REALTOR® Community Involvement Spotlight: Jennifer Richardson

Louisiana Realtors • July 26, 2021

For over 30 years Jennifer Richardson has been serving the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area as REALTOR®. What began as a career to support her family as a single mother has blossomed and evolved into real estate investment and rental property ownership. However, Richardson’s service in the Baton Rouge area goes far beyond her knowledge and expertise in handling real estate transactions for her clients. In January of 2021, she began the litter cleanup initiative known as Keep Tiger Town Beautiful.

 

With litter along the roadways and greenspaces across Baton Rouge being such an issue, Jennifer decided to something about it by posting on NextDoor and Facebook. With the troops rallied their initial cleanup meeting resulted in 41 contractor bags filled with trash after only three hours of cleaning. The before and after pics taken to show their progress went viral. 


“We had people from every walk of life, and we just loved each other. We couldn’t believe what ordinary people were able to accomplish, especially during COVID,” remarked Richardson. With her goal of making people aware of Baton Rouge’s litter problem, Keep Tiger Town Beautiful continues to meet every Saturday in addition to “pop-up” meetings when necessary after a new litter explosion.


With homemade baked goods and live music, the task of picking up trash becomes a lot more enjoyable than it sounds. “I never dreamed in a million years that I would be picking up litter and loving it.” The group averages between 15 and 25 volunteers each week. “The people who come out are the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Who else would wake up on a Saturday morning when they could lounge around and pick up other people’s litter? All with a smile on their face,” says Richardson. “I know everybody’s name in my group. They are like my family.”

Keep Tiger Town Beautiful has also gotten the attention of local government. After seeing the results that Jennifer’s group was generating, the city-parish had two cleanups, and even Mayor Broome joined in. “I didn’t want to wait on a study or survey or a group of people to analyze something. All it takes is a garbage bag, a trash grabber, and some muscle.” The major issue with litter is that every time someone throws trash on the ground it ends up in storm drains, clogging them and making flooding events even worse. 

 

Did you know that there are 30 acres of garbage behind the Burden Center? “I cried when I looked at it in person. I couldn’t believe that the most beautiful property in our city has the most nightmarish situation going on,” says Jennifer. What sets Keep Tiger Town Beautiful apart is that they meet every week. Right now, their biggest challenge is getting the word out. You can learn more from their Facebook group where they post photos every week.

 

Here are few litter statistics that may also get your attention.

  • You eat a credit card’s worth of plastic every week.
  • It takes Styrofoam 500 years to decompose.
  • The U.S. used to send 60% of its trash to China, where it has since ended up in our oceans.

 

Based on her dedication to keeping the Capital City’s community clean in addition to the stellar performance she offers her clients, Jennifer was nominated not once, but twice to be featured in our REALTOR® Spotlight Series by her peers and colleagues. Based on her time and financial commitment Jennifer has shown her community how giving she is. “She is a great human being that gives to the needs of others without question. She goes above and beyond and does what others won’t,” says Alissa Jenkins. Helen Field continues, “She definitely dedicates plenty of her time to cleaning up our city. She also purchases the supplies for all volunteers! She’s successfully reached out to local news stations to recruit volunteers and also shed light on the litter problem. She has truly made a difference in our community.”

 

Jennifer bought her first home when she was 19 years old. “Being a REALTOR® is about making a change in your community. We aren’t only there to promote real estate, but to make a difference.” Jennifer has taken her responsibility as REALTOR® to the next level. She has moved beyond the lines of business that help her clients buy and sell homes, to making a significant and lasting impact on her community as a whole. 


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Constitutional Amendment Positions for November 3 Election

By Louisiana REALTORS® • October 9, 2026
Homeownership Is on Louisiana's November Ballot

Cookbook for the REALTORS® Relief Foundation On Sale Now!

By Louisiana REALTORS® • October 8, 2026
After months of gathering recipes from across our Louisiana REALTORS® family, the cookbook is ready! This 200+ page collection is filled with Louisiana flavor, REALTOR® heart and recipes contributed by our members. We launched sales of the cookbook at the Fall Governance Meetings. You can now purchase your copy for $30 directly from the printer and shipped to you! Additionally, we will have copies available at the RRF booth at NXT . After NXT, we will carry a limited stock at the LR office for you to purchase through the LR Merch Shop and pick-up from the office or at an LR event, as stock is available. Even better, $15 from every cookbook sold will be donated to the REALTORS® Relief Foundation (RRF) to help provide housing-related assistance to REALTORS® and their families following disasters. Pick up a copy for yourself, grab one as a gift and enjoy a taste of Louisiana while supporting a great cause!

Residential Appraisal Update: UAD 3.6 and the Temporary Policy Exception

By Louisiana REALTORS® • October 7, 2026
A major change to residential appraisal reporting is approaching, but a recently announced temporary policy exception is creating some confusion about what happens on November 2. Here is what REALTORS® need to know. Beginning November 2, 2026, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will require the new Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) 3.6 for new appraisal reports initially submitted to the Uniform Collateral Data Portal (UCDP), unless the lender has received a temporary policy exception. The November 2 implementation date has not been postponed. What is the UAD 3.6 Appraisal Report? UAD 3.6 replaces the familiar legacy appraisal forms (used for the last 25 years) with a new, more data-driven appraisal report that collects much more detailed property information. For REALTORS® and consumers, the transition could mean a more detailed property inspection, additional questions about the property and transaction, and potentially longer appraisal and review times as appraisers, lenders, appraisal management companies, and other industry participants adjust to the new system. What changed? Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac recently announced a temporary policy exception for eligible lenders that need additional time to complete their transition to UAD 3.6. Lenders receiving the exception may continue submitting appraisals using the current legacy UAD 2.6 format through May 19, 2027 . Beginning May 20, 2027 , new appraisal submissions to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must use UAD 3.6. What does this mean for REALTORS®? For several months, REALTORS® may encounter both the current appraisal format and the new UAD 3.6 appraisal report. The appraisal format is determined by the lender's assignment requirements. REALTORS® and consumers do not need to determine which format should be used. It is also important to understand that an appraiser completing a legacy-format appraisal during this period should not automatically be assumed to be unprepared for UAD 3.6. An appraiser who is fully UAD 3.6 ready may still be instructed by a lender to complete an assignment using the legacy format. How can REALTORS® help? Good communication and accurate property information will become even more important. REALTORS® can help the appraisal process by providing accurate and specific information concerning: Recent renovations and improvements Property features and amenities Sales concessions and financing terms Known property conditions or unique characteristics Relevant information about the transaction Buyers should also be encouraged to discuss appraisal requirements and anticipated timelines with their lender early in the transaction. What about FHA, VA and USDA? The November 2 requirement discussed above applies to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conventional lending. FHA, VA and USDA have their own appraisal policies and implementation schedules. Their transition to UAD 3.6 should not be assumed to follow the same November 2 timeline unless announced by the respective agency. The Bottom Line November 2 remains an important date for UAD 3.6. The temporary exception does not cancel or postpone the transition. Instead, it allows eligible lenders additional time to complete their transition. As a result, REALTORS® should expect a period when both legacy and UAD 3.6 appraisal reports are being used. Louisiana REALTORS® will continue monitoring the transition and providing members with updates as additional guidance becomes available. Louisiana REALTORS® is also planning a follow-up webinar to discuss the latest UAD 3.6 developments, what REALTORS® are seeing in transactions, and what these changes mean for agents and their clients.
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