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Shreveport, LA Real Estate News

By Gary and Rebecca Bolda
(Ark-La-Tex Virtual Media )
With new virtual tour companies popping up on an almost daily basis, how do you choose the one that is right for you? There are several things to consider when choosing a virtual tour provider. A critical point to remember here is that the product you place on the Internet to market yourself reflects on you as a professional and on the quality of service that you provide. So make sure whatever you choose, that it is something you are proud to put your name on.First, you will need to consider if you want a "do-it-yourself" company or a full service virtual tour provider. Don't be driven by price alone here. The quality of the product and the required time investment are important considerations. If your photography skills leave something to be desired, you may want to consider a professi...
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By Heather Goodwin, Results That Move You
(Licensed by the Louisiana Real Estate Commission)
  I feel compelled to write this post, because most first time home buyers don't understand the process of buying a home, but they don't know that they don't know the process. They think they know, but they don't. So this post is a short little primer on what you should do when you decide to buy a home. Get pre-approved for a loan. Getting pre-qualified was enough in days gone by, but not in today's market.  This is the only way you will know what price range to begin looking in and the only way a seller can have confidence in your offer.  Make sure you have enough in savings to cover the down payment AND closing costs. If you're short of cash, ask your banker about financing the closing costs into the home loan. This is the biggest mistake that I see first time home buyers and even hom...
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By Matthew Rimmer, "We'll Get You Moving!"
(Diamond Realty & Associates)
Bankruptcy is an uncomfortable subject for a variety of reasons. The most obvious is the potential havoc it can wreak on your finances. Running a close second is the negative stigma which is often attached to the process. This negativity is important to mention because strong emotions can sometimes lead to unsound financial decisions with devastating results.  Bankruptcy becomes a viable option for someone who is "upside down" in terms of cash flow. In other words, when a person has more money going out each month than coming in, bankruptcy should be considered if no reversal of this negative cash flow is within sight. The longer someone waits to explore the various options available, the more serious his or her situation may become.  One of the worst things people can do in this situat...
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By Matthew Rimmer, "We'll Get You Moving!"
(Diamond Realty & Associates)
New rules for FHA loans headed for House vote! A bill that would allow the continued use of seller-funded down-payment assistance on FHA-backed loans now has the support of the National Association of Realtors and is headed to a full House vote after passing muster with a key congressional committee. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has sought to end the use of seller-funded gifts -- which are typically provided by home builders through nonprofits like Nehemiah Corp. and AmeriDream -- saying they artificially inflate home prices and that loans that rely on them are more likely to end up in default. HUD has said losses on loans that rely on seller-funded gifts threaten to put its insurance fund in the red. A sweeping housing bill that became law July 30, HR 3221 would bar ...
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By Gary and Rebecca Bolda
(Ark-La-Tex Virtual Media )
Ok, so our second hurricane in as many weeks has rolled through the Shreveport/Bossier area.  Needless to say, the virtual tour business has come to a grinding halt while everyone cleans up from the aftermath of these storms.  While this area was fortunate not to have the brunt of Ike that hit the coastal areas, we got worked over pretty good.  Below are some photos of Ike's aftermath in the Shreveport area.                  For more pictures visit our Reaching Further Blog.
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By Gary and Rebecca Bolda
(Ark-La-Tex Virtual Media )
Well, hear we go again.  Just days after Gustav, the Ark-La-Tex is keeping a watchful eye on Ike.  For those of you who may be unfamilar with this area, the Ark-La-Tex is the area where northeast Texas, northwest Louisiana and southwest Arkansas come together.  Shreveport is more or less the midpoint of the region.  When Gustav came through the area the southern and eastern parts of the region got hammered pretty hard.  Now, Ike seems to be contemplating picking up where Gustav left off.  Threatening to do its damage to western and northern parts of the area.  Although the Ark-La-Tex is far enough inland that all that "eye wall" and "storm surge" stuff you hear about on the news dosen't really apply, we are coastal enough to get the "flooding rains" and "tornadic activity" they talk so ...
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By Gary and Rebecca Bolda
(Ark-La-Tex Virtual Media )
Ark-La-Tex Virtual Tours is pleased to announce that we have weathered Hurricane Gustav with minimal impact.  Earlier this week Gustav roared ashore in south Louisiana causing much distruction.  According to forcasts, Gustav was on track to deliver a harsh blow to the Ark-La-Tex.  Once inland, however, Gustav shifted its path just enough to spare the Ark-La-Tex all but the rain and a brief period of high winds.  Others were not so fortunate and our prayers are with them as they begin a long peiod of cleaning up. At Ark-La-Tex Virtual Tours a lot of rescheduling went on this week, but next week looks to be right back on track.  Below is a picture from my camera phone of the clouds of Gustav as they began to enter the Shreveport area. If you are located in an area impacted by Gustav, let ...
