Hello NOLA!

[Ruth Bayang]

My partner and I are looking to move to New Orleans in two years.

We are flippers and buy and hold investors. We want to work with superstar real estate agents who "get" investors or who are investors themselves, an investor-friendly title company and good contractors.
We have hard money and private money contacts and are willing to help you fund your deals if you scratch our backs.

[Kimberly Jones]

@Braden Smith I saw this earlier and my first thought was "God only knows what things might be like in this city two years from now!" I didn't say it "out loud" though because there is no way to explain it to folks who are looking this way from afar. At the time I chose to say nothing at all, but here you are dragging me back in ;)

I often feel like a broken record but I am going to say it again anyway...if you do not really know New Orleans you are in for more than a few surprises, whether we are talking real estate or not. This city is like no other and until you spend time with her (real time, not just a vacation visit here and there) there is nothing I can say to prepare you. I realize that sounds a little dramatic but I promise you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, it is true. 

When I came here I had decades of Investment Real Estate experience behind me. I came out strong and quite literally almost got my whole *** chewed off. Pretty much everything I thought I knew had to be put in a box and stored on a shelf. Maybe that is one of the reasons I love New Orleans so much, she certainly taught an old dog many new tricks! 

All that said, let me address the concept of trying to pre-plan two years into the future in this city.....(I swear I am not being an *** when I say this) I can't even answer for laughing!! We live here and we truly have no clue. Ten years ago New Orleans was considered to be the next best thing to Sodom and Gomorrah. Multitudes of people said katrina was an act of God and the city was destroyed because it was full of evils. Today we are like the freaking Golden Child and we live in an International spotlight. When it comes to Real Estate guru after guru flows through, spouting their crap, with no real knowledge of where they are. People are moving here from everywhere, Investors are pouring in, on the surface it all looks good....until you actually live here OR own property here. 

Do the gurus tell folks that our police force is almost non-existent? Do they tell you what the crime rate is here???? Do they let you know that at any given time there is a backlog of 911 calls that number well over 50 in any given district? Do they tell you that you can wait for days for cops to show up to take a report that probably won't make it back to the station? Do they have a clue that you really do have to love this city to live here? 

I didn't just spit that little rant to sound crazy, it REALLY does play a big part in what may be going on two years from now. The now infamous Bywater is a prime example. It went from "down river blue collar" to seriously high dollar, highly sought after Real Estate. The thing is, folks are increasingly talking about moving back out, just that quick. They are figuring out that paying $300k+ actually sucks when you can't even walk down your own block without getting robbed. Don't even get me started on the folks that paid $250k+ just across St Claude Ave., only to find themselves witness to regular murders on their block.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying there is not money to be made here. I am just saying do not venture here with stardust in your eyes. If you are looking for easy street without bleeding on a lot of pavement, this is not the place for you.

Ruth, please do not take this as a direct answer to YOUR post. My answer is directed to all who are thinking about investing here just because they have heard things. There is a lot more to this City than meets the eye. Even when you think you have it figured out, I swear she will change right before your eyes. 

Braden, this little moment of truth is all your fault!! Did I come off too harsh? I probably shouldn't answer these kinds of questions when I have one eye on the Saints, even if it is only a practice game....