Lauren Blake Real Estate REAL [estate] LIFE Blog - Real Estate - Bl...

Move Before Spring

Moving Before Spring MAKES SENSE! Spring is usually the busiest season in the housing market. Many buyers wait until then to make their move, believing it’s the best time to find a home. However, that isn’t always the case when you factor in the competition you could face with other buyers at that
Should You Move Now?

There are many reasons my clients have decided to make a move through the years. The most common reasons are: Their current home is too small They want to be closer to friends and family They are tired of sitting in traffic and want to be closer to kids' school, activities, work, and recr
Moving Supplies Checklist

Moving Boxes Kit
Lean On An Expert

Confused About What’s Going on in the Housing Market? Lean on a Professional. If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, you probably want to know what’s really happening with home prices, mortgage rates, housing supply, and more. That’s not an easy task considering how sensationalized head
Fall Market Predictions

Fall Housing Market Predictions The housing market is rapidly changing from the peak frenzy it saw over the past two years. That means you probably have questions about what your best move is if you’re thinking of buying or selling this fall. To help you make a confident decision, lean on the profe
Waiting for 3% Rates? Think Twice.

Last year, the Federal Reserve took action to try to bring down inflation. In response to those efforts, mortgage rates jumped up rapidly from the record lows we saw in 2021, peaking at just over 7% last October. Hopeful buyers experienced a hit to their purchasing power as a result, and some decide
2023 Housing Market Goals

What Are Your Goals in the Housing Market This Year? If buying or selling a home is part of your dreams for 2023, it’s essential for you to understand today’s housing market, define your goals, and work with industry experts to bring your homeownership vision for the new year into focus. In the las
What’s Really Happening With Prices

What’s Really Happening with Home Prices? Some Highlights If you’re thinking about selling your house, recent headlines about home prices falling month-over-month may have you second guessing your decision—but perspective matters. While home prices are down slightly month-over-month in some mark
Home Values Hit Bottom?

Have Home Values Hit Bottom? Whether you’re already a homeowner or you’re looking to become one, the recent headlines about home prices may leave you with more questions than answers. News stories are talking about home prices falling, and that’s raising concerns about a repeat of what happened to
What Past Recessions Tell Us

What Past Recessions Actually Tell Us About the Housing Market It doesn’t matter if you’re someone who closely follows the economy or not, chances are you’ve heard whispers of an upcoming recession. Economic conditions are determined by a broad range of factors, so rather than explaining them each
15 Years Can Change Everything

Then & Now How 15 Years Can Change Everything There’s no doubt today’s housing market is very different than the frenzied one from the past couple of years. In the second half of 2022, there was a dramatic shift in real estate, and it caused many people to make comparisons to the 2008 housing crisi
What To Expect In 2023

What To Expect From the Housing Market in 2023 The 2022 housing market has been defined by two key things: inflation and rapidly rising mortgage rates. And in many ways, it’s put the market into a reset position. As the Federal Reserve (the Fed) made moves this year to try to lower inflation, mortg
2023 Market Forecast

Some Highlights From home sales to prices, the 2023 housing market will be defined by mortgage rates. And where rates go depends on what happens with inflation. If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home this year, let’s connect so you understand where the housing market is headed in 2023.
What’s Up With Prices?

What’s Going on with Home Prices? Ask a Professional. If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home this year, you may have questions about what’s happening with home prices today as the market cools. In the simplest sense, nationally, experts don’t expect prices to come crashing down, but the
A Foreclosures Flood?

Why There Won’t Be a Flood of Foreclosures Coming to the Housing Market With the rapid shift that’s happened in the housing market this year, some people are raising concerns that we’re destined for a repeat of the crash we saw in 2008. But in truth, there are many key differences between what’s ha
Affordability Factors

Key Factors Affecting Home Affordability Today Every time there’s a news segment about the housing market, we hear about the affordability challenges buyers are facing today. Those headlines are focused on how much mortgage rates have climbed this year. And while it’s true rates have risen dramatic
It's NOT Like 2008

3 Graphs Showing Why Today’s Housing Market Isn’t Like 2008 With all the headlines and talk in the media about the shift in the housing market, you might be thinking this is a housing bubble. It’s only natural for those thoughts to creep in that make you think it could be a repeat of what took plac
What Happens During A Recession?

