It looks like the New Orleans real estate market is booming as people are making decisions on the homes that were destroyed or damaged in Katrina. The speculators are moving in and inventory is changing hands a a rapid pace.
For the first quarter of the year, sales of single-family homes in the greater New Orleans area zoomed to $826 million, a jump of 60 percent over the first quarter of 2005, when sales totaled $517 million, according to New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors; 3,829 residential units were sold, 960 more than the same period in 2005.
Experts say there’s nothing to be surprised about: One of the ironies of natural disasters is they’re often good for real estate. It’s a pattern real estate professionals witnessed in Florida after Hurricane Andrew and in Los Angeles in the aftermath of the Northridge earthquake.
“To use a terrible analogy, it’s like watching ‘Gone with the Wind’ for the fifth time,” said Arthur Sterbcow, president of Latter & Blum Inc., the 90-year-old real estate firm based in New Orleans. “It’s completely predictable. The market reacts the same way each time. It’s like watching a football game and having the play book in your hands.” via Chron.com
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Very straight forward and enlightening analysis. I sell real estate in Atlanta currently and things aren't as bad here if you had a strong presence in the area before the market tanked. The situation in California, as well as in Florida and Arizona, however, greatly put things in perspective for anyone involved or planning to be involved in the real estate industry. Good Luck!!