About Lafayette Parish, LA

Home sales were slightly on the rise in Lafayette Parish and Acadiana for October this year. In Lafayette Parish, 203 homes sold in October and 284 in all of Acadiana. In September, 193 homes sold in Lafayette Parish and 276 in Acadiana.

When compared to last year, sales in October were higher this year. 270 homes sold in Acadiana last year compared to 284 this year and 167 homes sold in Lafayette Parish in October of 2008 compared to 203 this year.

There are less sales pending this month. In Lafayette Parish, 308 homes are showing as pending and 441 in Acadiana. In September, there were 346 sales pending in Lafayette Parish and 490 in Acadiana.

Overall, home sales this year are lower than last year in Lafayette Parish and Acadiana. Between January and October of 2008, 3011 homes had sold in Acadiana and 1972 in Lafayette. This year, 2706 homes have sold from January to October in Acadiana and 1914 in Lafayette Parish.

There are currently 1185 homes for sale in Lafayette Parish and 2160 in all of Acadiana. To search for homes, please visit my web site: LaRealEstateDoctor.com.

Lafayette was just voted #2 among mid-size metro areas for best places to launch a business. You can read the article from CNN Money here. Baton Rouge, located about one hour east of Lafayette came in at number 9.

Here is the list of the top ten cities in the same category:

1. Huntsville, AL
2. Lafayette, LA
3. Omaha, NE
4. Clarksville, TN
5. Peoria, IL
6. Lexington, KY
7. Killeen, TX
8. Des Moines, IA
9. Baton Rouge, LA
10. Lincoln, NE

Lafayette has a population a little over 250,000 and it is located along the I-10 corridor between Baton Rouge and Lake Charles.

Earlier this year, Lafayette also made the list for the best places to find a job among mid-size cities. In May, the unemployment rate was 3.9%.

If you are considering relocating to Lafayette, call or email me and I'll be delighted to help you with all your relocation needs.

Come join us tonight for our 19th annual Gumbo Cook-Off in the Parc International downtown Lafayette from 4pm to 7pm.

This annual event is a fundraiser for Rebuilding Together, Faith House and Community Foundation of Acadiana. This year's theme is "Fright in the Parc" and as always, it promises to be a fun event with great food.

If you don't have plans for dinner tonight, make plans to attend. For only $5, you can taste all the gumbo you can eat and then vote for the best one.

This is a great event where real estate brokers and their affiliates compete to get the public's vote on their gumbo. Tents are decorated and people are costumed. There will also be a costume contest for children, so dress em' up!

Entertainment this year will be provided by Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie. You will not want to leave your dancing shoes at home!

Great food, great music, great fun! See you there!

Three homes sold in the third quarter this year In Sugar Mill Pond (Youngsville, LA). The lowest price was $200K and highest $363K. The average price per square foot was $147.

So far this year, 10 homes have sold in Sugar Mill Pond with an average price per square foot of $150.

There are 13 homes currently available starting at $192K for a 2 bedrooms, 2 baths home featuring 1245 sqft of living area, and up to $439K for 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and 2681 sqft of living area.

Click here to view all available homes in Sugar Mill Pond.

Festival season is in full swing in Louisiana for the fall and this weekend is Festivals Acadiens et Creoles in Girard Park in Lafayette. This is definitely one of my favorite festivals. Two + days of great music, food, and a crafts fair. What more can you ask for, right?

As always, this year's festivals have incredible line-ups. It all starts Friday night in Parc International downtown.

Friday, October 9 at Downtown Alive:

• 5:30 p.m. Feufollet & Special Guests
• 7:00 p.m. A Cajun Country Homecoming featuring Doug Kershaw, Jo-El Sonnier, Jimmy C. Newman

Scène Ma Louisiane Saturday, October 10

• 10:30 - 11:30 Hubert Matre & Triangle Playboys
• 11:30 - 1:30 Berard-Huval Family Affair
• 1:30 - 2:30 Ed Poullard & Amis Creoles
• 2:30 - 3:30 Jimmy Breaux et Amis
• 3:30 - 4:30 Nathan Williams & Zydeco Cha Cha’s
• 4:30 - 6:00 Balfa Toujours

• 6:00 - 7:30 Feu Follet

Sunday, October 11

• 10:30 - 11:30 Fricasse
• 11:30 - 1:30 Frey-Daigle Family Affair
• 1:30 - 2:30 Bonsoir Catin
• 2:30 - 3:30 Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole
• 3:30 - 5:00 Steve Riley & Mamou Playboys
• 5:00 - 6:30 Wayne Toups ZydeCajun

Heritage Stage Saturday October 10

• 10:45 - 11:45 Robert Jardel & Pure Cajun
• 12:00 - 12:45 Geno Delafose & French Rockin Boogie
• 1:00 - 2:00 Lafayette Rhythm Devils
• 2:15 - 3:15 Joe Hall & the Louisiana Cane Cutters
• 3:30 - 5:00 Doug Kershaw, Jimmie C Newman & Joel Sonnier & Special Guest
• 5:15 - 6:15 Jambalaya + D.L. Menard
• 6:30 - 7:30 Pine Leaf Boys

Sunday October 11

• 10:30 - 11:15 Briggs Brown and the Bayou Cajuns
• 11:30 - 12:30 T-Salé
• 12:45 - 1:45 Savoy Family Band
• 2:00 - 3:00 High Performance
• 3:15 - 4:15 Dexter Ardoin & Creole Ramblers
• 4:30 - 5:30 Roddie Romero & the Hub City All-Stars
• 5:45 - 6:45 Lost Bayou Ramblers

There will also be great happenings at the Salle de Dance, the Louisiana Folk Roots Atelier and at La Place des Petits. For a full schedule of events, visit the Festival Acadiens et Creoles website.

I will be working at the Ma Louisiane stage Saturday and Sunday so if you are in the neighborhood, come say hello. And while temperature will be much cooler this weekend with highs in the lower 70s, there are chances of rain in the forecast so you might want to bring an umbrella and don't forget your dancing shoes. You know what they say, in the dust or in the mud, this festival rocks! See you there!