A Love for Chihuahuas and Churches
A lover of Chihuahuas, I met Sara and Paul Costello when they desperately needed a new home for their two cute pups. The issue was their son’s allergies, so I stepped in to help. And we ended up co-parenting the dogs for 10 years :-) In 2018, Sara and Paul bought an old church at 818-820 Sixth Street and intended to make it a flip. But according to Sarah, “We peeled it back, decade by decade – doing the kind of work you would do if you were going to live in it yourself.” After the renovation, it boasted gorgeous finishes and furnishings, and became a distinctive venue that beckoned all sorts of interesting people and events, from weddings and dinners to performance art. Keeping it for five years, they also used part of it as studio space for themselves (Sara is a designer/decorator and Paul is a photographer). Selling an Incredibly Distinctive Venue Sara and Paul adored the property, but when they decided it was time to move on, they called me. They were concerned it would be a tough sell, but I knew it was a killer property -- unique and special in every way. In fact, I knew the process would be fun! And as soon as I got excited about it, they did, too. They worried about setting the right price and what the market could bear. But I appreciate that Sara thinks I have a “spidey-sense” about pricing, and that I knew exactly what that psychological number should be. She goes on to say, “Then it was like a lighting round. We were barely even sure we wanted to sell -- and in the blink of an eye, photos were online, and we had an offer on the first day.” Complications: From Furniture to Closing Dates That’s not to say that the whole thing was smooth sailing. Sara and Paul had a LOT of furnishings in the venue (Sara says they were ridiculously sentimental about everything), and there was a good bit of negotiation based on what the buyers wanted to include in the sale. There were also complications with closing dates; the buyers wanted to close before the end of the year, but Sara and Paul had clients getting married in the space on Christmas Eve. In the end, we had to move the closing date a few times, but thankfully, it worked out well for everyone. I’m humbled that Sara and Paul had this to say about working with me: “Tracey’s a character. We’re not from here - but we came from New York and she lived in New York. So she speaks our language. But she’s also completely New Orleanian – she’s got both sides of that coin, which is helpful for people who aren’t from here. I also loved that I could ask Tracey anything about the contract that I was unfamiliar with. Sometimes you don’t want to sound dumb, but I had to ask, for like the 4th time, how something worked. She was so patient, even though I asked her over and over again. She’s soooo trustworthy, too. It’s such an honor to work with her.” - Sara “Tracey is so professional. There were so many complications, but she kept plugging away until it was solved. She never gets rattled! And she has an incredible demeanor for the work she does. She has a great way of handling it all. She kept the deal on track for everybody. Everybody got exactly what they wanted out of it, even though sometimes it was dicey! What it boils down to is, you’re in very, very good hands with Tracey.” - Paul
My Clients Were Selling Their Dream Home
The two bedroom, two-bath Craftsman bungalow that Della and Scott had lived in for 35 years wasn’t going to be the perfect fit for everyone, but I knew it would attract the right buyer. Over the years, they had completed a luxurious 800 square foot primary suite addition and lovingly added numerous design elements and special touches – a Lee Ledbetter designed library/office, custom kitchen cabinetry, and an enclosed breezeway connecting the primary wing. Della and Scott had made 600 State Street their dream home and adored living there, but they were planning to retire in Asheville, NC. That was April 2022, and the market was hot -- but there were rumors that interest rates were about to go up. That prompted Della and Scott to move forward with selling their home. It's About Asking The Right Question They interviewed three different realtors and offered me the job. During the interview, I asked what price they were hoping to get for their home – a question the other two realtors didn’t even ask. Instead, the others wanted to price the property low, in the hopes of encouraging a bidding war – a common tactic in a hot market. But that’s not what Della and Scott wanted. They weren’t comfortable with it, and they were unsure if that approach would work. So, based on my asking that question – and their comfort level – we priced the home honestly, just under the number they were hoping to receive. As Scott satisfyingly put it, “We hit the sweet spot.” A Strategy That Worked Initially, there was interest from an under-bidder. But then a couple came along and offered full price. They’d been looking for a year, had lost out on a house across the street, and