New construction stays on upward path
New construction in Whitefish seems to
be recovering, while home sales in the county appear to have taken
a dip.
Through September the city recorded 33
new building permits for single-family residences, according to
Planning Director Dave Taylor.
In 2010 the city recorded 21
single-family home permits and in 2009 14 residential units. These
numbers compare with years like 2005 when the city saw 292 permits.
In addition, three commercial building permits have been filed so
far this year.
“We definitely had a dip, but I think
it’s picking up,” Taylor said. “I was pretty surprised at the
numbers, but it looks like we’ve picked up since the last two
years.”
The planning department could still see
more permits issued before the year’s end. Traditionally, Taylor
said, September and October are his department’s busiest months as
contractors make a last push to pour concrete before winter.
Whitefish’s building permits are
running ahead of Columbia Falls and holding with Kalispell permits
for the year. Columbia Falls has recorded four single-family
permits so far for the year. Kalispell issued 34 house permits and
eight townhouse permits.
Taylor believes Whitefish’s increase in
building has to do with second home construction and Canadians
taking advantage of lower building prices. There seems to be return
of higher end homes being built in areas like Iron Horse and Grouse
Mountain, but spec home building continues to be slow.
“There is a change from the attitude of
‘If they build it, they will come,’” he said.
Building permits, for repairs or
additions to existing homes, for May through September totaled 40.
The number follows a trend of an increase in remodels in the past
few years.
“In the last couple of years, when we
saw new homes dip, we also saw remodels go up,” Taylor said.
“Instead of purchasing or building a new home a lot of people
decided to keep their home and remodel. We’ve seen a lot of growth
in that area.”
Further proof of an increase in
activity is the Whitefish City-County Planning Board agenda for
this Thursday’s meeting. The board is holding public hearings on
several requests.
The meeting is one of the busiest the
board has held all year, according to Taylor.
One is a request for a re-zone and
preliminary plat for a two-lot subdivision at 217 Margaret Court.
Another hearing will look at a request by Scott and Cari Elden for
a conditional use permit to operate a bed and breakfast on O’Brien
Avenue. Two requests seek separate conditional use permits for a
guesthouse on West Third Street and an accessory apartment on
Highway 40.
Despite a resurgence in home
construction in Whitefish, homes sales in the county appear to have
taken a slight dip.
Home sales in Flathead County fell
during the first nine months of the year, according to a report
from Kelley Appraisal of Kalispell.
Overall residential sales in the county
from January through September are down 1.4 percent over last year
for the same period. The number of homes sold was 777 so far this
year compared with 788 in 2010.
However, sales in 2010 for the period
were up over the same time period for the three previous years.
The Kelley report also included
foreclosure data from the Flathead County courthouse. Notices of
trustee’s sale, which must be recorded 120 days prior to an actual
trustee’s sale, have increased every year from 2005 through 2010
for January through September. However, from January to September
this year the number of notices is down 34.4 percent.
The report shows the number of actual
trustee sales foreclosures as up so far for the year at an 11.8
percent increase. In the first nine months of the year the number
of foreclosed homes in the county has ranged from 26 in February to
54 in July.