The market is creeping back and one indicator is the number of permits issued in Northeast Florida.
There were hopes of hitting a round number for 2013: 6,000. But, not quite: The final total was 5,971.
That’s along way off the glory days of 2005, when there were 17,753 issued. But it’s also a big step ahead of the darkest days of 2011, when just 3,151 permits were approved.
The four-county breakdown, as compiled by the Northeast Florida Builders Association, shows the 2013 total came from 2,721 in St. Johns, 1,907 in Duval, 900 in Clay and 443 in Nassau.
Another positive indicator: The totals were reasonably evenly spread over the 12 months. The high was 613 in July, the low was 410 in January.
– Fred Seely