Blog by Mary Kay Hopkins

Want to know where to run in Lake Charles? While there are numerous places in the Lake Charles area for runners and walkers to get their endorphin high, one of the most well known is Shell Beach Drive.  The Lake Area Runner's club website offers a map showing the 5 mile route of the annual Contr...

This morning, while serving breakfast to the ducks on Griffith Coulee, I was reminded of the quiet beauty and blessings of the rich and architecturally diverse Margaret Place Historical District in Lake Charles. I took a few pictures, but then switched to a video app on my IPhone 3G. Not the grea...

  Seller's, please insert your city name in place of Wake Forest, NC and read the following post by Leesa Finley, a got-it-together REALTOR in Wake Forest, NC. Her model for approaching pricing and listing is, in my opinion, the "right way." ===   So, you're thinking of selling your home in Wake ...

Earlier this week, I posted that Lake Charles now boasts a second Farmer's Market! A few days later, in a conversation with Melinda (Vice President, Calcasieu Preservation Society) and Adley Cormier (current chairman of the Downtown Development Authority and former President of the Preservation ...

When Pretty Woman came out in 1990, it was unlikely that any of us would have anticipated a future analogy of blogging to Vivian's (Julia Robert's character) shopping experience. As a refresher, a video of the full scene and this recap: Vivian to original shop clerk: "Hi, do You remember me?" Sho...

I so believe in the power of this marketing tip, that I'm reblogging.  Try it, it works!Selling your home? Tell a story. A Realtor who kindly mentored me once told me that when I was writing about a listing, "Tell a story." I didn't get exactly what he meant until I started keeping up with what h...

HEADS UP, Fellow Southwest Louisiana REALTORS! Read what this Illinois Mortgage rep has to say about blogging.... (Told Ya So!)I've been coaching my friends to get Active in Active Rain.  My success has been well documented.  To date, since joining I'm now well over 65 referrals that I've receive...

Lake Charles could use some rain. Maybe this song from the 70's (or was it the 60's?), made famous in that wonderful bicycle scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, will help to "bring it on." I love the gentle lyrics in "Raindrops keeping falling on my head." Some years ago, B.J. Thomas per...

The new Farmer's Market opens TODAY from 5-7:00 under the beautifully renovated Cash and Carry at Enterprise and Broad. The address is 801 Enterprise Boulevard and is conveniently located South of Interstate 10. This is one of two Farmer's Markets in Lake Charles. The other is open on Saturday mo...

From one of my favorite bloggers, this letter to sellers with my PS to agents to read as a reminder as well.Dear Seller - I Know Your Home is Family Friendly But I Just Can't Say That While your home may be prefect for a large family, in a quiet, family neighborhood and right across the street fr...