Hogs For the Cause Has A New Location This Year

Hogs for the Cause will be happening this year but at a different location and a new date. The annual event will take place this year June 4 – 5, 2021 in Belle Chasse. 

Image by Hogfest 2019

This will be the first time the event will be held outside of the city. The location will be at a Plaquemines Parish Government Facility with a 15-acre green space.

Patrons will enjoy one of New Orleans’ biggest food events but on a smaller scale. Rene Louapre and Becker Hall, co-founders, will be adding protocols for coronavirus safety this year. They are turning to health care professionals such as Children’s Hospital and LCMC Health, and state and parish officials, including the Louisiana Fire Marshal’s to oversee the event safety.

“Things could change between now and then but we want people to know that we’re taking a community-first approach with all of this,” Louapre said. “The public health considerations are where we start all of our decisions.”

The change in date and the location is due to COVID-19. The original dates in March 2020 were cancelled due to the pandemic and the new location stems from the UNO Lakefront Arena currently being used as a COVID-19 testing site. Orleans Parish also restricts outdoor events to a limit of 150 so the festival had to “think outside of the city” so to speak.

Plaquemines Parish allows 50% capacity or one person per 30 square feet at outside events. Hogs for the Cause hopes to keep their attendance lower than allowed with a capped capacity at 25% (approximately 5,000 patrons per day).

There will also be more of a separation between cook-off team areas and public areas this year. The tech-enabled wristband which has been used since 2008 will help reduce contact with vending booths and ticket lines.

Hogs for the Cause raises money to support families dealing with pediatric brain cancer. The Last event in 2019 raised around $2 million. Even with the smaller scaled event, Louapre and Hall will make sure the fundraising is a success this year.

“It’s important for us to continue doing this work,” said Louapre. “We have commitments to families and programs around the country. The pandemic hasn’t stopped the needs of these families.”

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2021 Sees a Record High in Private Residential Spending

The total private residential construction spending is 21% higher than reported a year ago. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) analysis of Census Construction Spending data reported a 2.5% rise in total private residential construction spending in January. January saw a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $713 billion making this a record high.

The pandemic has caused many of us to spend more time at home. The gains were stemmed from ” strong growth of spending on single-family and improvements.” In January, the data shows that single-family construction hit a $376.2 billion annual pace which was up by 3%. There was also a 2.3% increase in spending on remodeling, major replacements and additions.

Although the majority of the surge in spending was in homebuilding, there was also a rise in public and private non-housing-related construction.

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2021 New American Home Has 4 Green Strategies To Follow

The New American Home 2021 is located in Winter Park, Florida and is the official show home of the NAHBInternational Builders’ Show® (IBS). The home conveniently located in the downtown area close to restaurants, shops, and parks.

This single-family three-story home incorporates innovative technology and current trends in a high-end, sophisticated setting. The design and construction of the home follows the National Green Building Standard “Emerald” certification, Energy Star, and net-zero status.

“Building green does not need to be more difficult or extremely costly,” said Drew Smith, NGBS Green Master Verifier of Two Trails, Inc. who oversaw the NGBS Green Emerald Level certification for both homes. “Finding what makes sense for you and your clients is the best way to deliver a high-performance certified project.”

This home features four high-performance strategies that can be added to any new construction or renovation.

1. Tight Thermal Envelope

This will basically reduce hot or cold air from seeping in from the exterior walls of your home. By doing this, you will lower utility bills and make your living space more comfortable. The thermal envelope of your home includes wall and roof assemblies, insulation, air/vapor retarders, windows, and weatherstripping and caulking. Make sure to use a higher insulation value in the walls and attic spaces of your home. Use windows that have Low-E coating that will reduce the amount of solar heat that comes in through the windows and are filled with argon gas which keeps airtightness. Exterior concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls filled with corefill foam/reflective insulation are a good way to keep a layer in between the inside of your home and the outdoor elements.

2. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Comfort

This is the air quality that is in your home as it relates to the health and comfort of those living in the home. An indoor space must have fresh air exchange and proper ventilation. Pollutants found in your home range from oil, gas, kerosene, coal, wood, tobacco products, building materials (damp carpet or pressed wood), household cleaners, HVAC, radon, pesticides and outdoor air pollution. The home should be able to have proper ventilation along with the ability to maintain relative humidity. A good way to do this is by using bath fans and kitchen range hoods. For the HVAC system use MERV 13 space conditioning air filters. When painting or caulking in the home use Low/no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Furniture, appliances and building materials should be composed of healthy, eco-friendly finishes.

3. Above-Code Energy Efficiency

The U.S. Department of Energy has energy codes that builders must follow. These codes establish minimum energy efficiency requirements for new construction and renovations. New homes built above the standard code can reduce energy consumption by 40% and will not have much higher construction costs. When building a new home or renovating use a tight envelope, correct sized HVAC-R systems for your home, 100% LED lighting exterior/interior, ENERGY STAR appliances and smart home technology for lighting control and climate control.

4. Above-Code Water Efficiency

Water efficiency is based on how we use our water resources. The goal is to reduce our use through water-saving technologies. Simple steps such as fixture choices, plumbing layout design, landscape design, and smart (or no) irrigation can help achieve water efficiency. Choose EPA WaterSense®  labeled plumbing fixtures. When it comes to hot water, use a tankless water heater with insulated water lines and on-demand hot water recirculating pumps. For landscaping use Indigenous landscaping with a minimum of turfgrass and for irrigation use micro-spray, driplines and programmable controllers.

These are just a few steps that you can take to make your home greener. A green home will be a more comfortable and healthy environment to live in as well as a money saver on utilities.

