Note to editors: (A table detailing production in the two counties has been posted here, while statewide data can be found here.)

SANTA CLARITA – A 225-unit apartment complex in Santa Monica and three smaller developments in Los Angeles accounted for the bulk of the building permits issued around L.A. County in October, the Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California reported today.

According to data compiled by the Construction Industry Research Board (CIRB), there were just 154 single-family permits pulled in L.A. County during the month along with 411 multifamily permits. In all, 565 units were permitted during the month, down 32 percent from September but up 151 percent from October 2010.

During the first 10 months of the year, multifamily permits – almost all for apartments – were up 60 percent from the same period a year ago to 6,179, while single-family permits were down by 3 percent to 1,924.

Still, the 8,103 total housing units permitted this year is by far the most of any California metro area, nearly twice as many as the 4,442 housing starts in the Riverside-San Bernardino area.

In Ventura County, just 10 single-family permits and five multi-family permits were issued countywide, although the multifamily permits were for a townhouse community in Port Hueneme and not for apartments. For the year, total housing starts are up by 18 percent countywide, due entirely to a surge in multifamily development.

Looking at permits by jurisdiction in the two counties, Santa Monica led the way in October with 228, including a 225-unit mixed-use project called The Village at 1705 Ocean Avenue. L.A. City issued 218 permits, including two complexes in Brentwood – a 78-unit apartment building at 1168 S. Barrington Avenue owned by California Landmark Barrington and a 26-unit apartment at 11818 W Dorothy Street in Brentwood owned by Dorothy Village LLC – and a 46-unit apartment complex at 345 S. Gramercy Place in the mid-Wilshire area owned by Angel’s Dream Castle, LLC.

On the single-family side, construction began on 40 new homes in L.A. City, along with 20 in Pomona, 19 in Lancaster, 14 in Arcadia and 12 in the unincorporated area around Santa Clarita.

Schroeder said the weakness in single-family construction, which historically has been more consistent than multifamily projects, is further proof that local governments need to work more closely with homebuilders to allow projects to pencil out.

“While the state’s economy appears to be making small steps toward recovery, it’s unlikely that real recovery will get under way until homebuilders are able to ramp up construction to more normal levels,” Schroeder said. “Builders are more than willing to sit down with local officials around the region and find innovative ways to cut costs and make more projects financially feasible so that they can build more homes, put people to work and help the overall economy get moving again.”

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Note to editors: in California, building permits are seldom pulled until construction is ready to begin due to the tens of thousands of dollars in development fees usually due when the permit is obtained. Unlike most other states, permits issued is a good indication of the number of homes on which construction began.

BIASC is a non-profit trade association representing some 1,000 member companies in the housing industry, construction trades, and affiliated businesses throughout Southern California. The Chapter, one of four that make up BIASC, serves homebuilders in Los Angeles, Ventura and southeastern Kern counties. More information is available on the Chapter Website, www.bialav.org.

The Construction Industry Research Board (CIRB) is a Burbank-based nonprofit research center established in 1974 to provide statistical information on the California building and construction industry. More information is available on the CIRB Website, www.cirbdata.com.

SANTA CLARITA – The number of new homes that closed escrow in September dropped sharply from the previous month and September 2010 in both Los Angeles and Ventura counties, the local chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California reported today.

A total of 221 new homeowners took the keys to their new homes and condos during the month in L.A. County, according to sales totals compiled for the BIA by Hanley-Wood Market Intelligence. Costa Mesa-based HWMI tracks closings in new-home communities of 10 units or more.

September’s total was down from 286 the previous month and 341 a year ago, when state tax credits for purchasing a new home were still in effect and is the lowest monthly total since January, when 209 closings took place.

The most sales during the month took place in West Los Angeles (82), followed by the South Bay and San Gabriel Valley.

However, the countywide median price increased by 6 percent from the previous month to $381,900. That figure was down 16 percent from a year ago. And the average price per square foot in L.A. County rose slightly to $291 – almost exactly where it was in January.

Ventura County reported just 17 closings in September, and both median price and price per square foot fell month over month and year over year.

Holly Schroeder, CEO of the Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter, said the drop in closings is another sign of how shaky the nation’s economic recovery is and urged local governments throughout the region to work with the building community to make as many projects as possible financially feasible.

“The ongoing weakness in new-home construction is a major reason why the regional and state economies have not shown the kind of strong growth we typically see after a recession,” Schroeder said.

