in a reasonable time period that is acceptable to both the buyer and the seller.  That way, there is a deadline to sell or buy the actual home.  The close-by date can be a “goal” of sorts to close

on your home. Much will determine the final closing date, mostly the time it takes for the appraisal, loan application, mortgage approval, and a final walk-through if you are building a new home.  The title company is the actual entity which sets up the closing for the home.  A title search / abstract is done on the property or the home itself to ensure that you have a clear title upon closing.  This process can also affect the timing of the closing.

Once the title company and you have received your closing disclosure from the lender, then any financial questions, closing cost questions, or tax questions are answered, and the closing is ready to happen.  The title company and lender work closely together to make sure that both parties are able to make the final closing date. So, ideally, you, as the buyer, should be able to set your closing date, but it typically ends up being more of a lender / title company decision.

In order to avoid additional interest and closing costs, you may want to suggest at the beginning of the process that the closing date be as close to the end of the month as possible.  A closing date after the 20th of the month can move out the date of your first payment and save the cost of daily interest until the first loan payment is due.

Another thing that you can take care of on your end is to make the move from your old place to your new place as smooth as possible. As soon as you can find out your closing date, you can make sure that you will be able to move out immediately afterwards so that you don’t incur anymore charges at the place where you are currently living.

For the closing day itself, you might want to bring your closing disclosure which the lender will typically send you 3 days prior to closing with you on the day of closing.  That way, you can compare what you previously received and the final closing documents to make sure that they match.  Also, if you feel like you will have questions or issues at closing, you can make sure that a representative of the lender and your Realtor (if you used one) shows up at closing to support you.

Buying a new home or a previously owned home can be an exciting adventure, but you will have to be prepared to take care of all of the details of the buying process with the help of your Realtor, the lender and the title company.  Since everyone involved in the transaction benefits financially, don’t hesitate to reach out to them to ask any questions or get the help you need during the closing process.

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Old Covington Courthouse to Go Up For Auction

On a location which was always considered the town center of Covington, there have been 3 courthouse buildings which have stood since 1837 when the St. Tammany Parish Police Jury bought 4 lots for the purpose of “planting” the Covington courthouse.  The original courthouse was demolished in 1884, and in 1886, a new courthouse was built which stood until 1957.  Then, the courthouse that now stands at the location was completed in 1959.  This courthouse is being considered city surplus and will be auctioned to the highest bidder towards the beginning of 2019.

The current building houses the 911 center for St. Tammany Parish.  It has been rented out for this purpose for approximately 10 years. A new 911 facility is being construction north of Lacombe and will be a 16,000 square foot building once it is completed.

Public preference in Covington has been that the current courthouse stay in the purvue of the city and

be converted to a museum or public park space, however, with the budget shortfall coming up for the next fiscal year, an auction will be necessary.  To that end, the Covington City Council appointed a nine-member panel to do a study as to the uses for the building.

The building is 31,000 square feet and it also has a plaza in the front which is home to ancient oak trees, which are part of the charm of many public places on the Northshore. It is located at the corner of Boston and New Hampshire Streets and is currently owned by the St. Tammany Parish government.

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St. Tammany Parish Children’s Museum Opens at Koop Drive

A plan 15 years in the making came to fruition the weekend of January 20-21, 2018.  The Children’s Museum of St. Tammany opened its doors to great fanfare that weekend.  The Children’s Museum which is located near the St. Tammany Trace Trailhead at Koop Drive, will begin to have regular business hours on Tuesday, January 23rd.  The museum has exhibits which are focused on toddler-age children to elementry-age children.

The idea for the Children’s Museum originally began with the Junior League of Greater Covington in 2003.  A non-profit was formed in 2011 called The Children’s Museum of St. Tammany to begin on

fundraising activities to raise money for the new facility. Partners in the endeavor include the St. Tammany Parish government and the St. Tammany Parish school district.

In fact, the St. Tammany Parish school district held its 8th fundraising event on December 1, 2017, which was led by the students to raise money for the museum.  A check in the amount of $19,377 was then donated to the Children’s Museum by school superintendent Trey Folse during a school board meeting on January 11, 2018. A total of $160,000 has been raised using similar fundraising efforts during the last 8 years.

The facility at the Tammany Trace Trailhead at Koop Drive is only an interim location for the museum. The final facility will be built on St. Tammany Parish’ planned cultural arts district on land adjacent to the Colonial/Pinnacle property at Louisiana 21 / I-12 and the Tchefuncte River.

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Residential Real Estate Investing Tips & Tricks

They say that investing in real estate is one of the most secure investments you can make. However, many people who have heard this adage and are used to working within the investment system of stocks and bonds can be unsure as to how exactly to go about investing in real estate.  Below are some tips on how, when, and where to begin the real estate investing process.

The first thing you need to do is to make sure that the timing of your investment is right.  For years, since the Recession, and slightly before the Recession, interest rates have been at record low and historically low rates. In fact, interest rates are still at low levels compared to the lifelong statistics of interest rates, so now may be a good time to invest in real estate.

The next thing, as an investor, you need to consider is the health of the market in which you are investing.  The way to tell about the health of the market is the stability of home prices, economic opportunity, and employment rates.  Many investors will start with what they know, in an area that they know.  This sometimes means checking out the opportunities around where they live.  Once an investor has taken the plunge on real estate investment, the same formula can be applied to other markets while doing research.

Simply said, areas in which there is strong economic growth, new commercial construction with chain box stores of new chain restaurants being built in an area, that is where residential real estate may soon move in.  The economic studies done by these big companies indicate the opportunity for growth of people and jobs, which will bring them the business and eventually the home buyers.
Another way to tell if growth is happening is the employment rate of an area. The more jobs offered and the more businesses cropping up, the higher the employment rate. Jobs bring people who need to rent or buy homes, which indicates a great place for real estate investment.

Once you have considered the economic and employment factors in residential real estate, the next thing to do is to find the actual real estate itself.  If you are skilled at construction and renovations, the more profit you can make out of a home that needs a little TLC because the cost of buying and “flipping” the home in a sale will be lower for you if you don’t have to higher a construction manager to do the work.  If you don’t have this skillset, you might want to consider a home that might be in foreclosure or a bank-owned home which doesn’t require a lot to get it sale ready.  Looking for deals where you can purchase a house for much lower than appraised value is the name of the game here.
So, wherever you live and whatever your skills, as long as you have good credit, money to invest, and even potential investment partners, there are opportunities to invest in residential real estate is the market conditions are right.

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