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New Home Sales Rise the First Month of 2021

The Census Bureau and HUD reported a 4.3% increase in January for new single-family home sales to a 923,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate. January sales overall saw a rate of 19.3% higher than January 2020.

The increase comes from the current housing demand as homeowners are still spending the majority of their time in their homes. Lower interest rates still also play a part but according to data gathered,  Housing affordability headwinds will increase in 2021, due to price growth and mortgage rates trending higher.

As for inventory, it is still lagging behind. In January sales-adjusted inventory levels were at a 4 months’ supply. January 2021 saw a 5.5% lower increase in count than a year ago. For new home inventory that has not started yet has increased 45% over the last year from 56,000 to 81,000.

The higher cost for building materials has caused a rise in housing affordability coming into 2021. The media sales price at the beginning of the year saw a 5.3% gain for just a year ago to $346,000.

If you are in the market are considering purchasing a home, now is a good time before prices and mortgage rates rise. A smart move is to contact a Realtor in your area who can help you find the right home for you.

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Perks in the Housing Market For Present-Day Buyers and Sellers

The current housing market offers perfect opportunities for both buying and selling a home. In today's

market, there are a couple of perks for both home buyers and sellers that are hardly ever available.

This is a perfect time to purchase a home because of the historic low mortgage rates. The average mortgage interest rate has hit an all-time low. In fact, it is the lowest in the history of the Freddie Mac survey which dates back to 1971. Today's buyers can actually obtain a mortgage rate lower than the past two generations of homebuyers.

“Purchasing power rose 10% year-over-year…With interest rates hitting record lows, buyers were able to afford $32,000 “more house” as of July 23 than they could the year before with the same monthly payment,” according to the National Mortgage News.

Buyers will not only save money on a home, but they will have the opportunity to get more home for the money. This is especially appealing with today's pandemic pushing work from home. Homeowners are re-evaluating the amount of space they need in a home.

As for current sellers in the market, the low inventory has definitely been an advantage. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) the inventory of homes coming into the market continues to decline.  Even before the pandemic hit, the inventory was low. In today's market, houses are selling faster than they are being listed.

Bidding wars are the norm now. The fuel of low mortgage rates and low inventory is pushing buyers into bidding wars.

“Home prices rose during the lockdown and could rise even further due to heavy buyer competition and a significant shortage of supply,” says Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for NAR.

If you are in the market for a home or want to sell your current home, now is the time. Contact a Realtor in your area who can help you through the process.

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Data Released Shows November 2020 Gains in Single-Family Permits

The National Association of Home Builders' Eye on Housing reported that there was a 12.2% increase of single-family permits on a year-over-year basis from November 2019. The November 2020 number reached to 888,217 while the November 2019 level just hit 791,452.

The South had an increase of 14.4% single-family permits which was the highest in all four regions. The other three regions were as follows, Midwest had an 11.7% increase, the West had an 8.5% increase and the Northeast had the lowest at 8%.

Delving even more into the data, 45 states saw an increase in single-family permits while 5 states and the District of Columbia saw a decline. The highest record was Vermont with a 37.8% increase while the District of Columbia saw the lowest at a decline of 19.6%. The ten highest states issuing the highest number of single-family permits were Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Delaware, Nebraska, Arizona, Missouri, Utah, and Texas. These states totaled 61.3% of the country's total single-family permits issued.

At the local level, below are the top 10 metro areas that issued the highest number of single-family permits.

Metropolitan Statistical Area	Single-family Permits: Nov (Units #YTD, NSA)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	43,458
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	39,492
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	28,376
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	25,559
Austin-Round Rock, TX	19,375
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	16,399
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	14,629
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	14,169
Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN	12,759
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	12,254

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Tips To Making A Competitive Offer On A Home

Today's housing market is definitely a seller's market. A buyer has to stand out in order to successfully win a bidding war. Here are five tips to follow in order to set yourself above other buyers.

 

Listen to Your Real Estate Agent

Going at it alone is not a wise move when it comes to finding and purchasing a home. According to an article from Freddie Mac, purchasing a home can be very emotional and a professional can help an emotional buyer stay on track.

“Remember to let your homebuying team guide you on your journey, not your emotions. Their support and expertise will keep you from compromising on your must-haves and future financial stability.”

Understand Your Finances

Know what you can afford before you begin even searching for a new home. It is a must to have a complete understanding of your budget. Again, a professional can help you with this portion of the process. Find a mortgage lender who can get you pre-approved for a loan. Taking a pre-approval letter to a seller shows that you are serious and can follow through with your offer. Forty-four percent of homebuyers in the current market get pre-approved. In order to stand out, you must get pre-approved.

Be Ready to Move Quickly

The average property listed in today's market is receiving more than three offers in the first few weeks of being listed. This data comes from the National Association of Realtors' monthly publication called Realtors Confidence Index. This means as a buyer you need to be willing to make a move on the spot if you find the right home for your needs. Be prepared to submit an offer as quickly as possible.

Make A Fair Offer

Both the buyer and seller want to get the best deal possible. As a buyer, you do not want to overpay for a home, but you also do not want to give a low-ball offer. If a seller receives a low offer, they might question how serious you are about purchasing their property. Your Realtor will be able to guide you in the decision when it comes to your offer price. You will want to make your offer based on the market value of the home.

Be a Flexible Negotiator

A seller has the right to accept an offer, reject it or counter with an offer. In today's market with such little inventory and so many buyers, you must stay flexible with things such as move-in dates, a higher offer price than the home is listed for, or minimal contingencies. When it comes to contingencies, conditions you set that the seller must meet for the purchase to be finalized, Freddie Mac warns to stay firm when it comes to a home inspection.

Even in today's hot market, buyers can find and purchase the home of their dreams for the right price. Remember to always contact a Realtor who can help you along the way.

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