“Homebuilding is a big part of our economy and getting the industry back on its feet would go a long ways toward rebuilding our economy, reducing unemployment and generating tax revenues for state and local governments up and down the state.”

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BIASC is a non-profit trade association representing some 1,000 member companies in the housing industry, construction trades, and affiliated businesses throughout Southern California. The Chapter, one of four that make up BIASC, serves homebuilders in Los Angeles, Ventura and southeastern Kern counties. Learn more at www.bialav.org.

Hanley Wood Market Intelligence (HWMI) is the housing industry’s leading provider of rich data and analytical services on residential real estate development and new-home construction and a business unit of Hanley Wood, LLC, the premier media company serving housing and construction. More information is available on the company’s website, www.hanleywood.com/hwmi, or by calling 1-800-639-3777.

HWMI tracks home closing information by builder on a monthly basis for the state of California and across the country. HWMI closings represent completed transactions during the period indicated. Median and average prices are based upon the final closing price of the transaction as recorded with the associated municipality. Through its data platform, Housing IntelligencePro, HWMI provides the most comprehensive housing data resource available.

“Standard Pacific Homes was chosen because of its innovative home designs and successful efforts to meet the diverse housing needs of the region during this time of economic turmoil,” said Holly Schroeder, CEO of BIASC’s Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter.

“Standard Pacific Homes is a premier national homebuilder that is truly a leader in Southern California. The company understands the market, continues to evolve and is doing a great job of providing a wide range of home designs including single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums  to ensure they are meeting customer demand across the board.”

“It is a great honor to be recognized as Builder of the Year by BIASC’s Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter,” said Ted McKibben, Southern California Coastal President for Standard Pacific Homes. “We strive to design homes that blend sophistication and flexible design for buyers of all lifestyles. This award acknowledges that we are achieving our goal of providing the utmost in home choice, quality and value — all created with our longstanding tradition of excellence in design and craftsmanship.”

Building upon a reputation of quality in homebuilding since 1965, Irvine-based Standard Pacific Homes opened more than 60 communities in 2011. The Company has been the top builder in Ventura County for the past two years and is currently offering single-family homes and townhomes in Oxnard’s master-planned community of RiverPark as well as The Marketplace in Simi Valley and The Hideaway in Port Hueneme.  In Los Angeles, the Company is building executive homes in the Walnut community of Saddlewood, single-family homes in San Pedro’s Harbor Highlands and townhomes in Marina del Rey’s Beach Collection at Latitude 33.

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About BIASC, Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter

BIASC is a non-profit trade association representing some 1,000 member companies in the housing industry, construction trades, and affiliated businesses throughout Southern California. The Chapter, one of four that make up BIASC, serves homebuilders in Los Angeles, Ventura and southeastern Kern counties. Learn more at www.bialav.org.

About Standard Pacific Homes

Standard Pacific Homes has built quality homes for families across the country for over 45 years. The company constructs homes within a wide range of price and size targeting a broad range of homebuyers. Standard Pacific Homes is active in many of the largest housing markets in the country with operations in major metropolitan areas in California, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Colorado and Nevada. For more information about the company and its new home developments, please visit our website at: www.standardpacifichomes.com. 

LONG BEACH – Commercial and residential contractors, architects, developers, landscape planners, engineers and other professionals are invited to the first in a series of free half-day training sessions to learn the ins and outs of how to comply with California and Los Angeles County green building requirements.

The first session will be held from 1-5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 9, at the Building Industry Show (BIS) at the Long Beach Convention Center. BIS, the largest regional homebuilding show in California, is sponsored by the Building Industry Association of Southern California and is open only to construction professionals.

The training courses are funded by a federal grant given to the Los Angeles County Office of Sustainability and are being developed by Bevilacqua Knight Inc., a leading California consulting firm. The sessions will be led by two nationally known experts in green building – Marc Richmond, principal with Austin, Tex.-based Practica Consulting and Jim Weiner, principal with Los Angeles-based Collaborative Project Consulting.

The training program is designed to give construction professionals real-world insights into how to ensure their projects comply with the requirements of the state’s new CalGreen program as well as County ordinances governing green building, low-impact design and drought-tolerant landscaping.

At least five additional courses will be offered next spring in different parts of the county.

Registration is free and as an added bonus, the first 50 people to register will also receive a complimentary floor pass to BIS.

To register and for more information, visit www.bialav.org/green-building-training/ or call (661) 257-5046 ext. 4.

