A Home Away From Home for Houstonians
Julia Jacobson is a native New Orleanian living in Houston with her husband Stephen and three children. But her entire extended family lives in New Orleans. So, you can guess what that means – Julia and family come ‘home’ to visit any chance they get. With lots of siblings and cousins in town, there’s always room for them at someone’s house. But recently, they decided to buy their own home away from home. And since they’re huge Mardi Gras fans, they were looking for something on the parade route. Julia’s father is a retired New Orleans real estate attorney who was in the business for 30 years, so she wasn’t sure she needed a realtor. But then Julia and I met when she inquired about my listing at St. Elizabeth’s, a great spot for Mardi Gras lovers. Persistence and Tenacity That condo was too small for her family of five, so I took it upon myself to see if any other owners in the building were willing to sell. Another condo soon came on the market, and Julia and Stephen met me there to take a look. Again, it didn’t work for them. Despite that, we hit it off, discussing in detail what they needed. She liked my demeanor and promised, “If we find something, we’ll call you. And if you find something, you call us!” My persistence and tenacity had won her over. A Beautiful House with Some Issues The next day, Julia and Stephen found and fell in love with a single family home on Jefferson Ave. Spacious enough for five, it featured a back house/office space where Stephen could work, and it was close to the parade route for Mardi Gras favorites like Muses, Thoth, and more. We made an offer and went under contract. While it looked amazing aesthetically, inspections revealed a lot of issues behind the walls that needed fixing. And that meant several rounds of back and forth negotiating for price reductions, while meeting many of my recommended vendors at the house to get accurate quotes. Because Julia and Stephen were in Houston, I was happy to handle the details, so that they’d pay a fair price and the closing would go smoothly. After the closing, they hired a contractor to manage all the work that had to be done -- and now they have the perfect place to land every time they come to town. Especially when it’s carnival time! I'm honored that Julia had this to say about working with me: “We met Tracey because she was the listing agent for the St. Elizabeth’s condo, and she was just the nicest person – normal, and not pushy! She didn’t know us at all when she made all those phone calls to try and find us a condo. She just worked so hard – and we felt like whatever we found, she deserved the commission. One day later, we found a house on our own, but only because Tracey was focused on finding us a condo. “Tracey was excellent at negotiating and didn’t let us get pushed around. She’s so calm and cool-headed -- a well-liked professional, kind, and very knowledgeable about the area from growing up in New Orleans. “She handled all the details, showing up and getting accurate quotes from her trusted vendors. Tracey really went above and beyond! She is so honest, and I would work with her again!” – Julia Jacobson
Dauphine Gardens: A Unique Bywater Condo Community
The Crazy Closing of a Difficult Deal Albert Walsh -- a client, close friend, and real estate developer -- remembers our crazy closing on a Bywater building this way: “The seller was difficult, and it had taken us a year to get to closing. It was Lundi Gras 2011, and we had a 5 pm deadline. Tracey and I had to battle through Mardi Gras traffic, cross the parade route, and then close the deal by the skin of our teeth!” And that was the least of it! It was a complicated deal that required winning over two different neighborhood groups, a zoning change that had to be approved by the City Council, and a $50,000 non-refundable deposit. And if the zoning change didn’t go through, my clients wouldn’t get their deposit back. It was a calculated gamble – mostly because we knew the city desperately needed more affordable housing. A Green Renovation Ahead of Its Time The dilapidated Bywater apartment building had been sitting unoccupied since Hurricane Katrina, and it needed to be completely gutted. Not only were Albert and his business partner George up for the challenge, they were also ahead of the curve – embarking on an ambitious green renovation that tackled everything from stormwater management and energy efficiencies to quality of life improvements. One of their first efforts was creating a unique gutter system that diverts storm water and greatly limits run-off from the property. They also removed as much concrete as possible, maximizing green space and planting native cypress trees and palmettos that suck up water like a sponge. In addition, they added multiple layers of thermal insulation to keep the units cool and acoustic insulation to keep them quiet, both in the floors and the walls. From new wiring and new plumbing to new layouts and upgraded finishes, they created environmentally-friendly, affordable housing that was very much in demand. Says Albert, “I think what we did has real world impact, and I think if more developers and homeowners tried to do things like that, it would make a difference.” A Refresh that Brought Affordable Condos to the Bywater After owning and renting the units for 10 years, Albert and George recently updated the building, turning the apartments into an affordable condo community. Located in a vibrant, eclectic neighborhood, Dauphine Gardens is a unique Bywater community offering 27 fully renovated one bedroom & one bath condominiums, with amenities such as gated privacy, assigned parking, on-site laundry, bicycle storage, extensive green space, and a location that’s steps from notable restaurants, coffee shops, bars, boutiques, and parks. I’m thankful that Albert has this to say about working with me: “Tracey’s the one who found this off-market Bywater property and told me it was promising. When she showed it to me, I was like, yes, I’ve gotta do this! She was a rock star on this deal, and it would not have happened without her. Any other agent, and it would have fallen apart! She’s tenacious! “Since 2005, I’ve probably worked over 25 real estate deals with Tracey and have probably referred over 50 listings to her. I’m an opportunistic shopper, and she has continued to bring me deals over the years that weren’t accessible to anybody else.” “If you don’t grow up in New Orleans, you can be considered an outsider. I kind of got grandfathered-in, so to speak. There was this grace period for those who moved here after Katrina to help rebuild the city. As time moved on, I realized, I’ll never break into the community. But I never felt that way with Tracey. She’s open-minded, welcoming, and happy to work with people outside the city.”