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By Heather Goodwin, Results That Move You
(Licensed by the Louisiana Real Estate Commission)
I've advised more than once on this blog that if you don't have to sell your house now, WAIT. There is a large number of homes for sale in Shreveport and the surrounding area in most price ranges making it a buyer's market. Locally sales are off by about 20% overall which is much better than other areas of the country, but even Shreveport is not seeing homes sales like it did last year. But what if waiting is not an option for you? How does a potential home seller make his or her house stand out, so it will be the one that sells? Here are seven things that will put you ahead of your competition if you do them. If you don't, you'll just be another home owner with a For Sale sign in the front yard. 1) FIND THE RIGHT AGENT - This is critical. Any agent can list your house, and in a booming...
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By Heather Goodwin, Results That Move You
(Licensed by the Louisiana Real Estate Commission)
Being hailed as the fourth largest natural gas deposit in the world, by now everybody living in the Shreveport/Bossier area has heard about what is called the Haynesville Shale formation. Everybody and his brother has been offered a contract to lease their mineral rights which is throwing a nice little kink into the listing and selling of real estate. With some property leasing at $20,000 an acre or more, many neighborhoods have organized to negotiate with the landmen as a group. This is a smart thing to do to protect your property value and, let's be honest, to have more negotiating power when it comes to the money. But we don't have to reinvent the wheel. Ft. Worth has experienced with the Barnett Shale just what we are in the beginning stages of, and they are eager to share their exp...
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By 1~Judi Barrett, BS Ed, Integrity Real Estate Services -IDABEL OK
(Integrity Real Estate Services 116 SE AVE N, Idabel, OK 74745)
Ok, it's like this.  Last week I stayed at the Holiday Inn on Financial Plaza in Shreveport, Louisiana.  I took a white terry cloth wrap with me for going back and forth to the pool. On Saturday afternoon, after housekeeping had finished with my room, my wrap was missing even though I had hung it on the shower curtain bar and had put the towels in the floor so that they could see the difference. I called the front desk that evening and some very nice gentleman said that he would go find it.  I did not hear back from him.  On Sunday as we prepared to check out, I called the front desk again to ask about my missing apparel.  The wrap or sun-dress like cover up had not been turned in and they didn't know anything about it.  They connected me to housekeeping when I got voice mail. When we c...
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By Gary and Rebecca Bolda
(Ark-La-Tex Virtual Media )
We were recently invited to a Tuesday morning Realtor's meeting to discuss Virtual Tours.  This Brokerage is pretty new to utilizing the internet.  We covered some of the following points.1.         All the realtors needed to have and utilize a working email account.  Although it is understood that a phone call is only second to meeting a perspective buyer/seller in person, the email is the most commonly preferred and used form of communication of most internet users.2.         The brokerage and possibly the individual realtors should have a functional and easy to use web site.  The web site should be able incorporate a virtual tour link for properties that have one.3.         ALL PRINT MEDIA that is utilized should state "See the Virtual at www.....website.com".  At a minimum the web s...
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By Gary and Rebecca Bolda
(Ark-La-Tex Virtual Media )
Virtual tours are powerful marketing tools.  They can benefit the seller, buyer and the real estate agent all at the same time.  For the real estate agent, virtual tours will show their listings and generate high interest leads. But, the tour must be utilized as the marketing tool it is meant to be, if this is to happen.It is vital in an internet marketing campaign to gain as much exposure as possible.  Statistics are telling us that internet shopping for homes has risen to as high at 84% of homebuyers.  It is necessary to reach these buyers in the places that they are shopping and bring them onto the real estate agent's website.  This is where the interactive, 360 virtual tour excels.  It is easily syndicated across the internet to reach homebuyers in the places that they shop and prov...
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By Gary and Rebecca Bolda
(Ark-La-Tex Virtual Media )
Movies and Moonbeams Outdoor Cinema is presenting "The Legend of Bagger Vance" at Querbes Park Golf Course on April 18.  This is a free event for the public.  If you are in the Broadmoor area, come out and join in this unique movie going experience.
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By Gary and Rebecca Bolda
(Ark-La-Tex Virtual Media )
With over 84% of homebuyers shopping online, internet marketing has become essential to selling real estate in the Shreveport and Bossier City area.  Homebuyers are demanding quick, digestible information at their fingertips.  If this information is not there for the buyer to see, then the home is getting overlooked.  In the frenzy to acquired these shoppers' attention, virtual tours have become indispensible.  The buyers and sellers in today's market are demanding virtual tours, for many reasons, but foremost because virtual tours are a quick source of a large quantity of information.  In competing for these buyers' attention (and phone calls) it is important to consider what is being placed in front of them.  The term "virtual tour" is a murky one.  It seems to include everything from...