didn’t want to miss out again! We agreed to a quick 30-day sale so the buyer could lock in a favorable interest rate. The timeline was a little tight due to some work Della and Scott had agreed to do, but I made sure all the loose ends were tied up, inspections went smoothly, and the closing went off without a hitch! I love that Della and Scott had this to say about working with me: “The first realtor we interviewed was too soft, the second was too hard, but Tracey was just right. She had a straightforward plan that suited us, and we felt it would be the most successful. Through it all, she was holding our hand and making sure everything went through. We left three days before the closing, and she took over -- making sure all the work was complete, and the house passed final inspections. She did it all! It was a real relief because we needed that extra help.” - Scott “We have good friends who highly recommended Tracey -- two people we really respect who thought she’d do a great job. She understood the house and its design elements and how we had fleshed out the rooms with storage features. I think she really understood it and got the quality of it.” - Della
From Too Small to Too Big: Getting It Just Right
Neil and Suri moved to New Orleans from NYC in 2016, trading an expansive 3-story brick townhouse in Brooklyn for a small rental in the University area. Suri started a new job at Tulane, and they’d leased the place sight unseen, with the intention to buy a home once they’d gotten to know the city. While they fell in love with New Orleans, they were cramped and miserable in their rental space. However, they soon purchased a large Queen Anne Victorian on Octavia St. and outfitted it with a beautifully renovated kitchen, a new covered porch, high end finishes, and a 3rd floor hangout space for their kids. They moved in and frequently entertained, taking advantage of all the amenities the home had to offer. But then the pandemic hit. With Neil spending long stretches of time in NYC for his job and the entertaining of guests suspended, the house started to feel too big, too much to clean and care for, and maybe too much of a good thing. Neil was torn, but Suri felt they needed to move on. The Sweet Spot The third time would be the charm. Neil and Suri bought a manageable double on Arabella Street and embarked on a renovation to convert it to a single family home. Once that was underway, Neil explains, “We had to do a full court press to sell the Octavia Street house.” Our First Meeting I had met Neil and Suri a few years earlier, when I was the listing agent for a Richmond Place home they’d considered. At that time, they were interested in a rent to own agreement, but it didn’t work out. We hit it off, and they stayed in touch, all of us hoping we could work together in the future. Selling the Grande Dame A few years later, Neil and Suri asked me to sell 1328 Octavia Street, and as it turned out, it proved to be quite a challenge. At first, there were a few nibbles, but the listing sat for a bit, as there are only so many people interested in a house that big. Then we found the right buyer, but it was a difficult situation that required ongoing negotiations. Neil and Suri wanted to sell the home and then rent it back from the new owner while renovating their place on Arabella. At first, the buyer agreed, but then that part of the contract fell through. To save the deal, I went into overdrive to find a suitable rental for Neil, Suri, their two children, and one VERY large dog. And this was right after Hurricane Ida, when any and all rentals were incredibly hard to come by. It was stressful, but I never gave up, and thankfully, it all worked out! I’m incredibly appreciative that Neil had this to say about me: “Suri and I have worked with a lot of real estate folks, have a lot of real estate friends, and knew a lot of people in NYC, but I really feel Tracey is in a class by herself. It’s this remarkable combination of being aggressive, and focused, and organized, but also pitch-perfect. If the situation calls for being firm and sharp, that’s what she brings. If it calls for being diplomatic or inquisitive, that’s what she brings. Or if it calls for getting information that’s difficult to get out of someone, she’s able to finesse the situation – and do whatever is called for. “She has this blend of approaches and affects that work incredibly well. And sometimes it also translates to having a real presence – you know she’s in the room – she just has a really sharp, sophisticated look. “You knew Tracey was always working for you. We had supreme confidence that whatever the situation, she was on top of it, and that more than anyone else, she could handle anything. She is such a great communicator, and she’s so great at reading a situation. She’s also good at managing people and has really good political acumen and instincts about how best to use the Réve Realtors resources she has at her disposal.”
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