There were 43 single-family housing permits issued throughout the county last month, falling from 64 in April. The total is a drop from 92 issued in May of last year.
So far this year, there have been 251 new permits issued in the county, equaling last year's pace through the end of May.
Mike Shina of Windsong Properties, president of the Cherokee chapter of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, said that homebuyer tax credits expiring at the end of April could have had an impact on the total of housing starts last month.
He said niche markets are still doing well, but family buyers are the most affected.
"Until the foreclosure market stabilizes, there is not going to be a great housing recovery," he said.
Scott Crockett, owner of Andrews and Crockett of Canton, a home remodeler, said he is seeing an increase in people rearranging their current homes rather than attempting to move into a new house. He said kitchens and bathrooms are the most common areas of a house people are having renovated.
"Everybody is taking what they have and making it into what they would have if the market was better," he said.
The county building department, which serves unincorporated Cherokee and Waleska, issued 24 new single-family permits last month, down from 30 issued in April and 74 issued in May last year.
So far this year, the county department has issued 113 new permits, down from 140 issued at this time last year.
Woodstock's building department issued six new permits last month, down from 12 issued in April but up from four issued in May last year.
Mayor Donnie Henriques said he expects business to pick up this summer, adding that John Weiland Homes is stepping in to finish the residential units in the Hedgewood development downtown.
"It is a lull before the storm," he said. "I would expect an influx of home starts over the next several months."
So far this year, Woodstock has issued 36 new permits, down slightly from 37 issued at this time last year.
Canton issued 13 new permits last month, down from 15 in April but up from six on May last year. This year, the city has issued 62 new permits, up from 14 at this time last year.
Holly Springs did not issue any new permits last month, falling from seven in April and eight in May of last year. This year, the city has issued 40 new permits, down from 49 issued at this time last year.
Ball Ground did not issue any permits over the last two months. There were no new permits in the city last May. The city has not issued any new permits this year, down from 11 issued at this time last year.
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