Houses that promote easy living will be on display at the Lawrence Home Builders Assn.’s Spring Parade of Homes, which begins today.

Low-maintenance homes are one of the biggest trends that builders will be showing during the annual event, which runs from noon to 5 p.m. today and Sunday and May 1-2.

Dave Hurtig, president of Hurtig Construction Inc., said builders were designing many projects to be nearly maintenance-free. He is building in an area of Westwood Hills, a new subdivision northwest of Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive, that features stucco homes that don’t need painting and maintenance crews that take care of chores like mowing the lawn.

“It is a big trend because we have all these baby boomers getting ready to retire,” Hurtig said.

There are 24 homes on the tour this year, and they’re designed to give area residents a look at what’s available in Lawrence, Baldwin and Eudora.

“We really want to give people a composite look at the Lawrence housing market,” said Bobbie Flory, executive director of the association. “We have everything from homes designed for the entry-level working man to high-end homes with all the bells and whistles.”

Homes on this year’s tour range from a $144,900 three-bedroom home in east Lawrence to a $750,000 six-bedroom, seven-bath home in west Lawrence.

Builders said area housing sales remained strong. They are optimistic about 2004 even though most are betting interest rates will rise.

“In the short run, rising rates will cause some people to buy homes,” said Dwight Perry Jr., a Eudora builder and president of the association. “People who were sitting on the fence will start buying before rates go up any higher.

“But in the long run it will hurt sales. I would say that if rates get up to 8 or 9 percent, that will definitely slow things down in this area.”

The complete list of homes and a tour map are available on the association’s Web site at www.lhba.net.

Lawrence builder Dave Hurtig plays host to a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Lawrence Home Builders Assn.'s Spring Parade of Homes. The event was Friday at a home that Hurtig Construction Inc. built at 301 N. Eaton Drive. The house is one of 24 on the annual tour, which begins today.