COUNCIL BLUFFS — They say numbers don't lie, and that means Council Bluffs' housing construction is still feeling the effects of a sluggish economy.
Just three permits were issued in the first month of 2012 for single-family housing construction, compared with four in January 2011 and 10 permits in January 2010.
"It still reflects a slowdown in the economy," Steve Carmichael, the city's chief building official, said of the January numbers.
A bright spot is that homes are becoming more expensive, which means more residential property tax money for the city. The valuation of January's three permits totaled $713,000 or about $237,000 per home. The four permits issued in the same month last year totaled $905,094 in valuation or $226,273 per home. The 10 permits issued two years ago totaled $1,454,343 in valuation or $145,134 per home.
Those permits in 2010 were mostly for track homes, built to attract buyers. The homes this year are being custom built for higher-end buyers, Carmichael said.
While new home construction may be grounded at the moment, renovation of existing homes has skyrocketed.
One-hundred-eighty-seven permits were issued last month for alterations to existing homes, compared with 19 permits in each of the previous two years.
Roof repairs from last August's hailstorm make up many of those permits this year, but it's also clear people are investing in their current homes, Carmichael said. Permits for plumbing, electrical and mechanical improvements in existing homes also are way up from past years, according to his figures.
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