Section Development

Stick a Fork In It

The process of settling on a design for the I-49 Connector is leading us to selecting one of two popular designs. Let’s not be hasty in choosing the best path.

This ‘Bottom of the Cycle’ Isn’t So Bad

Spring is in the air and summer is right around the corner. This spring feels different for many Acadiana residents than last year, as low oil prices have equated to some local job losses and economic contraction.

Live, Work

Lafayette’s business leaders may favor traditional architecture for their homes, but that’s not the statement they want their offices to make.

No End in Sight

With little to no vacancy in existing space, industry is driving Acadiana's construction boom. For our recent presentation on the industrial segment, we pulled as much data as possible from around the...

Office Hours

It may not be the most exciting segment (the retail agents get all the glory), but there is some office news worth knowing.

On the Up and Up

With retail rents rising, look for sexy new developments to house exciting entries into the market, along with impressive infill projects in legacy corridors. Driving rents higher - that is the name...

Skyline View

Local professionals analyze retail, office and industrial segments. Acadiana's best and brightest in local real estate gathered in early April at LITE for the Realtor Association of Acadiana's 4th...

Digging Deep

The outlook for the energy industry has a lot of dirt turning in Lafayette and neighboring parishes. The outlook for the energy industry has a lot of dirt turning in Lafayette and neighboring...

Iceberg Development

Ambassador South has not taken off quite as fast as some expected, but there is more to this corridor than meets the eye. Ambassador South has not taken off quite as fast as some expected, but there...

Oil, Oil, Everywhere

Commercial real estate markets in economies driven by energy exploration weathered the recession and are on the upswing. Energy, in its many forms, is critical in modern society. In South Louisiana,...

Home Sweet Home

As Lafayette‘s mid-year residential real estate report shows, the Hub City‘s housing market is going gangbusters. August 31, 2012 Steven Hebert The turnaround in our local real estate market is...

Occupy Lafayette

Occupancy rates continue to soar in Lafayette‘s retail scene, but a lack of new construction puts us at risk of halting progress. By Ryan Pécot July 26, 2012 Year over year same store sales...

Solid as a Rock

Local experts build up Lafayette's industrial, office, retail and multi-family sectors. Thanks to the Realtors' Commercial Alliance and numerous corporate sponsors, Acadiana now has its own commercial...

Building on Speculation

Wednesday January 25, 2012 By Monty Warren Building on Speculation Two diverse new developments bolster optimism for commercial activity in 2012. Wednesday January 25, 2012 By Monty Warren ** Building...

Good Things Come in 3s

Wednesday, September 28, 2011 If I were a betting man, I'd put money on this trio. Wednesday, September 28, 2011 If I were a betting man, I'd put money on this trio. Look for more changes to Grand...

Too Big To Succeed

Wednesday, July 27, 2011 Big-box retailers are realizing smaller is better in today's marketplace. It looks as if the national retailers have looked down at their toes and realized they've been...

The Big Three

Wednesday, July 27, 2011 By Gregg Gothreaux Economic indicators place Lafayette near the top of every list. Wednesday, July 27, 2011 By Gregg Gothreaux Economic indicators place Lafayette near the top...

Too Big To Succeed

Wednesday, July 27, 2011 By Ryan Pecot Big-box retailers are realizing smaller is better in today's marketplace. Wednesday, July 27, 2011 By Ryan Pecot Big-box retailers are realizing smaller is...

Room To Grow

Wednesday, June 29, 2011 Written by Ryan Pecot Retail occupancy across the parish's eight trade areas is a respectable 86 percent, with the College Drive/Johnston Street corridor 94 percent...

Retail Roundup

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 Drilling down on Lafayette Parish's retail market reveals strength and ample demand to absorb new development. By Ryan Pecot Those who gathered at LITE for the first Acadiana...

Responsibility and Accountability

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 Cleaning up the LHA should be priority No. 1, but the organization's troubles should never overshadow the urgent need for safe, affordable housing in this community. By...

