Providing the most comprehensive marketing for my Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana listings has been a consistent goal since I first started my real estate career. While I'm immensely proud of the multiple internet sites that I utilize, I'm very excited to be a part of the CENTURY 21 Bessete marketing program that offers a home of the week on award winning KPLCTV.com. Besides promoting our listings, KPLCTV.com, a true internet leader, provides a forum for Century 21 Bessette agents to provide buyers and sellers tips. This month, I am featured on KPLCTV.com, offering the Buyer Tip of the Month. Hope you can take time to check it out.  For the ultimate in marketing Lake Charles homes and homes across SW Louisiana, give me a call. 05/26/2010

It is a fact that I don't get out much.  Just ask Jackie Kibodeaux, the CEO of the Southwest Louisiana Association of REALTORS.  Jackie manages to coax me more successfully than most, but the truth is, my nature, and the nature of my business is that I am a "stay at the office broker". BUT, when yesterday's mail arrived with the purple, green and gold brochure with "Make the Good Times Roll for your business" on the cover of the REALTOR'S 2010 Conference and Expo, I had a flashback of other New Orleans conferences and instantly knew I'd be registering. I've been to other NAR conferences, and have loved every one. It's just that there is something about New Orleans. It is a convenience that New Orleans is just over 3 hours from Lake Charles, yet my attraction comes from a deep feeling/co... 05/26/2010

I wear alot of hats as a Lake Charles Louisiana Community Expert Realtors wear alot of Hats As Lake Charles Louisiana Century 21 Realtor, my job is to convey as much information as possible to my clients during the home purchase transition.  Sometimes that requires going the extra mile in which I am  called upon to wear many hats! Restaurant critic Travel Agent  Tour Guide Professional Shopper Research Analyst Experience is not just an educational accomplishment.  There is something to be said for being an expert in the community in which you live.  Living in a community and being active and aware of what your City has to offer becomes very important.  I don't take my residency for granted, I stay involved, explore and stay in the know so I can be the TO-GO person for my clients! When s... 05/25/2010

Today's paper included an article regarding the request for input by the North Lake Charles Redevelopment Authority. Chairman Rick Richard cited a recent Corp of Engineers study showing that "north Lake Charles is really the place to build." Richard mentioned that a lot of the work will be educational to show people that "this is the place to be." Some of the ideas mentioned based on a recent study: areas for building a warehouse district marina with condos and a walking path most of the development would be along Fitzenreiter Road. View Larger Map George Swift of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance has been contacted by Chairman Rick Richard regarding suggestions get businesses to build in north Lake Charles. Mail comments to the board at 326 Pujo St., 9th Floor, Attn... 05/25/2010

New Holiday Inn & Suites Opens in Lake Charles, Louisiana South Lake Charles has a beautiful new Holiday Inn & Suites that has recently opened for guests on Lake Street.  You may wonder why in the world I am writing about a hotel, lots of cities have hotels, so what is the big deal? Well, the City of Lake Charles has several micro hotels or smaller guest suite chains however as tourism and events that draw visitors to our city has increased the need for hotel space has increased.  So this new Holiday Inn & Suites is a wonderful addition to the City of Lake Charles and conveniently located in South Lake Charles at 2940 Lake Street, just off I-210. I am often asked when clients from out of town come to Lake Charles for a recommendation of where to stay.  This was the case over the weekend... 05/24/2010

Lake Charles Louisiana Avenue of Flags-Orange Grove Cemetery This weekend is Memorial Day Weekend which means that it is  time again for the  27th Avenue of Flags.  This grand display is a reminder that Freedom is not Free.  The event began as a project by the Sons of the American Revolution. Each year on Memorial Day many volunteers along with troops of Boy Scouts work tirelessly to disply large casket flags in what has become known as The Avenue of Flags.  The flags line the entrance to the cemetery drive and continue throughout on display from 8-5 Memorial Day weekend in the historic Orange Grove/Graceland Cemetary in Lake Charles, Louisiana The event was started in 1983  by the  Sons of the American Revolution.  As a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution I am quite fami... 05/24/2010

5:01 PM Friday:  My office tenant reports an air-conditioner related leak just outside the office, under the soffit. The last time this happened, we were told by the since-fired AC person that it was "normal" and not-to-worry. That was before the internal ceiling leak that came precariously close to computers! AC guy number 2 assured us he found and fixed the problems. Due to non-related issues with ACG#2, I elected to call Air Conduit who had recently done some work for me. A service representative named Scott with Air Conduit came out and isolated the problem as a very dirty and clogged pipe that the previous two companies failed to check. Thanks, Scott and Air Conduit! Looks like 3rd time is the charm. 05/23/2010

