House of the Month - 905 Athalee

905 Athalee Street

Lake Charles, LA 70615

2 Stories

3855 Total Sq. Feet

2988 Living Sq. Feet

3 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths

2 car attached garage

Only 6 years old

$284,500

Features beveled glass door & crystal chandelier, gas fireplace, Den/gameroom with wet bar, jacuzzi & shower in Master Bath, 15 x 17 storage building, landscaped, security system, quiet subdivision.

To Buy or to Rent a Home?

This question only one person can answer, you! There are many advantages to either buying or renting. You have to decide which one would be right for you based on your situation.


Some of the advantages of purchasing a home:

• Equity –Equity is defined as “the money value of a property or of an interest in a property in excess of claims or liens against it”. The most basic way to describe this is the difference in what you owe on the home versus its fair market value. As you make payments on your mortgage the equity of your home increases or decreases according to what the market is doing in your area.*

• Tax Benefits – You may be able to deduct mortgage loan interest amounts and property taxes from your income tax. (Always consult your tax advisor about your specific situation)

• Individuality – You can customize your home the way you want it with paint, tile, carpet, wood, appliances, & faucets. That is just to name a few. When renting you generally do not have this option and if you do normally you have to pay to have it return to the way it was prior to moving in.

• Maintenance – Anyone that has rented before knows that unless they cause the damage the maintenance is included in the rent. This can be a great thing. What most people don’t realize is that when your air conditioning breaks in the middle of July in Louisiana and it takes two days if not more to get a repair man out, there is nothing you can do but sit back and wait. There are home warranty plans that can be purchased when you buy a home. These help to cushion the cost of maintenance and getting a technician out to your home when you call the first time. This is a wonderful thing!

• Pets – Although some places allow for pets, most have restrictions on what size and/or breed that you can keep. If you own your own home you are free to pick the type of pet that you want.

There are many more advantages to buying versus renting. My suggestion would be to sit down and draw a line down the center of a piece of paper. On one side write the pros and on the other write the cons. Only you can answer the question of which is right for you but putting it on paper might make it more clear which would be the better option for you.

*To find out what your property is worth contact Rebecca Melancon at 842-9250.

Hello & Welcome!

As this is my first post, I decided to talk a little bit about myself and my purpose.  I am a REALTOR from Lake Charles, Louisiana working with Century 21 Mike D. Bono & Co.'s.  I have been in the Real Estate Industry for 2 1/2 years now and truely enjoy it. Although writing is not my forte, I am passionate about helping people getting the most for their money when dealing in Real Estate. 

I choose Century 21 Mike D. Bono & Co.'s because of the people and their reputation.  Century 21 Mike D Bono & Co.'s has been in the SWLA area since 1976 and become a household name.  In the last year they ranked Number 3 in units sold in the South Texas/South Louisiana* and number 2 in units sold in Southwest Louisiana.**  They currently have 41 agents which gives me many options when looking for a house for a buyer or letting the agents know of a new listing.  They also offer ongoing education which I found to be priceless in this ever changing market. 

I hope to post once a week on a varity of subjects within the Real Estate Industry.  If there is something you would like to ask or see me write about feel free to email me to request an entry and I will do my best to deliver.  In the meantime I hope you receive all the information you are looking for out of my blog!

~Rebecca Melancon~
REALTOR