Greater Baton Rouge Real Estate Blog - Kristina Cusick's Blog

LOOKING FOR THE BEST COMMUNITIES IN ASCENSION PARISH? AS AN ASCENSION PARISH REAL ESTATE AGENT, ONE OF THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS WE GET IS, "WHAT IS THE BEST COMMUNITY IN ASCENSION PARISH?" AND THE ANSWER IS... IT DEPENDS. 

Town & Parish Realty's Top 5 Communities in Ascension Parish

Geismar

Originally, Geismar was known for its industrial development and the large presence of chemical plants and manufacturing facilities. As of late, Geismar is known for upscale neighborhoods located within some of the most desired school districts in Ascension Parish. The area is also known as Dutchtown, so if someone asks if you live in Dutchtown, they are talking about Geismar. Dutchtown is easier to say, right?

In the Dutchtown/Geismar area, you are just…

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When you’re buying a home, you may have heard of something called “closing costs.” But what are they? How much do they cost? And who is responsible for paying them? In this blog post, we’ll explain the basics of closing costs and discuss who ends up footing the bill in the end.

Closing costs refer to the fees associated with the purchase of a home, such as title insurance and taxes. They can be broken down into two categories: lender fees and third-party fees. Lender fees include things like mortgage application fees, loan origination fees, and points. Third-party fees include items like title insurance and appraisal fees.

In the Greater Baton Rouge area, if you have obtained a loan, you will also see one year of homeowner's insurance plus an…

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Are you a first-time homebuyer getting ready to embark on your journey into the world of homeownership? Congratulations - this is an exciting and thrilling experience! While it can be daunting, knowing what to expect and having the right information at hand can help make it a much smoother process. In this blog post, we’ll offer five useful tips for first-time homebuyers that will set you up with everything you need to know before taking the big plunge into homeownership.

So don't worry - by following our advice, you'll be well-equipped with all the knowledge necessary to buy your dream home!

1. Get a Home Inspection – A home inspection is an important step for any first-time homebuyer to ensure the house is in good condition and free of any major…

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Today, we celebrate the upcoming presidency of Kristina Cusick, broker/owner of Town & Parish Realty, for 2023. This is a remarkable achievement marking another step forward in her successes as a professional. As excited as we are for Cusick to become president-elect for the Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS and for this chapter of growth and success to begin, We are moved by the leadership she's already been exhibiting in the community, Leading various events that are designed to foster knowledge around real estate topics and empower fellow professionals. As she enters into this new role, we can't help but wonder what incredible strides she will take in reforming and enriching our understanding of real estate. Congratulations Kristina!

kristina cusick president elect GBRAR

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Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas are about to experience a freeze we haven't seen since the late 1980s. The weather experts predict lows in the teens, and we will not discuss the wind chill factor. Brrrr! We may not even go above freezing for a day or two. We are Southerners and do NOT know how to handle this!

Here are a few tips to help you keep your pipes from freezing...

1. Insulate your exterior hose bibs.
2. Disconnect the hoses from the outside spigots. This won't necessarily help your pipes, but it will keep you from purchasing new hoses in the Spring!
3. Open interior cabinet doors in rooms with pipes running along exterior walls.
4. DO NOT run a steady stream of water in your sink when you go to bed. Instead, keep a slight drip on the hot…

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 Ascension Parish is ready for the 2022 Christmas Season!

The residents of Ascension Parish have quite the spirit when it comes to Christmas. check out some of our favorite events you can attend in 2022.

  1. Dec 6, 2022 6:00pm
    Start the season off at the City Of Gonzales Tree Lighting event. Come to City Hall on Irma Blvd in Gonzales and celebrate the Christmas tree's lighting. Afterward, Santa and his elves will be at the civic center with gifts for the little ones and jambalaya to fill your tummy.
  2. Dec 10, 2022 5:30pm
    One of the most fun, family-friendly events is the Volunteer Ascension Movie Night.  Put on your warm jammies, grab a blanket and come out to Jambalaya Park Amphitheater and enjoy the viewing of Santa Clause 3. Also, enjoy…

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'Tis the Season and East Baton Rouge Parish has some fun things lined up! 

The holidays are always full of magic and wonder....and expense! I wanted to put together a list of fun things to do that won't cost you anything. We all need a break from expenses this year, am I right?!

  1. Dec 2, 2022 4-8pm
    You can attend the 2022 Festival of Lights  in Downtown Baton Rouge. Mayor Sharon Weston-Broome will light the 25' Christmas tree as well as the lights along North Blvd. The countdown will begin around 6:20pm so don't be late! Enjoy free ice skating and real snow in the Snow Village. Finish off the evening of fun by watching the spectacular fireworks display over the Mississippi River. This is one of Baton Rouge's oldest Holiday traditions. I bet many of…

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It's almost Christmas Time in West Baton Rouge Parish and every year, I go out looking for a list of things to do, and I can never find them in one place.

 So I figured, if I have these questions, then I bet a lot of other folks do too!

So since I could not find a great list, I decided to create one!

Here it is! My top 6 things to do in West Baton Rouge Parish

  1. Polar Express Family Movie Showing
    I love this movie! I know, I know... the creepy animated kids. Once you get past that, it's a cute movie and a great reminder to us never to let the magic of Christmas die.
    The really cool thing about this event is it’s at the West Baton Rouge Library (message me if you need directions. They are also providing free train rides, a hot cocoa bar, and…

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Some homebuyers have asked if a National Brokerage has more homes to show them than a smaller Boutique Brokerage. Its human nature with the whole bigger is better concept to think this. The short answer to this question is NO. You see, as a brokerage that is a member of our local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) we all have access to the same information.

Multiple Listing Service

When a listing becomes available on the market, the listing agent enters it into our MLS. This system can best be described as our REALTOR database. Every agent of our local Board of Realtors has access to this. They can perform searches for you based on your specific criteria and send those results straight to your inbox for your review. You can also receive real-time…

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real estate agent meeting with middle aged couple

So you are ready to start thinking about purchasing a home. Exciting! But wait, how will you get to see the homes that you are interested in? Who will write the contract for you? Who will help you with negotiations and repair requests?

A Buyer’s Agent

Your fantastic buyer’s agent will! What is a buyer’s agent, you ask? A buyer’s agent is a licensed real estate agent that will represent you and only you. Not you and the seller. (That’s a dual agent and we will talk about that later)

How Do I Find A Buyer’s Agent?

Great question! Chances are you probably know a handful of real estate agents in the Greater Baton Rouge already. Start there. These are people you know, like, and trust already. If you don’t know one already, do a quick google…

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