The Design Transformation of an Off-Market Fixer-Upper
Ellen Sitkin and her husband Ben lived in Brooklyn for 15 years, but after having their second child, New York City started to feel overwhelming. While she’s from Boston, and he’s from Birmingham, New Orleans was a place they’d always been charmed by – and decided to call it home. They can both work remotely, so that helped make the transition to living and working in New Orleans (and spending summers in Maine) a reality. “It’s such a nice balance, and we’ve worked really hard to put ourselves in a position to make it possible.” Finding A Diamond in the Rough Moving to New Orleans in 2018, they rented a place sight unseen, in order to get a feel for the city before deciding where to buy. Having renovated old houses before, they were looking for a project – and settled on the Irish Channel as their chosen neighborhood. Knowing that they wanted a fixer-upper with historic details, a large yard for their daughters to play in, and a location within a mile radius of work and school, they came to me to help them find a diamond in the rough. Says Ellen, “Tracey seemed like a good fit because she was native to New Orleans but had lived in New York for a long time. So that immediately made me feel like she’d understand our situation.” And I was happy to help. With my knowledge of the Irish Channel and my ability to source off-market properties, I knew of a Chippewa Street house on a double lot that had great potential. And I knew the owner was interested in selling. In fact, I’d shown it to a few other clients, including friends of Ellen’s. An Amazing Renovation Explains Ellen, “I’m a graphic designer, and I dabble in interiors, so for me, I wanted a house that was at least 100 years old, that I could really make my own.” And after seeing this one, she concluded, “Given my design background, I had enough vision to say ok, we can turn this into something.” It would end up being the biggest renovation they’d ever tackled, but it turned out so beautifully that it was recently featured in Domino magazine. What My Client Had to Say I absolutely love that Ellen had this to say about me: “Tracey’s amazing. I remember meeting up with her to look at a place, and she was decked out in her Saints gear and gold high tops, and I was like, I love this woman! She’s so cool, she’s so easygoing, and she knows her shit. From day one, I immediately trusted her. She had lived in NYC for a long time, so that felt good, and she’s super connected here, knows the city, the neighborhoods, like a good real estate agent should. And the fact that she knew a lot of the nuances about the neighborhood – like all those details you need when you’re trying to find that special place – that made it just feel right.” Photo credit: Jacqueline Marque
Experienced Investment Property Owners Looking for the Right Buyer
Last summer, Bryan and Rachelle were intrigued as they watched their neighbor’s Uptown house sell quickly for above asking price. They appreciated how I hustled as the listing agent to show the house and manage multiple offers. So a few months later, when they decided to sell their investment property on Dumaine St. in Mid-City, they got in touch. Bryan and Rachelle were most interested in working with an agent who would listen to them and who was cool, calm, and collected. Says Bryan, “Way too often, agents have a tendency to try and tell you what to do or talk you into something, which has turned me off.” As experienced, responsible landlords who took care of their renters and properties, Bryan and Rachelle knew what they were looking for and how much they were willing to negotiate. What they needed was an experienced agent to secure the best offers from the kinds of buyers they were hoping to attract. A Lovely Duplex with A Lot to Offer Located just one block from beautiful Bayou St. John, their updated, well-maintained Duplex featuring two bedrooms and one bath on each side was perfect for a buyer who wanted to live in one unit and receive rental income from the other. And because Bryan and Rachelle were intent on doing right by their neighbors, that’s the kind of buyer they were looking for. Seven Offers in One Day With seven(!) offers on the first day we listed the property — all of them over listing price – Bryan and Rachelle were able to make a profit and at the same time, give the neighbors a dependable new owner who would care about the neighborhood as much as they did. In other words, it was a win-win. What My Clients Had to Say I’m thrilled that Bryan had this to say about working with me: “We did our research about Tracey. We really liked her style, her presentation, and her demeanor. Sometimes agents can be out for themselves, but she really has a great presence out there and genuinely listened to what we wanted. She knows what she’s doing, and she obviously runs a tight ship! We’ve definitely told friends how good our experience was.”
Rescue Dogs Are The Best
Back in 1992, I rescued a 20-lb. puppy with a broken leg off the streets of New York City and named him Moses. He quickly grew into my 120-lb. fur baby, and we shared a 400 square foot apartment on E. 25th Street for 10 years. Moses was the reason I started rescuing other dogs, eventually became a dog trainer, and managed a doggie daycare and boarding facility in Manhattan. And that was all before starting my career in real estate! If you’ve seen my social posts on Facebook and Instagram promoting Zeus’ Rescues and offering free dog training sessions by Elizabeth Schonberg to those who adopt, now you know that rescuing dogs is one of my passions. I’ve taken in and loved many of my own rescues over the years, from Moses the Rhodesian Ridgeback to Doody, Lupe, Jesse, and Winnie (all Chihuahuas), and Star the Beagle. Dog Training is the Key Successful Adoption And what I’ve learned is that the key to a successful rescue adoption is to do everything we can to help our furry friends get comfortable and socialized in their new home. That’s why Elizabeth’s great advice and dog training tips are so important — because we all want our new best friends to be well-mannered and happy. (Plus, Elizabeth offers forever texts & follow-ups, too!) I’m here to help everyone – including so many deserving dogs — find their forever homes. And while I’m not doing professional dog training anymore, I’m always up for offering a few tips and tricks. Why I Love Zeus’ Rescues Michelle Ingram, owner of Zeus’ Place and founder of Zeus’ Rescues, says, “There is no better feeling than taking a dog from a bad situation and giving it a great home with a loving family.” And I think Michelle and her crew are doing an amazing job. With a privately funded, no-kill shelter on Napoleon Avenue, their mission is to eradicate pet homelessness and euthanasia in the New Orleans metro area. An all-volunteer group, they find forever homes for animals that are pulled from high kill metro shelters. How You Can Help Want to help make a Zeus’ Rescue more adoptable? Volunteer to walk them – another key to good socialization! Sign up now or make a donation. Here are some of the cuties I’ve promoted to help find forever homes: Chewy Gunner Roxie Dior Beagle
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