With total sales at 667, just five more homes were sold in the eight-parish region covered by the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors in October than were sold during the same month the year previous, according to the latest monthly housing report from GBRAR, released today. It marks the second straight month of stagnant sales, following a September report that showed eight fewer homes were sold during the month compared to September 2013.
Nonetheless, GBRAR points to several more positive points in its October report, including a 12.3% increase in average sales price, which shot up to $221,463 last month from $197,266 during October 2013. Pending sales were also up 8.5% last month, while the number of homes on the market decreased by 12.8% to 3,955.
East Baton Rouge Parish posted a 6.5% decline in sales last month, while sales in Ascension were up 10.5% and Livingston saw sales rise 14.7%.
While the past two months have been relatively stagnant for local home sales and the August GBRAR report showed a 5.7% decrease in sales, year-to-date sales through October are up across the region. A total of 7,552 homes have been sold in the region this year, up 2.2% over the 7,393 homes sold through the first 10 months of last year. GBRAR tracks housing data in East Baton Rouge, Ascension, Livingston, West Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, West Feliciana, Iberville and Pointe Coupee parishes. Access the complete GBRAR October report. —Steve Sanoski
