SINGLE-FAMILY HOME FUTURES

A leading indicator of future single-family home building, construction permits, got off to a modest, if mixed, start this year. The 539 permits for new single-family homes issued in January was a 13% increase above last January. It was also 31% more than January, 1986. But it fell well behind January, 1987, (39%) and January, 1988, (20%). During the last 24 months, six had smaller totals than January.

Yorba Linda, San Clemente and Santa Ana had the largest gains compared to last January; much smaller comparative totals occurred in Mission Viejo, Orange and Huntington Beach.

Here’s how the cities compared during the last two Januarys:

January January 1989-’90 City 1989 1990 Change Unincorporated areas 190 300 +110 Yorba Linda 0 58 +58 San Clemente 14 59 +45 Santa Ana 1 26 +25 Newport Beach 8 14 +6 Laguna Beach 6 10 +4 Buena Park 0 1 +1 Fullerton 0 1 +1 La Palma 0 1 +1 Brea 0 0 No change Costa Mesa 2 2 No change Cypress 0 0 No change Fountain Valley 0 0 No change Garden Grove 0 0 No change Irvine 0 0 No change Los Alamitos 0 0 No change Placentia 0 0 No change Stanton 0 0 No change Tustin 0 0 No change Westminster 0 0 No change Anaheim 12 11 -1 La Habra 1 0 -1 Seal Beach 1 0 -1 Villa Park 2 0 -2 Huntington Beach 28 5 -23 Orange 73 28 -45 Mission Viejo 130 0 -130 Dana Point N/A 13 -- Laguna Niguel N/A N/A -- San Juan Capistrano 11 * -- COUNTY TOTAL 479 539* +60

N/A: Information not available

*: Information not available; estimate used to obtain county total

24-MONTH TREND

June 1988: 2,305

July 1988:1812

May 1989: 1,027

September 1989: 322

January 1990: 539

FIVE-COUNTY COMPARISON

Orange County’s 539 single-family home permits issued in January was the smallest number in any of the local five counties, but the increas of 13% above January, 1989, set the futures pace. Both San Bernardino and San Diego counties also had increases over 1989, but smaller ones. Los Angeles and Riverside counties both dropped off their 1989 totals. Almost half the permits issued during January in California were issued in either Orange or the surrounding four counties.

% of 1990 % of 1990 January January Percentage Five-County State County 1989 1990 Change Total Total Los Angeles 1,467 802 -45 16 8 Orange 479 539 +13 11 5 Riverside 1,516 1,191 -21 26 11 San Bernardino 1,273 1,337 +5 28 13 San Diego 828 902 +9 19 9 Five-County Total 5,563 4,771 -14 100 46 STATE TOTAL 11,045 10,425 -6 -- 100

FIVE-YEAR JANUARY COMPARISON

1986: 412

1987: 750

1988: 673

1989: 479

1990: 539

Source: Construction Industry Research Board