BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Baton Rouge area homes sales rose 21 percent in April, with real estate agents in the eight-parish region selling 616 homes compared with 510 that month a year ago.

The dollar volume rose 16 percent to $116.1 million, compared with $100.4 million in April 2011.

The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/MjZOGx ) the figures were compiled by the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors. Sales were up in East Baton Rouge, Ascension and Livingston parishes, which make up the lion's share of the market.

For the year through April, home sales are up 18 percent to 2,213, while dollar volume is up 16 percent to $409.9 million.

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