Baton Rouge Home Sales Rise 15 Percent In 2013

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Baton Rouge metro area home sales increased by 15 percent during 2013, continuing a steady recovery from the national recession that followed a spike in sales after Hurricane Katrina.

According to figures provided by the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors, there were 8,690 closed sales in 2013, compared with 7,483 in 2012.

Though 2013 doesn't rival the Hurricane Katrina-aided years from 2005 to 2007, last year fell only 59 houses shy of the 8,749 sold pre-Katrina in 2004 in the Capital Region.

Saiward Pharr Hromadka, a spokeswoman for the realtors association, tells The Advocate the median sale price for a home in metro Baton Rouge increased by 4.2 percent during the year, going up from $167,000 to $174,000.