A few weeks ago, I posted a blog about Land Trusts in Southwest Louisiana. It was my goal to become more educated about Land Trusts. With that in mind, here are a few links of interest, and, in some cases, a few comments. On a National Scale, the Land Trust Alliance is obviously a major player.This group's mission is outlined in greater detail on their "About Us" page.  In search of a Louisiana based organization, I was impressed with the Land Trust of Southeast Louisiana. Their website offers a page detailing three ways landowners can utilize Land Trusts. 1. Conservation Easement Permanent , legal agreement between landowner and land trust .Limits use of the land to protect conservation values.Landowner can continue to own and use the land,  sell, or pass it on to heirs. Easements need... 05/23/2010

Earlier, I posted a blog about the great job conducted by Memorial Hospital's ER/Trauma unit in taking care of my friend after she was air-lifted from a horrific accident that killed her best friend and business partner. I don't have the slightest idea how long it will take for Beth's physical wounds to heal...probably months....and God-ony-knows how long it will take for her to heal emotionally from an accident that could have taken her life in the same split-seconds that took Shannon. I do know three things. 1) If anyone can survive, triumph, and be an even stronger/better person, it will be Beth. 2) The healing power of family and friends. 3) The importance of a kind, caring, and sensitive neighborhood.  I share the same Margaret Place Historical District neighborhood as Beth and am ... 05/23/2010

For someone approaching 60, I've had relatively minimal hospital experiences.  My mom's stroke in 1994 and death in the Spring of 1995 are such that I simply will not "go there" to discuss other than to say she was not in a Lake Charles Hospital. On the positive side, a brief stint at Oeshner's in New Orleans brought us hope that caring patient care was still possible. In my 35 + years in Lake Charles, I've only had one surgery (Gall Bladder) that required an over-night stay. That was at Women's and Children's and I've no complaints about the surgery or the care. In hindsight, it was blog-worthy insomuch as it was simple and without hassle. Perhaps the post surgery pain killers numbed my ability to appreciate my care. A few weeks ago, on May 5th, I received a call from a friend that his... 05/23/2010

The following is a review of statistics for South Lake Charles Real Estate in MLS area 40 for Residential closed sales, (Status = "S") Average Square Feet: 2,154Average Days on Market: 89Total number Sales over the previous 12 months (as of today): 143Average List Price: $234,128 Average Sales Price: $228,782 See the geographical boundaries of area 40 on this page on Derenda.com. For information specific to your area, feel free to give me a call. 05/23/2010

The following is a review of statistics for South Lake Charles Real Estate in MLS area 30 for Residential closed sales, (Status = "S") Average Square Feet:  2,321Average Days on Market: 79Total number Sales over the previous 12 months (as of today): 130Average List Price:    $234,187Average Sales Price:  $225,776 See the geographical boundaries of area 30 on this page on Derenda.com. For information specific to your area, feel free to give me a call. 05/23/2010

No need to be confused about MLS areas in Lake Charles! Thanks to my chart identifying the MLS areas in Lake Charles as well as major subdivisons, your search for a home in the Lake Area will be easier! Simply follow this link and scroll down just a bit to the section entitled, "MLS areas and major subdivisions." Besides learning the geographical boundaries for each MLS area, I've also provided a list of major subdivsions within each area. In many cases, links are provided that lead to more information about the subdivision along with photos. Now, when you see the term "MLS area" you know 1) what it means AND2) have a place to identify the MLS areas in Lake Charles. 05/23/2010

Nationally recognized expert, Lesley Ashworth, will be one of 5 speakers at this Saturday's Preventing Family Violence Workshop to be held in Lake Charles. She will speak on the link between animal violence, domestic abuse and elder abuse, including discussion on how they effectively incorporate projects and programs that pair therapy dogs which have been rescued and rehabilitated in their work with women and children who have been abused. We are so lucky to have a speaker of this calibre coming to Lake Charles and owe our gratitude to Beth Zilbert and Shannon Cox of the People's Advocate for initiating the workshop. As most know by now, Shannon was killed and Beth severely injured in a tragic car accident on May 5th.  Despite this adversity, Beth is determined to heal and that the work... 05/23/2010

