Housing market numbers slide
By LARRY HILLIARD Ledger Staff Editor larry@gaffneyledger.com

The housing market took a hit here this year.

With just two weeks remaining in 2007, there have been 16 fewer home starts in the county compared to the same period last year.

November was no exception to that trend. There were only seven new home starts last month, down from nine in November 2006, according to a monthly report issued by the Home Builders Association of Cherokee County.

But there is some good news - the average price of the home starts in November was $115,000, a jump of about $6,000 from the same month a year ago.

There were no new home starts in the city last month.

Ditto for November 2006.

The new $246,000 Wash Depot Laundry on Walton Drive on Overbrook Drive was the largest commercial permit issued by the city last month. The largest commercial permit issued by the county was for a $8,500 metal roof at Freeman's Gas Company's office on Cherokee Avenue.