Part of Wadsworth Property Rezoned By St. Tammany Parish Council

 

When residents of any community hear that there will be a manufacturing and logistics project close to home, they often fear what it will do to the environment around them. St. Tammany Parish residents are questioning the rezoning of a part of the Wadsworth property at the intersection of La. 1088 and Interstate 12 close to Mandeville.

John Crosby, a developer, wants to build an 800-plus acre industrial corridor on the site. He assures the St. Tammany Parish that the project will bring good jobs to the area and will not harm the environment. Residents spoke their concerns at the Parish Council at a town hall meeting about the impact on traffic and drainage.

Currently, the land is zoned for a mixture of different residential zones and a planned business campus zoning. Crosby is no stranger to these kinds of projects. His company developed The Sanctuary in Mandeville and has a good reputation for being environmentally friendly.

The plan for the site is to have 15 to 20 sites with the smallest being 25 acres. The buildings will be large and look like office buildings.
He also promised to use surfaces that allow rainwater to reach the underlying soil, such as crushed limestone or pavers with plantings in them, sometimes known as living concrete. Other features will include large swales covered in vegetation. With these steps in place, there will be less runoff and better water quality that does run downstream.

"It will not be a wasteland. It is something you are going to be proud of," he said.

Target or Office Depot, Amazon, FedEx, or UPS are some of the businesses looking to locate distribution centers at the proposed project. He explains that what they will be using the land for will not be noxious or offensive and will not pollute the air or water.

This is not enough for Nancy Wagner, who fought a high-profile and successful battle against the proposed Medline medical equipment distribution center that was planned to be built near Covington. She does not see how they will keep from destroying the environment such as plastics and paint manufacturing. Deed restrictions can only go so far, and she believes they cannot be relied on to enforce zoning matters.

Residents still questioned the project even with the jobs that could potentially be generated there. Crosby does point out that more people who grew up in the area, will stay in the area if they have jobs to go to. The kind of companies that are in discussion to be part of the project will be companies that will attract and hire college graduates.

"Where are we going to put all those people," David Jones, a member of Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany asked. "Apartments," someone in the audience replied.

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The Impact Current Mortgage Rates Have on Home Purchases

 

The is a relationship between mortgage rates and purchasing power. The lower the mortgage rate, the higher your purchase power. Rising mortgage rates will increase your monthly payments.

According to Freddie Mac, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is above 5%. Professionals in the industry are saying that they are more than likely going up. If you are thinking of purchasing a home, now is the time before your purchasing power is too impacted.

Your mortgage rate will determine how much your monthly payments will be which in turn shows how much home you can afford. For example, if your monthly mortgage payment is between $2,100 - $2,200 with the current mortgage rate, you would be able to purchase a home for over $400,000. If the mortgage rates were to increase to 5.75% you would be looking at a house between $360,000 to $380,000.

"Get preapproved with where rates are today, but also consider what would happen if rates were to go up, say another quarter of a point, . . . Know what that would do to your monthly costs and how comfortable you are with that, so that if rates do move higher, you already know how you need to adjust in response," says Danielle Hale, Chief Economist for realtor.com.

If you are ready to purchase, find a trusted Realtor and mortgage lender who can help you through the buying process. Remember, mortgage rates are predicted to be rising, which will impact your purchasing power.

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2022 Designers' Best Home Decor Ideas

Designing your home is a fun task but it can also be overwhelming. The key is to find the right balance of form and function. Here are ideas from the pros when it comes to how to design and decorate your home.

Use Your Wall Space

Many designers today are taking the rug off the floor and adding it to the walls of a home. A beautiful rug can accent the wall behind a sofa giving a living space a warm and colorful design. ELLE Decor designer Sheila Bridges also uses rugs to add color to any space. In her home, she uses an emerald green sheepskin throw rug draped across a bench to add texture and color. Laura Sartori Rimini of Studio Peregalli in Milan uses wallpaper to give a bedroom in a Milan apartment a wow factor. “We created the missing parts—the plinth and the ceiling frame—to depict an Italian capriccio, a fantastical and bucolic landscape with architectural features,” says Sartori. Another designer-inspired idea is to use curtains as a backdrop for art.“Curtains just create a great, calming energy in which you feel very shrouded and comforted, making for a luxurious and restful environment,” says Kelly Framel, creative director, stylist, and founder of online magazine The Glamourai. “And being able to put a really great pop of artwork in front of that textural colored backdrop has a lot of impact.”

