CLIPBOARD : Single-Family Home Futures

Single-family home permits hit a five-year monthly low in November, the most recent month for which information is available. The 86 permits issued in November helped drop 1990’s total to 3,347, 54% lower than the comparable 1989 figure.

Four of the five lowest monthly permit totals during the last five years occurred in 1990 (117 in August, 176 in July, 202 in March). The other, 181, was in July 1988.

The largest 10-month decline took place in the unincorporated areas. In the individual cities, January-November losers outnumbered gainers by two-to-one, with the most significant losses taking place in Mission Viejo and Anaheim. Cypress and Newport Beach registered the largest gains.

Here’s how the cities stack up, listed from the largest decrease to the largest increase in permits issued:

Jan.-Nov. Jan.-Nov. 1989-’90 City 1989 1990 Difference Unincorporated areas 3,119 1,495 -1,624 Mission Viejo 944 49 -895 Anaheim 800 122 -678 Orange 368 57 -311 Yorba Linda 456 198 -258 San Clemente 278 93 -185 Huntington Beach 225 88 -137 Buena Park 126 7 -119 San Juan Capistrano 179 73 -106 Fullerton 98 23 -75 La Habra 89 31 -58 Irvine 71 32 -39 Costa Mesa 129 97 -32 Fountain Valley 38 7 -31 Santa Ana 80 56 -24 Seal Beach 19 10 -9 Villa Park 22 15 -7 Garden Grove 17 12 -5 Westminster 3 0 -3 Placentia 18 18 No change Laguna Beach 57 58 +1 Dana Point * 87 92 +5 Stanton 2 7 +5 La Palma 5 19 +14 Brea 4 37 +33 Tustin 7 73 +66 Los Alamitos 4 71 +67 Newport Beach 92 238 +146 Cypress 2 194 +192 Laguna Niguel ** N/A 75 -- COUNTY TOTAL 7,339 3,347 3,992

*New city for 1989 tabulations; 1989 data before June is included in “unincorporated areas” total.

**New city for 1990 tabulations; 1990 data before July is included in “unincorporated areas” total.

N/A: Information not available

Source: Construction Industry Research Board