By ROBERT L. LEE

CONVENT – Lower interest rates and a more settled community setting helped spark higher home sales and higher selling prices for those homes through 2001.

These two factors led the 9.3 percent increase in home sales and sweetened the deal for the 5.7 percent increase in the average prices. Individual home sales between residents of existing homes and new construction of larger, custom homes toggled for the lead in home sales, with neither taking outselling the other. Despite the Sept. 11 attacks, realtors said the home industry in St. James Parish was hardly affected.

“I think in St. James Parish, with industry being so big and the prices of metals, chemicals and other raw materials fluctuating, overall confidence is a bit down,” said St. James Assessor Glenn Waguespack. “But I don’t see it affecting the consumers. It’s a bit strange. But the cloud is still hanging.”

Mac Bordelon, owner and broker of M.B. Realty and Appraisals, said the parish still has a competitive increase in home buying because the community is more settled and less influenced by other cities’ situations.

“Being farther from the larger cities, the communities feel less impact,” said Bordelon. “That also helps the St. James area because people moving here are usually seeking less traffic. Although the home industry is not growing by leaps and bounds, it’s still growing.”

The year 2000 census indicated about 400 people moved out of St. James Parish since 1990, but the 21,200 people are buying newer, larger homes and remodeled existing homes for higher prices. Bordelon said the average price for new construction hovers around $160,000, with a growing number selling for more than $270,000. He said the trend for selling older homes has been renovations and sales around $80,000.

Bordelon said the smaller, less expensive homes are usually bought by first-time home owners, because of the lack of rental properties in the area. This makes it almost necessary for residents to buy homes and pay mortgage instead of rent.

Waguespack said he has noticed a rise in younger residents having contractors build larger, customized homes instead of renting or purchasing existing homes.

“It seems like the houses are getting larger and the buyers are getting younger. The highest sale for a house two or three years ago was $230,000, while today it’s almost normal,” Waguespack added. “I wonder where all the money is coming from. If economics are bad now, you could’ve fooled me.”

Waguespack said the rising home prices are also a result of people moving into St. James Parish from larger cities, who are prone to paying more for homes.