Louisiana
Louisiana’s insurance crisis expected to hang over real estate market in the coming year
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – The New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors (NOMAR) hosted its annual Forecast Symposium, where real estate professionals gathered to discuss key factors impacting the housing market.
A major theme this year was Louisiana’s ongoing insurance crisis, which is severely affecting home sales and affordability.
Craig Mirambell, president of NOMAR, says soaring insurance premiums have become a central issue.
“Insurance prices are really outrageous, interest rates being high, the economy is slow, elections are coming up. We got a lot of negatives, but the good thing is homeowners have kept the equity in their houses,” said Mirambell.
Mirambell says Louisiana’s insurance crisis has been pulling down the state’s housing industry for the last two years. He believes the most recent hurricanes along the Gulf Coast can only complicate matters.
“Even though we didn’t get a direct hit here in Louisiana, seeing these come to our Southern friends, is ultimately not going to help our insurance rates at all assumably. So that wasn’t needed, the costs that are coming with that are ultimately going to keep prices high,” said Mirambell.
Those prices have made it very tough for some realtors to sell homes. That means less money is coming in.
“To be honest, I used to do real estate full-time. I do not do it full-time anymore because it’s just too hard. I have a family as well. So, I can’t put everything on these deals happening, because I need them to happen. If they don’t happen, then my clients aren’t happy and then family isn’t happy,” said Misty Frye of Frye & Melancon Realty in New Orleans.
INSURANCE CRISIS
Misty Frye has been an agent for 17 years and says the cost associated with a buying home in Louisiana can often put potential buyers on an emotional roller coaster.
“People can be tearful, they’re upset. They think they’re getting to the finish line and then something comes up and it’s like, oh no, you can’t do it, the insurance blew it out of the water,” Frye said.
Dr. Jessica Lautz was a featured speaker at this year’s symposium. She is an economist for the National Association of Realtors. She brought a broader view to the forecasting conference and said Louisiana’s real estate industry is facing several headwinds, including declining population.
“In most areas of the Sun Belt, we see a mass migration into those areas, but unfortunately Louisiana is not seeing that. So, we don’t have that in the New Orleans area. Job growth has not rebounded since before the start of COVID and that could be restricting people from moving here. Though what I have to say affordability is definitely in a better in a better scenario than what we see in other areas of the country,” said Dr. Lautz.
Despite the multiple challenges the New Orleans real estate market has faced in recent years, NOMAR’s board president predicted an improving market in 2025.
“I’m always an optimistic kind of guy. I like to bring that to our boardroom, our clients and consumers. Ultimately, we are at a slower time in the market right now. The market has been slow. We had an uptick in COVID that was kind of wild and crazy. Surely, it had to go down from there. Once, the election is over and people settle down from that, we expect the market to pick up in 2025 regardless of insurance prices.” said Mirambell.
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MONROE, La. (KNOE)—Over the past week, average gas prices in Louisiana have fallen 6.8 cents. That averages to $3.41/g today, according to a survey of 2,436 stations conducted by ‘GasBuddy’.
Compared to a month ago, prices in Louisiana are 45.3 cents lower per gallon. The lowest price of gas in Louisiana was $2.59/g on Sunday, with the highest being $4.99/g.
For reference, the national average price of gas has fallen 6.9 cents per gallon in the last week, which averages to $3.78/g, and is down 55.6 cents per gallon from a month ago.
On this date for the past five years, here’s how Louisiana’s gas prices compare to the nation’s average:
June 29, 2025: $2.75/g (U.S. Average: $3.14/g)
June 29, 2024: $2.93/g (U.S. Average: $3.48/g)
June 29, 2023: $3.02/g (U.S. Average: $3.51/g)
June 29, 2022: $4.37/g (U.S. Average: $4.85/g)
June 29, 2021: $2.76/g (U.S. Average: $3.12/g)
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Julia Letlow and Jamie Davis will face off this fall for U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy’s seat after winning their respective party runoffs Saturday night.
Letlow won the Republican runoff over John Fleming with 57% of the vote, less than an hour after polls closed on June 27. Davis won the Democratic nomination in a landslide, securing 80% of the vote over Gary Crockett.
Letlow, Davis claim victories
“I’ll fight for our families, I’ll fight for our farmers. I’ll fight for our teachers. I will fight for our parents. I’ll fight for our law enforcement. I will fight for everyone in this room, and we are just getting started,” Letlow said.
Davis said the issues driving his campaign cross party lines.
“Everybody wants better healthcare. Everybody wants better education for their children. Everybody wants a leg up with affordability. And everybody wants the Constitution to be upheld. Those issues are nonpartisan. I don’t have to change nothing but keep working,” Davis said.
Low turnout, Trump endorsement shaped Republican race
Estimated turnout was about 18% of registered voters. Political analyst Jim Engster said the low turnout actually benefited Fleming, who captured 43% of the vote, but was not enough to overcome President Trump’s endorsement of Letlow.
“He really had the 8 ball against him when President Trump endorsed Julia Letlow. President Trump is Hercules of Republican politics, and he’s carried this state three times by about 60 percent of the votes each time,” Engster said.
Engster said the results reflect the broader political landscape in Louisiana.
“It says that it’s more of the same. We’re a Republican state, and until further notice, we vote red in major elections,” Engster said.
New closed primary system draws scrutiny
Saturday’s election was the first major cycle under Louisiana’s new closed party primary system, in which Democratic voters could only choose Democratic candidates and Republican voters could only choose Republican candidates.
Engster said the change had a significant impact on participation, pointing to Cassidy’s vote totals as an example.
“Bill Cassidy might very well have held onto his seat in an open primary. After all, in the last open primary, he got 1,228,000 votes. This time he got 99,000 votes, so that’s a big difference,” Engster said.
Engster said critics of the closed primary system will use the turnout figures to make their case.
“It’ll be a case in which those who are against the closed primary will make the case that ‘The open primary may have its flaws, but more people participate. And after all, that is what we want. We want more people voting in our elections,” Engster said.
Road to November 2026
History suggests Republicans hold the advantage heading into the general election. Engster noted that Louisiana’s last elected Democratic senator was Mary Landrieu in 2008.
“It would really be a political miracle for Jamie Davis to win. Those things happen, but right now it’s a long shot, and there’s a lot of heavy lifting for him to do and for the Democratic Party to do to try to make up the inherent gap that is evident in Louisiana politics,” Engster said.
Letlow and Davis will face off in the general election on November 3.
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WEST MONROE, La. (KNOE) – The Northeast Louisiana Arts Council announced the winners of the 40th Annual Northeast Louisiana Arts Awards during a ceremony held Thursday, June 25.
Winners in nine categories were revealed during the program, where top nominees in each category were also recognized. Members of the Arts Council, its board of directors, and invited guests joined friends and family in celebrating the honorees.
2026 Northeast Louisiana Arts Awards winners
- Edmund Williamson Visual Artist of the Year: Stacy Thomas Medaries
- Tommy Usery Performing Artist of the Year: The John L. Brown, Sr. Memorial Scholarship Band
- BART (Business Art) Award: Creative Exchange
- Volunteer of the Year: Jennifer Haynes
- Dorothy Bassett Emerging Artist of the Year: Jari Richardson
- Region 8 Arts Educator of the Year: Joni Dollar
- Region 8 Higher Education Arts Educator of the Year: Emily Ezell
- Literary Artist of the Year: Jamie Mayes
- Community Arts Impact Award: Dr. Alicia Jones
For more information on the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council and its programs, click here.
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
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