Friday Five: Building permits, home prices, author nominated and recycling | Local News

First quarter totals. According to reports in the Cabarrus County Construction Standards Department, the county issued 684 building permits from Jan. 1 to March 31. The total value was about $135.6 million.

Here are the first quarter total numbers for the previous five years: 2021, 1139 permits worth $234.5 million; 2020, 940 permits for $148.1 million; 2019, 922 permits worth $124.8 million; 2018, 891 permits worth $168 million; and 2017, 872 permits worth $95.2 million.

Single family detached (SFD) homes (not apartments). The county issued 264 permits for new houses worth a total of nearly $43.6 million in the first quarter of this year. That is down too, but is still a lot of building.

Here are SFD numbers for the first quarter of the last five years: 2021, 487 houses worth $164.5 million; 2020, 457 houses worth $77.6 million; 2019, 383 houses worth $69.1 million; 2018, 456 houses worth $84.2 million; and 2017, 378 houses worth $54.5 million.

Average home prices listed for permits seem low. The average value SFD for first quarter this year was $165,062. That is down from $337,782 for 2021 first quarter. Other average first quarter values were: 2020, $169,803; 2019, $180,418; 2018, $184,649; and 2017, $144,180.

I doubt seriously if you can buy a brand new home for $165,062. Home prices right now are crazy.

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t get a call or letter wanting to buy my home. I doubt most of them would actually pay a fair price.

One letter said they would pay $213,000 for my house and I would net more than $200,000. Yeah right. The tax value is $153,820 and I personally think that is a bit high.

And if I did sell my house I don’t think I could find comparable house to replace it.

I did get a call this week from an actual Realtor who was looking for a home to sell to a buyer she had. I told her there were two on the market in my neighborhood and she said one had already gone under contract.

Sure enough she was right. The house has been on the market maybe a week. I thought it was wildly overpriced. They were asking $349,900 for 1380-square-foot house with a basement and single carport. It does have a double lot.

The other house is listed at $249,900 with a single lot and about 1140 square feet heated. The house of built in the early 1980s. To me that’s insane. This is not California or one of the fixer-upper TV shows.

Something is out of balance here.

Local author nominated for award. Our friend Norman McCullough is a finalist in the 2022 Black Authors Matter TV Awards.

.A video that includes all of the finalists’ photos has been posted on our social media platforms and is available online here: https://fb.watch/cdHu60YZVw/

McCullough is nominated for his work on the Warren C. Coleman book and the work he has done in helping discover Black history in our community.

Voting for the winner in each category begins at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, April 11, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, April 30. The voting form IS NOT yet activated, but will be activated once the voting time begins. Here is the link for the voting when it begins https://bit.ly/3wzACFV

The winners will be announced on Tuesday, May 17, at the Black Authors Matter TV Awards show at 8 p.m. EST.

A few more numbers from Pancake Day. We told you the Boys & Girls Club of Cabarrus County raised $108,000 at the fundraisers. The club released a few more numbers from the event: 180 volunteers; 5,145 pancake eaters; 11,220 pieces of sausage were served; and 13,284 pancakes served.

Put it on your calendar. Pancake Day is held on the third Thursday in March every year (excepting during the pandemic).

Mini-rant. Why do the wheels on my recycling bin not touch the ground? My last bin got the lid busted so the city replaced it with a new bin.

The problem is the bin will only remain upright on flat ground. When I take it curbside, it often tips over, spilling the contents.

As one reader pointed out a couple of weeks ago, recycling pick-up day might be the most littered day. Not only will my bin not stay upright but the loose contents inside get scattered when they are dumped into the back of the truck.

One positive note on recycling – the City of Kannapolis has placed new recycling cans in the West Avenue area.

If you have a Friday Five, story suggestion or something I can rant about email mplemmons@independenttribune.co or call or text 704-786-0001.