By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Featuring its largest roster since Hurricane Katrina, the 2012 Greater New Orleans Home Builders Association Parade of Homes kicks off this weekend with five of the 19 homes situated in St. Charles Parish.

Lauren Bookish, director of governmental and industry relations for the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans, said the annual area open house is not just for those in the market for a new home, she said participants can also use the event as a way to get new ideas for their existing homes.

“Renovations and expansions can be a high priority this time of year and most of the homes featured in the parade were built with the most up-to-date design and technology,” Bookish said. “It is a chance to see what builders in the region are doing with new homes.”

Bookish said the large number of homes in the St. Charles area, four in Luling and one in St. Rose, is a testament to the large amount of developable land in the parish.

“People are really starting to discover the St. Charles region,” Bookish said. “The parish has a lot to offer, including a successful school system and a close proximity to the greater New Orleans area.”

Joseph Scontrino, owner of Landcraft Homes in LaPlace, the builders assigned to the home in St. Rose, said the high number of homes involved in the event is a sign that people are starting to regain some confidence in the housing market.

“It is definitely a beat up industry,” Scontrino said. “But it seems like we have reached a bottom and we are getting movement in the right direction.”

Scontrino said he couldn’t speak for the buying and selling market, but could say that he has been handling more home construction over the past year.

“Inventory for us is dwindling, which is a good sign we are staying busy,” He said. “People just seem like they are more comfortable investing in a new home, or renovating what they have to build on their investment.”

Homes featured in the parade will be open today and Sunday and again on June 9 and 10. Homes will be open between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. and the event is free. The homes in St. Charles include 207 Pin Oak Drive, St. Rose, in the Highland Oaks subdivision; 314 Gregory Drive, Luling, in the Lakewood Ridge subdivision; 119 Lac Segnette, 206 Lac Calcasieu and 104 Lac Lafrenier, all in Luling in the Ashton Plantation Estates subdivision.

A full list of this year’s Homes and participating builders can also be found at www. home-builders.org.