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BIASC is a non-profit trade association representing some 1,000 member companies in the housing industry, construction trades, and affiliated businesses throughout Southern California. The Chapter, one of four that make up BIASC, serves homebuilders in Los Angeles, Ventura and southeastern Kern counties.

Note to editors: (A table detailing production in the two counties has been posted here, while statewide data can be found here.)

SANTA CLARITA – Building permits issued throughout Los Angeles County in September reflected the relative strength of apartment construction and the historic weakness in the single-family market statewide, the Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California reported today.

According to data compiled by the Construction Industry Research Board (CIRB), there were 194 single-family permits pulled in L.A. County during the month while 626 multifamily permits were issued. In all, 820 units were permitted during the month, down 40.5 percent from August but up 97.1 percent from September 2010.

The trend toward apartment construction and the sharp downturn in single-family construction becomes even more apparent when the year- to-date figures are examined. During the first nine months of the year, there have been 7,574 permits issued countywide, 34.9 percent above the same period last year. But while single-family permits are down 2.3 percent to 1,786, multifamily permits are up by almost 53 percent to 5,788.

Multifamily construction is outpacing single-family construction by more than 3 to 1 this year. And while L.A. County has traditionally seen more apartments and condos built than single-family homes, the ratio during the middle part of the past decade were closer to 1.5 to 1.

In fact, CIRB now projects that just 21,500 single-family homes will be built this year statewide, compared to 24,500 multifamily units. And while total housing production is expected to be slightly higher than reported in 2010, annual single-family production is expected to be the lowest since records began being kept in 1954.

The same trend is also seen in Ventura County, where during the first nine months of 2011 there were 458 multifamily units permitted and only 116 single-family homes. During September, however, just 18 single-family permits and no multifamily permits were issued countywide.

“Apartment construction in our region remains relatively strong due to demand for rental units in a troubled economy and because construction financing is far easier to obtain for rental projects than for-sale development,” noted Holly Schroeder, the Chapter’s chief executive officer. “On the for-sale side, while mortgage rates are at historic lows, lending standards are so stringent that many people with solid jobs still can’t qualify, and new homes are competing with a growing number of foreclosed homes hitting the market as banks ramp up their foreclosure process.”

Looking at permits by jurisdiction in the two counties, L.A. City led the way in September with 44 single-family permits and 581 multifamily permits, including a 478-unit mixed use apartment project at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea Avenue being developed by BRE Properties.

A total of 59 units were permitted in the unincorporated areas of L.A. County, including 41 single-family homes in the Santa Clarita Valley. In fact, builders began construction on 45 single-family homes in the city and unincorporated area surrounding it, the most in the region. Construction also got under way on a 33-unit affordable rental project on Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica.

Clearing up a previous question in Ventura County, Oxnard submitted a revised report indicating that it permitted 272 apartments in July at Shea Properties’ Artisan project near St. John’s Regional Medical Center, not the 514 units that had been mentioned in the August BIA press release. Year to date, Oxnard’s 337 housing starts is by far the most in the county.

Schroeder said the weakness in single-family construction, which historically has been more consistent than multifamily projects, is further proof that local governments need to work more closely with homebuilders to allow projects to pencil out.

“It’s critical that cities, counties and school districts around the region reduce their developer fees, which average $50,000 or more per home, or at least to defer collecting the funds until the home is completed instead of when the building permit is issued. These steps would help our members build more and help get the state’s economy moving again,” she said.

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Note to editors: in California, building permits are seldom pulled until construction is ready to begin due to the tens of thousands of dollars in development fees usually due when the permit is obtained. Unlike most other states, permits obtained is a good indication of the number of homes on which construction began.

BIASC is a non-profit trade association representing some 1,000 member companies in the housing industry, construction trades, and affiliated businesses throughout Southern California. The Chapter, one of four that make up BIASC, serves homebuilders in Los Angeles, Ventura and southeastern Kern counties.

The Construction Industry Research Board (CIRB) is a Burbank-based nonprofit research center established in 1974 to provide statistical information on the California building and construction industry. More information is available on the CIRB Website, www.cirbdata.com.

Note to editors:  A table breaking down closings, average price, median prices, average square feet, and average price per square foot for Los Angeles and Ventura counties and by geographic areas within L.A. County can be found here.

SANTA CLARITA – More new homes closed escrow during August in Los Angeles County than in any other month so far this year, the Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California reported today.

