Real Estate Recap: July 31, 2012

From the Baton Rouge Business Report, Real Estate Weekly:

By the numbers: The percentage of Baton Rouge homes in foreclosure fell to 2.36% in May, according to a report from CoreLogic, down from 2.39% from the month previous and 2.47% in May 2011. The local mortgage delinquency rate—that is, the percentage of home loans three months past due or more—also fell in May to 5.39%. That's down from 5.54% in April, and 5.59% a year ago. Daily Report has the full story here.

Game on: Pinnacle Entertainment plans to officially open the doors of its $368 million L'Auberge Casino & Hotel in Baton Rouge at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 29. Pinnacle says the grand opening will "feature memorable entertainment, dining experiences and an unveiling ceremony capped off with a stunning fireworks display." Details on entertainment specifics were not released but are expected as the opening date nears.

No finer place for sure: U.S.-based IT services firm Ameritas Technologies plans to open an "information technology center" in the Chase Tower South downtown. Ameritas says it will begin hiring in September, plans to open by October, and hopes to have 300 employees by 2016, with the jobs paying an average of $63,000 annually, plus benefits. The company was lured to Baton Rouge with an incentives package, the full details of which you can get from Daily Report here.

This week's poll question: If you built a new house, would you include energy-efficient and maintenance-free amenities?