D
eidra Edwards, a 58-year-old Ohio University alumna, made New Orleans her home in the summer of 1987 after landing a job on a Mississippi River steamboat. The gig led to a full-time position, marriage, two children, and a comfortable life on the city's West Bank. However, when her husband passed away in 2021, Edwards reassessed her situation. Her kids were attending school across the river, making the hour-long commute unbearable, and they yearned for a more vibrant lifestyle.

    Edwards' goal was to find a "cool place" where she could be part of New Orleans' social culture, like Mardi Gras. She had bought several properties in the area over the years, sticking to a strategy: buying, holding, and letting her homes appreciate in value. Edwards turned her old West Bank home into an Airbnb and was eager to find a new property that would increase in value.

    Last year, she set her sights on New Orleans' Uptown neighborhood, known for its century-old mansions and St. Charles Avenue, lined with oak trees and bustling streetcars. Proximity to the avenue is highly coveted among homebuyers due to the numerous Mardi Gras parades that take place along it.

    Edwards spent weekends touring open houses in the $850,000-$1 million range, looking for a property that could be partitioned to allow her to live in one half and rent out the other. She wanted three bedrooms, at least three bathrooms, a corner lot for maximum light, and an Uptown location where she could enjoy Mardi Gras and host friends.

    Among her options were two properties: a 1906 four-bedroom house with a large lot, swimming pool, and patio, priced at $925,000; and a 1924 brick house on St. Charles Avenue, exuding elegance with its gated driveway and porte cochere, but slightly out of range for most parades and priced at $1.65 million.