The Marietta Daily Journal – Cobb County housing permits on rise

MARIETTA — It’s a seller’s market, says Marietta City Councilman Johnny Sinclair, an agent with Harry Norman Realtors.

“I would say there’s definitely an undersupply of new construction and they are moving very well, so I think what you’re seeing is builders try to keep up with the demand, but to some extent they can’t build them fast enough, which is a great thing,” he said.

Sinclair pointed to Traton Homes’ Rockford development by Marietta High School.

“It turned out to be some of the most successful subdivisions in Cobb County last year, and it is completely sold out,” Sinclair said.

Housing permits in Cobb County for the month of July outperformed the same month in 2012 by 38, rising from 103 to 141.

Year-to-date, single-family home permits are up from 668 issued in 2012 to 982 this year.

“There’s not a lot of inventory, so if something that is in really good shape or it’s priced really well goes on the market it pretty much sells immediately, and therefore anybody who’s in the market for a new home, and there’s a lot of them, they’re snapping them up pretty fast,” Sinclair said.

Of Cobb’s six cities, Smyrna issued the most permits in July at 20, up from the 12 issued in July 2012.

Anecdotal evidence suggests competition for home purchases in Smyrna is very healthy, said Ken Suddreth, Smyrna’s community development director.

via The Marietta Daily Journal – Cobb County housing permits on rise.