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By Gary and Rebecca Bolda
(Ark-La-Tex Virtual Media )
Ark-La-Tex Virtual Tours is happy to announce that our new PanoRider service has arrived in the Shreveport/Bossier City area to a very warm welcome.  Many people have been very excited to try out this new service designed to complement our 360° interactive virtual tours.  The PanoRider offers a full color panoramic photograph of the interior of the home along with a dedicated, single property website.  This combination allows real estate agents and For Sale By Owners to harness the power of the two most popular forms of real estate marketing today, the internet and the yard sign. The dedicated, single property website address appears across the top of the rider, making it easy for drive-by viewers to see and remember.  The drive-by viewer can then tour the interior of the home from thei...
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By Gary and Rebecca Bolda
(Ark-La-Tex Virtual Media )
Its spring time in the Ark-La-Tex and that means it's time to mow the lawn, trim the hedges, spruce up the flower beds and celebrate!  It's time for the annual Holiday In Dixie festivities.  Holiday In Dixie is a week and a half full of fun and activities of all kinds all around Shreveport and Bossier City and the surrounding communities.  It includes a variety of events and there is something for everyone!There will be a carnival at Shreveport's Festival Plaza which will have live music, food, and arts and crafts.  There is a martial arts tournament at Bossier High School's gym which has a fun and festive atmosphere and lots of good sportsmanship.  The much anticipated treasure hunt will kick off as well and is certain to be the source of much speculation and opinionating until the tre...
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By Gary and Rebecca Bolda
(Ark-La-Tex Virtual Media )
I did my first Postlet last night for an agent who has had this listing on the market for over 6 months.  As of tonight at the time of this blog the tour has had 81 hits - today alone!  Prior to the posting there had been only 6 hits this week!  I am thrilled with the results!  Take a look.This shows that just doing a virtual tour is not enough.  You have to syndicate it.  The more people who see the listing, the better the odds of selling it.  With RTV's technology, we can produce high quality, interactive virtual tours that can truly show the home.  Then, with Internet syndication, we can reach a huge market.  Not to mention that this generates high interest leads.  With this kind of marketing available, I just can't imagine not harnessing the power! 
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By Gary and Rebecca Bolda
(Ark-La-Tex Virtual Media )
As a Shreveport and Bossier City Louisiana area Virtual Tour Company, Ark-La-Tex Virtual Tours is constantly finding new ways to augment our virtual tour business. One area which we have expanded into is website design. We found that once our Realtors started using virtual tours, they realized the power of the internet for marketing and wanted a customized website that fulfilled their vision and marketing needs. The virtual tours and the website together, became a powerful tool for Realtors to reach a market that extends well beyond the reach of their Sunday paper.What makes Ark-La-Tex Virtual Tours attractive to our clients is that we are locally owned and operated in the Shreveport and Bossier City area.  Our websites just like our virtual tours are professionally produced locally.We ...
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Welcome Michelle Reliford to the office of Keller Williams Realty Northwest Louisiana in Shreveport Louisiana.  Michelle has been in real estate for a couple of years and loves to help buyers find the home of their dreams and take care of all the details of becoming home owners.  Michelle also loves to help sellers in Shreveport and Bossier City get top dollar for the home they are selling and sell in a short time period!  Michelle comes to Keller Williams from Century 21 Stan Cole and Associates.  Michelle moved to Keller Williams Northwest Louisiana because she was starving for training and decided it was time to join the premiere real estate training company in North America.  Michelle would love to bring her drive, determination and passion to your life and help you in your next rea...
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By Jonathan J. Newton
(Team Newton)
February 29, 2008 we had a WONDERFULLY POWERFUL Keller Williams ALC clinic held in New Orleans, LA.  Mo Anderson was the speaker.  The KW Northwest Louisiana market center was recoginized for launching in the fourth quarter of 2007 and has already seen amazing results within the community.  Scott Friestad, OP of the market center has unified a strong core group to continue the recruiting.Local owners include: Fred Beecher, Scott Friestad, Chris Hayes, Gail Mitchel and Jonathan J. Newton.  We all have seen growth in our business and would encourage anyone looking to join the KW culture to jump in "head first", it is a GREAT ride!!Jonathan Newton ,Team Newton, was interviewed by Mo Anderson at the ALC Clinic and was excited about the change and thanked Mo Anderson and Gary Keller for grow...
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