July 2014 Building Permit Report
In cities across the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area, housing production during 2014 continues to maintain the pace established last year, according to the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City’s (HBA) monthly Residential Building Permit Statistics report. July building permits totaled 358 single family permits—virtually unchanged from June’s count of 359. Year to date total building permits of 2,402 are the highest since 2007 but just slightly higher than 2013’s year to date report of 2,355.
“With interest rates even lower than last summer and slowly strengthening job growth it continues to be a good time to buy a home,” said Executive Vice President Sara Corless. “Price appreciation means a slight decrease in affordability, but that has not slowed the need for supply.”
The eight area counties of the metropolitan area have each maintained their consistent share of the area’s permit activity, with Leavenworth County showing the greatest increase from its 2013 permit count in both percentage increase and in number of permits issued. Cities and unincorporated areas of Leavenworth County have issued 31 more permits during 2014 than in the prior year, which is a 33% increase. Likewise, the smaller counties of Cass and Wyandotte have shown increases of 18% and 29%, respectively. Johnson County has the highest number of single family permits this year with 939; this is a slight decrease (3%) as compared to 2013. Jackson County has the second highest number with 445 permits, followed by Clay County with 394, and Platte County with 214. Kansas City remains the highest permitting city with 424 permits in Clay, Platte and Jackson combined counties. Olathe is the second highest permitting city with 304, followed by Overland Park at 237, Lee’s Summit at 164 and Shawnee at 126.