An Architectural Landmark that’s a Haven for Out-of-Towners
Nine years ago, Aaryanne and Rick Preusch visited New Orleans with friends who owned a condo in the city. Looking back, Aaryanne says now, “We had so much fun that weekend, we decided we needed a condo here, too!” Soon after, they found my listing at St. Elizabeth’s for a corner condo with breathtaking views, and that’s how we met. The condo offered them the rare opportunity to spend time in a Second Empire architectural landmark in the heart of Uptown New Orleans. A Get-Away Spot That’s Close to Home, But Worlds Away Splitting their time between Hattiesburg and New Orleans, they tend to come down for a week or two at a time. Says Aaryanne, “We try to be in New Orleans as much as possible because we love it so much. For years, we’ve used our time there to relax, walk around the neighborhood, sleep in and not have a set schedule. It’s evolved, and we’re looking forward to being there more and getting involved with the community. It’s 1 ½ hours from door-to-door, and it’s been the best decision we’ve ever made!” Successfully Moving from One Spot in St. Elizabeth’s to Another When Aaryanne and Rick found out that a condo below theirs would soon be for sale, they jumped on it before it hit the market. It’s rare for a unit in the main building overlooking Napoleon Ave. to become available, and since it had the same square footage but offered one-level living, it made sense. The corner condo I’d sold them had stairs, but Aaryanne had recently had knee surgery and back issues and puts it this way: “We knew we didn’t need stairs in the coming years, and we want to be in this building for many years to come. So, we said let’s act now, because we may not get another chance.” To make sure that Aaryanne and Rick were in the best possible position to buy the condo downstairs, they turned to me to list the corner condo they needed to sell. Offers came quickly, and we were under contract in just 22 days. But there was a lot of countering and negotiating back and forth, and the closing date had to be pushed. Aaryanne and Rick needed five weeks to renovate the downstairs unit and wanted to stay where they were until it was ready. The buyers were anxious to get in, but we worked things out and in the end, kept everything on track – which can be a delicate balancing act! I’m thrilled that Aaryanne had this to say about working with me: "From the first time I met Tracey, I always had it in the back of my mind – if I needed a realtor again in New Orleans, I was going to work with her. I just liked what I saw. So when it came time to sell our corner condo and buy the unit downstairs, she was my go-to. She’s so well connected and really takes real estate up a notch. The process she goes through to make things go smoothly for you – I had never experienced that before. And when it comes to negotiating, she helps you think through everything and keeps you focused on what’s important. "Tracey is calm, cool, and collected – which is what you need when you’re going through the process of buying and selling. She’s incredibly responsive, and while you know you’re a client, you feel like a friend. She just lets you into her circle. "What really blew our minds is that even though we worked out a deal for the downstairs condo without Tracey, she helped us through that process anyway! Because she wanted us to be in a good position so that we could sell the corner condo. "I love how she doesn’t try to micromanage a situation. She just lets you call the shots and guides you through the process. She doesn't try to force anything, and she’s very honest and straightforward. "I also love how dedicated she is to her favorite non-profits and how she’s always giving back. She’s just such a caring person and you can see it in everything she does. She obviously loves what she does, loves New Orleans, and loves this community. It’s truly amazing what she did for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – she’s so humble, but she raised a ton of money! I mean, she really goes after it! She’s just fabulous, and I can’t say enough about her!" - Aaryanne
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