Paving the Way

**Wednesday, August 25, 2010 Written by Ryan Pecot Big box retailers are giving up some of their parking spots, creating opportunities for smaller retailers to set up shop on outparcels.** The oceans...

The Tide Has Turned

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 Written by Ryan Pécot Optimism that the worst is behind us is evident in the retail real estate market. Although this market really didn't get beat up that badly, it's already...

Filling the Gap

Filling the Gap There is a desperate need for affordable housing in Lafayette, but first we have to get over the misconceptions about what that means. Typically when people hear "affordable...

The New Normal

The safe bet is on 2010 ending up much like 2009, where new home construction sales and average sales price were up slightly. We're OK with that. It looks like the Acadiana real estate market has...

In Plain Sight

There is an art to site selection. We all see businesses from drugstores and restaurants to retailers big and small opening year after year on the streets of Lafayette, and for the most part welcome...

Real Deals

Acadiana buyers waiting for lower interest rates could miss out on homes with high-quality amenities. In Acadiana’s residential real estate market, many buyers are sitting on the fence waiting for...

Wanted: Distressed Assets

Retailers are turning their attention from stable economies like Lafayette’s to landlords offering long-term sweetheart deals in distressed areas. The commercial real estate world we live in changes...

Instant Access

Today’s technology allows busy professionals to invest in real estate and manage their new assets with ease. As a Realtor in Acadiana, I take great pride in telling people that real estate, as an...

The Nitty-Gritty

To understand the housing market that is most relevant to Lafayette, you must drill down. In early July The Daily Advertiser ran a story that cited a “national real estate market assessment firm” in...

The Missing Link

Ambassador Caffery’s southward extension isn’t getting the attention it deserves, but its day is coming.   If the Ambassador Caffery Parkway South extension progresses at its current pace, life as we...

Money Matters

There’s an elephant in the developer’s room, and it’s going to take absolute teamwork to get him out the door. Despite a downturn in the economy, development continues, especially in the somewhat...

What Goes Up Must Come Down

No one in the know thought the residential boom would last forever — and neither will today’s home-buying incentives.  The banking debacle and its associated mortgage crisis have had far-reaching...

A taco here, a taco there

National retailers sitting on the sidelines could open a window of opportunity for locally owned businesses.  “People thought we were crazy,” says Molly Richard as she feverishly writes down my order...

A Little Breathing Room

New construction has slowed, but it’s not nearly time to write its obituary. Regardless of where the opportunity arises, from a telephone call to a lunch date — and even in the typical rest room...

Flat ' It's the New Up

Lafayette might be in a prime position to take advantage of the current economic conditions, especially when it comes to the struggling retail marketplace. There is evidence all around us that the...

Development - January 2009

Home sellers in Acadiana have adjusted their attitudes. Youngsville residents Chuck and Sharon were sellers who called me recently. Chuck had just escaped the threat of a transfer, and it seemed all...

Development - October 2008

Long-term Exchange Strategy Say you’ve been holding real estate for use in your trade or business, or for investment purposes, that no longer suits your needs or objectives and you’d like to exchange...

Development - September 2008

Think Modular Over the years, we’ve heard a lot from urban planners about the importance of directing “smart growth.” Well into the 21st century, we are discovering that the making or re-making of...

Development - August 2008

Repositioning your property in this market In the spring of 2005, the local real estate market was at an all-time high. Homes in the $200,000-$400,000 price range were easily selling within about two...

Development - July 2008

Gauging the local housing market In Lafayette, real estate and our local economy have been healthy for more than a decade, and hopefully we’ve been watching and learning from the exceptional...

Development - June 2008

Commercial Matters Commercial real estate owners, investors and managers rely on market information when faced with decisions regarding their real estate leasehold or ownership interests, which is why...

Development - April 2008

The Name Game Location. Location. Location. After ensuring a property meets the minimum amenities for life and work, the “L” word is everything in real estate. For location, Lafayette has been...

Development - March 2008

TARGETing supergrowth - Upper Lafayette and Carencro Excitement continues to mount as current indicators of residential and commercial real estate development turn our focus north to an area rich with...


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