Looking for a Family-Friendly Atmosphere + Flex Space in Algiers Point

by Tracey Moore

Patti and Paige each met me years ago through mutual friends, and before they were married, both had worked with me individually to buy and sell other homes. We’re good friends, and they know I’ve always been personally committed to finding them what they were looking for.

At the time, Patti and Paige were living in a double they own in the Lower Garden District, but they knew that they wanted to move to Algiers Point. They have a young son and friends in Algiers Point with children. Says Patti, “We saw so many kids playing and happy over here, and we wanted that kind of atmosphere.”

Patti and Paige thought they wanted a raised basement with flex space for Patti’s small company Tchoup Industries, a sewing studio that makes high quality bags from local materials, as well as extra space for playing music (Paige loves to practice her drumming when she’s not working in film production). They looked at every raised basement home as soon as it came on the market, but nothing had worked out.

How It Took a Few Times to Found the Right One

Patti notes that throughout their 1½ year long house-hunting journey, she and Paige appreciated my patience, honesty, and the fact that I didn’t sugarcoat anything. In fact, they had been under contract on two other houses, and were willing to put money into those properties, but in the end, I had advised them not to. I’m grateful that Patti had this to say about me:

“Tracey’s so knowledgeable about the city and the community, what’s available, what’s a good value, and what’s not. We could really trust her to guide us.”

What happened next wasn’t what any of us had expected: I was the selling agent on the house they ultimately bought. But I didn’t automatically think of it as an option for them, because the home isn’t a raised basement. However, it had been beautifully renovated and had a half-finished, two-story back house – which is what intrigued them. Paige immediately saw the listing, called me, and they were the first buyers to see it.

Patti & Paige were really excited about the home, but because I was the selling agent, they knew I was trying to be even-handed and manage expectations. I appreciate that Patti describes the situation this way:

“Tracey was great throughout inspections. She balanced everything really well between the seller and us. We countered after inspections and asked for money to fix a few things, and there was back and forth — but Tracey was really fair and gracious about all of it.”

What I love is that they trusted me to do my best for them, as well as for the seller, and understood the value I brought to the experience.

Everything They Wanted and More

Closing on December 29, 2020, Patti & Paige were excited to ring in the new year in their new space. And New Orleans being the one-degree-of-separation place that it is, they ended up having personal and professional connections to their neighbors on both sides. That only solidified their belief that moving to Algiers Point was the right thing. On top of that, they kept their double on the Lower Garden District and now earn rental income.

Now, they’re excited to be finishing out the back house. The downstairs will be Patti’s sewing studio, and the upstairs will be a guest space for in-laws when they visit. “It has turned out to be such a good fit for what we needed,” says Paige.