When Barbara Dubose opened The Perfect Fit a few years ago, she realized a life-long dream of owning her own Lake Charles dress shop. The fulfillment of that dream also meant that ladies looking for the perfect outfit could do so with ease right here in Lake Charles! The fact of the matter is simple. The Perfect Fit is one of the area's best fine dress shops.Her shop is conveniently located at 312 Pujo Street in historic downtown Lake Charles, midway between City Hall and the Pujo Street Cafe. The Perfect Fit may have been new at the time she welcomed her first customers through the antique doors on Pujo Street, but counting on Barbara was something that had come to be expected by her loyal clientele.In talking with those who have known her longer, it is obvious that her customers resp... 05/22/2010

If you are selling Lake Charles Real Estate, I'd like to share with you a few of the internet sites where your property will be advertised on the Internet when you list with me. Realtor.com is generally considered the number one real estate website in the world. Many sellers do not realize that agents are given an opportunity to purchase different levels of service on Realtor.com. A quick glance of Realtor.com when of Lake Charles listings reveals that my Lake Charles real estate listings stand out. Virtual Tours via RealEstateShows.com.Realtor.com was one of the first major platforms to prove that consumers want lots of photos. Now, virtual tours have come to be expected.   For years, I've used tour offered by RealEstateShows.com.  Crisp, clean, and customized tours of my listings are ... 05/22/2010

New Lakefront Marina in Lake Charles, Louisiana   On any given day during the Spring-Summer you will see boats out on the lakefront in Lake Charles, Louisiana.  As the boat traffic increases the need for dock space increases. Scheduled to officially open in August 2010, Lake Charles will have a new floating marina and docking facility near the Lake Charles Civic Center Seawall. This new marina is part of the City of Lake Charles Bord du Lac Lakefront Promenade Project  with lots more to come with lakefront improvements. Workers are putting the finishing touches on the Lakefront Marina finishing the brick paver walkway and pavilion areas.  When completed the marina will have a total of 52 floating boat slips. Lake Charles, Louisiana offers many outdoor activities and boating opportunitie... 05/19/2010

Lakefront Promenade in Lake Charles, Louisiana The Lake Charles Civic Center has been a focal point of Lake Charles, Louisiana for years.  Every major event is held here including concerts, sporting events, theater events, symphony, exhibits, fun runs/walks, Mardi Gras Balls, weddings and more.  The grounds of the Lake Charles Civic Center is the HUB for Contraband Days.  The Lake Charles Civic Center has undergone interior improvements.  As Lake Charles continues to grow, so does the need for improvements to enhance and improve what our City has to offer residents.   Several years ago PPG Industries donated the PPG Water Fountain on the Civic Center Grounds which is a favorite spot for kids to cool off in the summer. The Civic Center Boardwalk area along the seawall is a favorite spot ... 05/19/2010

Lake Charles Louisiana Racquet Club   Tennis anyone? The Lake Charles Racquet Club has been in existence since 1973.   Hidden to many in Bayou Pines off Lake Street in Lake Charles, The Lake Charles Racquet Club is not just about tennis. Rebuilt bigger and better after Hurricane Rita, The Racquet Club offers members a pool and lovely clubhouse.  The large wrap around porch is a great place to watch tennis matches, enjoy a cool drink and socialize with friends. You will find those regulars gathering on Friday for Happy Hour!   Inside the clubhouse The Lake Charles Racquet Club offers guests and members a menus of Grill Items. Family oriented, Racquet Club members enjoy many amenities.  The pool is a favorite of families in the summer. The Lake Charles Racquet Club is a great place for en... 05/19/2010

Shiver Me Timbers-Check Out This Lake Charles, Louisiana Park! Welcome to Shiver Me Timbers-Millennium Park! Shiver Me Timbers- Millennium Park was built in 2000 by over 6,000 residents and volunteers of Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.  During a 10 day period Lake Charles, Louisiana  businesses sponsored, volunteers helped and supplies were donated to build this wonderful park in downtown Lake Charles on Bord du Lac Drive. Sponsors could also contribute bricks which make up the entry of the park. The Millennium Park Project is a permanent fixture in downtown Lake Charles reminding all Lake Charles residents of what we can do when our community comes together! The park is completely constructed of splinter free wood for years of enjoyment so kids can swing, slide, crawl and explore and have... 05/18/2010