What Happens to Housing when There’s a Recession? Since the 2008 housing bubble burst, the word recession strikes a stronger emotional chord than it ever did before. And while there’s some debate around whether we’re officially in a recession right now, the good news is experts say a recession toda
The Latest on Supply and Demand in Housing

Over the past two years, the substantial imbalance of low housing supply and high buyer demand pushed home sales and buyer competition to new heights. But this year, things are shifting as supply and demand reach an inflection point.The graph below helps tell the story of just how different things a
2023 Home Price Predictions

What Experts Say Will Happen with Home Prices Next Year Experts are starting to make their 2023 home price forecasts. As they do, most agree homes will continue to gain value, just at a slower pace. Over the past couple of years, home prices have risen at an unsustainable rate, leaving many to wond
Market On A Collision Course?

Why Today’s Housing Inventory Proves the Market Isn’t Headed for a Crash Whether or not you owned a home in 2008, you likely remember the housing crash that took place back then. And news about an economic slowdown happening today may bring all those concerns back to the surface. While those feelin
What Would A Recession Mean?

What Would a Recession Mean for the Housing Market? According to a recent survey from the Wall Street Journal, the percentage of economists who believe we’ll see a recession in the next 12 months is growing. When surveyed in July 2021, only 12% of economists consulted thought there’d be a recession
Our Go To Baton Rouge Eats

REAL [estate] LIFE with the Fowlers Do you ever find yourself spending so much time trying to decide where to eat out every week? It's a struggle for us too! We love our local restaurants, but we can never seem to remember the best ones or match them to what we're craving. Does this sound famili
St. Patrick's Day 2023

The Fowler's Take The St Patrick's Day parade is one of the biggest parades in Baton Rouge and a family favorite of ours. It was our first experience attending the parade at City Park, one of my favorite locations now. Our son could play soccer with tons of kids an hour before the parade and t
Pointe Marie

"Life on Pointe" differs from any other neighborhood in Baton Rouge. They have achieved a feeling of tranquility and warm community by building a beautiful setting. According to the developer, "Many have said that Pointe-Marie has captured the nostalgia of times we all long to be a part of while enc
Baton Rouge Area Chamber

The Fowler's Take Our first post-Covid event was a huge success! Great food, drinks, and atmosphere at mestizos provided for a great foundation. We connected with old clients, friends, and business colleagues we hadn't seen in months and had ample time to connect and catch up. We're so excited
Laurie Adams - Candidate for State Rep, District 68

The Fowler's Take Candidate for State Representative, District 68 Laurie has been a great friend, and she is someone you want to support in her candidacy for State Representative, District 68 because she is decisive, deliberate, and determined. She listens to the people she represents and her convi
Trinity Episcopal Day School

According to Trinity’s website A foundation for academic excellence in a Christian environment. Trinity Episcopal Day School provides the foundation for academic excellence in a Christian environment, nurturing the whole child. Established in 1948 as a ministry of Trinity Episcopal Church, the Day
Manners of the Heart

The Fowler’s Take We had fun at the Manners of the Heart 20th anniversary celebration the other night. Seeing all the great work and the great people associated with such a wonderful cause filled our hearts. According to the Manners Of The Heart website MISSION Our mission is to reawaken
Murphy Paul - Chief of Police

The Fowler's Take Today, Murphy Paul, Chief of Baton Rouge police, gave an update on crime in Baton Rouge and concluded that significant crimes in Baton Rouge had seen an overall reduction since last year. While there’s lots of work to continue to make our city a safe place to live for all, Baton R