Inland Empire Tops Nation in Home Permits

Riverside and San Bernardino counties outbuilt the rest of the nation during the first four months of the year, the National Assn. of Home Builders said Friday.

The Riverside/San Bernardino area accounted for 12,280 single-family building permits in the January-April period, followed by Atlanta with 8,200 permits, Washington with 7,810 and Los Angeles/Long Beach with 7,000, the Washington-based trade group said. San Diego was 10th with 4,050 permits.

The association credited a frenzied buying pace in Southern California as well as builders who fear land-use restrictions.

“The Inland Empire strikes again,” said Stephen Levy, director and senior economist of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy, a private, independent research group based in Palo Alto. “The strength of the Inland Empire is further testimony to the continuing strength of the regional economy and the fact that the Inland Empire has the region’s stock of affordable land.”

The National Assn. of Home Builders report noted that building permits fell nationwide during the first four months of the year because of higher interest rates. However, the number of single-family permits issued rose in six of the top 10 building markets including Las Vegas, up 55%; Los Angeles/Long Beach, up 34%; Sacramento, up 13%; and San Diego, up 11%.