Makeover: A Rock Star’s Home in the Marigny

What do you do when you’ve been searching forever for that perfect home (because you’ve got a crazy list of must-haves), and that perfect home finally appears? You hustle to see it right before it hits the market -- so that your full-price offer can be the first. That’s what happened when I helped my clients Yvonne and Rob Garrett jump on 820 Marigny Street, the amazing home of singer-songwriter Ani DeFranco.

Yvonne and Rob’s Crazy Requirements

As the long-time owner of a communications company that services non-profits, Yvonne Garrett had lived in Washington, DC, Boston, and all over the U.S. But over the years, she found herself spending more and more time in New Orleans. Says Yvonne, “During the pandemic, my husband Rob and I were down to just three months a year in DC when we decided to move to New Orleans full-time.”

At that point, Yvonne and Rob were living in a French Quarter townhome – “two humans and two Great Danes” as she likes to point out. Obviously, they needed more space. But even Yvonne admits that their requirements were a bit much. They wanted to stay in the French Quarter or the Marigny, and have at least 3000 square feet of living space, a yard, and secure, off-street parking. A tall order, to be sure – especially at a time when there was very little inventory on the market.

Backstory: How We First Met & Bought an Old B&B

I first met Yvonne and Rob back in 2017, when they were looking for investment property and office space. They came to see one of my listings at the time and liked how I’d handled myself. Next thing you know, we’re working together.

Soon after, I found an old B&B in the Marigny that Yvonne could turn into her office space. It was overpriced, and I knew it, because I’d examined the neighborhood comps. It had been on the market for over two months, and no one had made an offer on it yet. So on New Year’s Eve, we put in an offer for 100K less than the list price, and it was accepted!

Ani DeFranco’s Home: 820 Marigny Street

Fast forward to 2020, and Yvonne and Rob are on top of each other and their dogs in that French Quarter townhome. I got wind of Ani DeFranco’s home going up for sale before it hit the market, and I immediately called Yvonne, saying “If you’re interested, we can see it today before it goes on the market.”

Yvonne remembers the craziness of that day like this: “Ani and her kids were in the house. I was entertaining her son, while Tracey and Rob looked around. It was a great house, but it needed a lot of work. There was a whole music studio, and the house was full of knob and tube wiring! We knew we couldn’t pass it up. Tracey wrote a full-price offer, and we gave them until 1 hour before the start of their open house to accept it. We also gave them a long closing period, because we knew they’d need  it. They ended up with a handful of full-price offers, but they accepted ours. And Tracey was able to get them to replace most of the knob and tube wiring, too!”

The closing was in May of 2021.

Three Days Before Move-In

Yvonne and Rob proceeded to put love and care into a renovation of the house. Then three days before their scheduled move-in date, Hurricane Ida hit.

As soon as I could check on my clients’ properties, I saw that their newly renovated home was a mess. The (older) roof had blown off, the ceiling in the entryway had caved in, and there was water everywhere. I called Yvonne and Rob (who had evacuated to Florida) to give them an update, and then I called my vendor to get a tarp on the roof as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, Yvonne and Rob had to redo all the work they’d just completed, plus a lot more. The house needed a new roof (which I helped them secure quickly) and a new primary bath, which took a lot of time and frustration. But at the end of the day, Yvonne says it worked out better – because everything they were putting off to do at a later date had now been addressed. They were incredibly fortunate to still have the cramped French Quarter townhouse to live in, and they had the resources to stick it out and persevere.

They finally moved into the house in February of 2022. It’s spectacular (as you can see from the photos below), they love it, and their dogs love it!

I’m honored that Yvonne had this to say about working with me:

“First of all, Tracey knows everybody! I have yet to find anyone who’s even tangential to construction, real estate, design, or art that doesn’t know her. She’s just an incredible resource. And she’s a wonderful person who has become a friend. 

“She’s always direct and wants to make sure everyone has all the information they need. So many times, people will rush you over the line to try to get a deal done, and they don’t stop to ask you the hard questions. But she always does. So I appreciate that kind of transparency and thoughtfulness. 

“Tracey thinks about how you live in a house – she asks questions, and she knows how we’re going to use a property, how we’re going to live in it, and thinks about things down the road. I just don’t think a lot of people think that way! 

“Our house is amazing, and I don’t think it would have happened without her. She’s been one of the best people we’ve met on our journey.” – Yvonne Garrett