Go Bold

A great idea anyone can use is creating a bold gallery on a wall. A gallery of eye-catching artwork can make a bright and bold statement in a room. Adding color to the floor can also brighten a space. A great example would be to use a bright blue rug in a nice all-white living area that looks out onto the ocean. If you have a small space, go bold. Graphic prints can give a small room a major impact. Sara Ruffin, a New Orleans designer uses Ellie Cashman floral wallpaper in a small powder room.

Experiment with patterns

Christene Barberich, former Refinery29 global editor-in-chief, says to layer patterns to create visual interest in a room. She did this by layering patterns in a range of styles and scales in a bedroom. She put black and white pillows with green chevron bedding to add this look. “I think a room balances out better when you have different levels of price and craftsmanship,” she says. “It helps you notice the statement piece more,” Kate Reynolds, co-owner of Studio Four NYC. Emilie Munroe of Studio Munroe says to play with texture. Use shiplap but instead of installing it horizontally, install it vertically in a room with high ceilings.

Use Color in A Hallway

Most of the time, home owner's choose a neutral color for the hallways of their home. David Hicks used Vigorous Violet, Sherwin-Williams in a small hallway and added an art collection to the walls making it a beautiful space. He recommends using a bold color for a hallway giving the space an unexpected look.

Display Collectables and Antiques

Using collectibles and antiques can give your room a perfect look. Every room can benefit from accessories with a history. Showcasing your collectibles on a table instead of a shelf will maintain a sense of balance in your display. In order to make sure your display does not look kitschy, group your pieces by color according to Rebecca Robertson of RR Interiors. Another great designer tip by Kathryn M. Ireland, a textiles and interior designer, is to "mix things up with old and new." “Bringing a touch of the old world into the mix creates a home that will never feel dated,” designer Alex Papachristidis explains of the art-studded Manhattan apartment he designed for a family friend. Acclaimed chef Ludovic “Ludo” Lefebvre's home a designer used floor-to-ceiling shelving to hold his collection of over one thousand cookbooks. Floor-to-ceiling shelving never fails to add character to a room.

Designing your space can be done as many times as you want. Remember to invest where it matters and do your homework if purchasing an antique piece for your home.  A good rule of thumb is to maybe switch out a couple of pieces with new pieces once a year.

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Pros and Cons of Buying a House That Is Still Under Construction

 The home inventory shortage is making purchasing a home still under construction a normal financial decision. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) says that the country is facing a sharp decline in available housing to purchase. The NAR report includes housing such as condos, castles, and everything in between.

Once again, this shortage is stemmed from low-interest rates and high buyer demand. Soaring home prices and low listings mean this is a seller's market. Professionals in the industry are seeing 20 to 30 offers on the same property. In fact, buyers are willing to put a contract on a homesite and wait up to six months to close and start construction.

A new construction home purchase is a lot different than purchasing a traditional resale. The biggest difference is that you are purchasing a home that does not exist yet. The seller is the builder or a company instead of the owner of the home. If you are closing on a home that is not yet built, you will not be able to obtain a traditional mortgage instead you would pay cash or finance the land purchase at the beginning and then take out a separate construction loan to build.

One of the biggest benefits of new construction is a buyer will get a brand new never lived-in home. A buyer will not have to battle the market and get outbid on an existing home. If you get in at the beginning you can have a say in your home design.

On the flip side, there is a chance that the construction of your new home is terrible and there are delays on materials and workers. “If you’re not buying from a really good builder, the odds of problems cropping up increase substantially,” Sheehan says. “It’s quite important who is doing the work,” says Realtor Joey Sheehan.

If you do decide to go this route, do your homework on the builder. Go to some of his existing projects and get testimonies. Remember open communication is the key, stay in communication with your builder and record both verbal and written conversations. New construction is an exciting way to go, especially in today's housing market.

