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February 21, 2008
Accentuate the Conspicuous
Honestly, I'm not always looking to accentuate the negative, when it comes to Rhode Island. It's just important for us to have a clear picture of what's going on (going wrong) with our state. Consider Lynn Arditi's coverage of the decreasing demand for building permits:
Rhode Island's new home construction slowed last year, with the number of single-family building permits falling 9 percent for the second straight year, according to a report from the Rhode Island Builders Association.There were 1,458 single-family building permits issued in the state last year, compared with 1,606 permits in 2006. The permits are a rough proxy for new home construction.
Rhode Island's slowdown in single-family building is far less severe than in the rest of New England, where single-family building permits last year declined an average of 23 percent, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
Nationally, single-family permits last year declined 29 percent from 2006, the national association reported.
Doesn't sound so bad for Rhode Island, does it? Read on:
Unlike the rest of the country, Rhode Island’s new home construction has been falling every year since 2000. Even during the national housing boom, single-family building permits in the state declined. In all, permits during the last 7 years in the state have fallen 35.4 percent, according to the Rhode Island Builders Association.
So what's the seven year number for "the rest of the country"? I don't know, but given the real estate trends that this decade has seen, I find the perennial decrease to be surprising. Do "single-family building permits" include only new construction or renovations, as well?
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"So what's the seven year number for "the rest of the country"?"
It looks like the answer is here:
http://www.census.gov/const/C40/Table1/table1a.pdf
but I can't find a calculator at the moment to get the percentage.
If that's not it, the above link comes from this website, which has lots of info:
http://www.census.gov/const/www/C40/table1.html
Posted by: Monique at February 21, 2008 7:11 AMJustin
My brother-in-law and his son moved from upstate NY to North Carolina and now concentrate on commercial cabinetry. They had no problem catching on immediately by doing framing and then moving to better job opportunities.
North Carolina is nice this time of year. Cost of living ain't bad either. Just sayin'.
Posted by: chuckR at February 21, 2008 1:18 PMChuckR -
But don't they miss NY Legislature, which like RI's is Democrat / union controlled and so is dedicated to looking out for the best interests of "working families?" ;-)
Posted by: Tom W at February 21, 2008 1:36 PMTom W - NY is not quite the same as RI. There are enough Republicans so that they can curb the worst impulses of the Dems.
OTOH, Monroe County, about the same physical and population size as RI, has its own county legislature. I hope nobody here thinks thats a bright idea.
Posted by: chuckR at February 21, 2008 6:45 PMBelieve it or not Tom the New York Senate is Republican and has been for years. One can only imagine what the taxes would be if it weren't.
Posted by: Mike at February 21, 2008 7:56 PM>>Believe it or not Tom the New York Senate is Republican and has been for years. One can only imagine what the taxes would be if it weren't.
Yeah, but not that Republican - a lot are go along to get along RINO's (like many of the "Republicans" here in RI ... Avedesian Jackvony Long Watson).
In NY you have Bruno, who is indistinguishable from your average Democrat (essentially like a pre-Laffey Cranston "Republican"). Governor Pataki was bought by SEIU, etc.
Posted by: Tom W at February 21, 2008 9:38 PMJustin,
The long-term decline in building permits may not be completely driven by economics. Surprise, surprise, according to a Projo article from last year, Rhode Island's municipal bureaucracies don't seem to be terribly efficient at approving building permits.
Posted by: Andrew at February 21, 2008 11:58 PMMy sister is moving from North Carolina to Rhode Island. After extensive research she found both places cost of living about the same when considering all factors. One thing I found surprizing is they charge 7% tax on food and clothes there.
Posted by: michael at February 22, 2008 10:24 AM"Rhode Island's municipal bureaucracies don't seem to be terribly efficient at approving building permits."
Good. We want trees, not buildings.
Posted by: Monique at February 22, 2008 8:20 PMMichael, keep us posted on your sister's NC vs RI cost experience. (Anonymously, if it doesn't turn out as she expected.)
Posted by: Monique at February 22, 2008 8:27 PM