Housing stats compiled by the local Home Builders Association show home starts in Cherokee County are still slumping.

There were five new home starts in the county in September, down one when compared to the housing stats of Sept. 2008.

For the year, the county is down 23 home starts from the same nine-month time span in 2008. The news is even more bleak for the city where there were four new home starts in Sept. 2008 and no new home starts last month.

The average price of last month’s home starts in the county were down about $30,000 compared to 2008 figures.

The largest commercial permit issued by the city was for the new Rent-A-Center store at Cherokee Plaza. The price tag for the store is $315,000.

The county’s top-dollar commercial permit was issued for a new sign at Hamrick’s on I- 85, valued at $52,000.