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March Sees a Rise in Private Residential Construction Spending

 According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) there was a 1% rise in private residential construction spending from February's 0.7%. Total private residential construction spending was 18.4% higher than it was a year ago and spending was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $882 billion.

The rise is the result of the strong growth of spending on improvements and single-family. Single-family construction spending was up 1.3% over February estimates with an increase to $472.6 billion. This is great news since the home building industry is still facing supply chain issues and labor shortages.

There was a decrease however in the private nonresidential construction spending to a seasonally annual rate of $497.6 billion which was down 1.2% from February estimates. This still is not bad since it is 8.5% higher than a year ago. The highest increase in this category was in manufacturing at $22.7 billion.

The National Association of Home Builder's construction spending index shows a great rebound back to pre-COVID-19 numbers. The NAHB construction spending index illustrates the solid growth in single-family construction and home improvement from the second half of 2019 to February 2020.

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Using Alternative Building Products

 The shortage of building products has been a big issue for home builders these days. With the delay in orders and shortages of home building materials, home builders are choosing alternative products for their home building projects.

The alternative materials include some such as rammed earth, adobe brick, and volcanic rock. These natural materials are great for insulation with heating and colling benefits. The downside is higher costs for skilled labor. Home inspectors and energy consultants could also have a hard time evaluating these items because they are unfamiliar with them.

An important long-term effect that builders do not want to ignore is mold. Earthen materials are made up of many organic substances that house mold. Natural building materials include cellulose or carbohydrate-based products which are a great source of food for mold.

Mold can be avoided by builders, it is important to understand the relationship between construction materials and their susceptibility to mold in the presence of moisture.  “Buildings will never be designed, built, maintained, or utilized perfectly; and weather and natural disasters cannot be predicted. The one thing we can have complete control over, the materials within the building, should be selected wisely,” reports Aaron Cooper.

The National Association of Home Builders has a guide for reviewing building materials called Assessing Building Materials. Builders can assess these materials by talking with the manufacturers and distributors. A couple of the questions they can ask do I understand the make-up of the building materials is similar to building materials available from another manufacturer that can provide more data, is the data that was provided complete, do I have confidence in the manufacturer and does another manufacturer improve my confidence in these building materials?

NAHB wants to help its members find the most important and pertinent information when it comes to evaluating new materials or products. Builders can make more informed decisions with this guide.

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Questions to Ask When Buying A Home

Buying a home is a huge deal in anyone's life. It is said to be one of the most stressful times in someone's life. Here are some questions to ask to help you make an informed decision when it comes to buying a home.

Is now the time to buy a home?

Again this is one of the most important purchases a homeowner will ever make. Determining to take the leap of homeownership, is one of the most important financial decisions to make. Make sure your finances are in order before you decide to start your home search.

Are you ready to invest in a home?

A home is a wonderful investment, however, it is a big expensive one. Assess where you are in your life, is homeownership right for you? Make sure you want to stay in the home. Selling a house right after you purchase it will cost you a good bit of money.

Do you have a target home price?

Currently, we are in a seller's market which means homes are going to have multiple bids and sell at higher asking prices. December 2021 reported the median home price in the country was up 15.1% higher than the same time last year. Before you start your search, find a number that you are comfortable with and stick with it.

Do you have enough savings?

Purchasing a home is not just paying the listing price. You need to have some savings not only set aside for any home updates or projects but also for other costs associated with purchasing a home. Here are some of the costs associated with buying a home. You will need 3-5% of the purchase price for a downpayment and money for closing costs and inspection fees.

Do you have credit concerns?

In order to obtain a mortgage, you will need a good credit score. By rule of thumb, anything under a 620 will not qualify. Anything between 620 - 740 will get you qualified but with a higher rate. Anything over a 740 will not only get you qualified but will get you the best available rates.

Do you have money allocated for unexpected costs?

Don't get caught off guard by surprise costs through the process of buying a home. Remember inspections, insurance, taxes, and utilites. The more informed you are, the better decision you will make. Contact a Realtor who knows the process from start to finish.

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