August home sales jump 43%; year-to-date figures still down from 2010

August was a hot month for home sales in the Capital Region, with a 43% increase in sales during the month compared to 2010. But according to figures from the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors’ Multiple Listing Service, year-to-date sales through August were still off by 3.3% from a year ago. The Realtors report 683 sales in August, compared with 476 in August 2010. The average sale price was higher, however, from $196,590 in 2010 to $199,744. Ascension Parish helped drive the spike in sales, with a 70% increase; there were 139 MLS sales in the parish in August, compared with 82 in August 2010. The average sale price in Ascension was down slightly, from $213,101 in 2010 to $209,637. Livingston Parish had a 66% jump in sales, going from 59 to 98. The average sale price rose in Livingston from $154,424 to $160,761. East Baton Rouge Parish had the smallest gain, with sales increasing 27%, from 299 to 380. The average sale price in East Baton Rouge also rose, from $203,307 to $209,886. The other category, which includes MLS sales in parishes such as West Baton Rouge, Pointe Coupee and Iberville, saw sales go from 36 to 66; the average sale price increased from $172,295 to $178,399. Through the first eight months of the year, 4,438 homes were sold in the metro area, with an average sale price of $193,522. Area Realtors recorded 4,588 local MLS sales last year to date, with the slightly higher average sale price of $193,957. For the rest of Real Estate Weekly, click here.