Baton Rouge home sales in October top last year

Associated Press - November 19, 2009 7:04 AM ET

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - October's Baton Rouge-area home sales edged past year-ago levels, although 2008 sales were affected by Hurricane Gustav.

The Advocate of Baton Rouge reports Thursday that realtors sold 555 homes in October, a 4.3 percent increase from the 532 sold a year earlier. It was the second straight month 2009 numbers were higher than 2008.

For the year, Realtors have sold 5,799 homes, down 10.3 percent from the 6,462 during the first 10 months of 2008. The total dollar volume of those sales is $1.12 billion, down 15.1 percent from the $1.32 billion recorded a year earlier.

The figures are compiled by the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors and make up about 80 percent of total home sales in the metro area.

Information from: The Advocate, http://www.2theadvocate.com