Escrows closed on 281 new homes and condominiums in L.A. County, up 24.9.0 percent from July’s revised figure and one more than the previous high set in May, according to sales totals compiled for the BIA by Hanley-Wood Market Intelligence. Costa Mesa-based HWMI tracks closings in new-home communities of 10 units or more. August’s totals were 17.8 percent below the 342 recorded during the same month a year ago.

The most completed sales were recorded in the West Los Angeles area with 80, followed by the South Bay with 48 and the San Fernando Valley with 46. In addition, the Antelope and Santa Clarita Valley markets rebounded nicely from July’s figures.

In Ventura County, 33 new homes closed, up sharply from 13 in July and up from 25 in August 2010. The previous high this year was 24 in June.

The median price of a new home sold in L.A. County was $362,500, down 5.8 percent from July’s revised number and down 21.9 percent from August 2010. However, the average size of homes that closed in August was also down sharply. On a per-square-foot basis, the average price in August was $303, the second-highest month this year and up 7.4 percent from July.

Median prices in Ventura County rose by 7 percent compared to July and were also up 13 percent from August 2010, but the per-square-foot price dropped slightly month-over-month and slightly more year-over-year.

Holly Schroeder, the Chapter’s CEO, said the monthly increase is welcome but added that sales are still too anemic throughout the two counties to help the economy improve.

“The ongoing weakness in new-home construction is a major reason why the regional and state economies have not shown the kind of strong growth we typically see after a recession,” Schroeder said. “We are continuing to work closely with city and county officials to demonstrate the need to reduce fees and provide incentives for builders to begin construction on more new homes, condos and apartments.”

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BIASC is a non-profit trade association representing some 1,000 member companies in the housing industry, construction trade, and affiliated businesses throughout Southern California. The Chapter, one of four that make up BIASC, serves homebuilders in Los Angeles, Ventura and southeastern Kern counties.

Hanley Wood Market Intelligence (HWMI) is the housing industry’s leading provider of rich data and analytical services on residential real estate development and new-home construction and a business unit of Hanley Wood, LLC, the premier media company serving housing and construction. More information is available on the company’s website, www.hanleywood.com/hwmi, or by calling 1-800-639-3777.

HWMI tracks home closing information by builder on a monthly basis for the state of California and across the country. HWMI closings represent completed transactions during the period indicated. Median and average prices are based upon the final closing price of the transaction as recorded with the associated municipality. Through its data platform, Housing IntelligencePro, HWMI provides the most comprehensive housing data resource available.

IRVINE – The Building Industry Association of Southern California, Inc. (BIASC), which represents more than 1,000 member businesses involved in the homebuilding industry, today announced the appointment of Mark Knorringa as its new Chief Executive Officer. 

Knorringa, 61, has worked in the industry for more than 35 years as a builder, developer and association executive. Most recently, he has been the Executive Officer of the Riverside County Chapter since 2008 and was named BIASC’s Executive Officer of Year in 2010.

“Strong leadership and member involvement are critical as BIASC continues to fight for homeownership and the professionals that work hard every day to deliver the American Dream,” said Bob Yoder, President of the Southern California Division of Shea Homes and this year’s BIASC President.

“Mark has a unique perspective given his breadth of experience in Southern California. He understands the business and the impacts that legislation and regulations have on members, and he has the organizational skills we need to continue providing members with valuable programs and services.” 

Knorringa succeeds Holly Schroeder, who served as BIASC’s interim CEO since January but preferred to continue serving as the Executive Officer of its Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter.

“Holly deftly managed the restructuring of the Association’s dues, governance and budgeting process, and we are grateful for all that she has accomplished during what has been a very challenging time for our industry,” Yoder said.

Knorringa is a longtime leader in Southern California's homebuilding and community development industry. His real estate expertise includes oversight of large-scale master-planned community infrastructure installation; entitlements; and the development of several all-suite hotel projects and residential subdivisions.

“I’m honored to have been asked to take on this new challenge, especially during these unprecedented economic times,” Knorringa said. “For many years, the BIA has forged great alliances with local government and community leaders. Holly Schroeder has achieved great results, and I’m committed to working with our members and staff to sustain our momentum. I look forward to furthering relationships and achieving tremendous results on behalf of the men and women of the building industry and most importantly for the economic benefit of our region.”

Before becoming the Riverside County Chapter’s Executive Officer, Knorringa was a long-time BIA volunteer, serving for two terms as the Chapter’s President as well as Vice President of Governmental Affairs for BIASC. Prior to becoming the Chapter Executive Officer, Knorringa was Director of Development for Oak Valley Partners. In that capacity, he managed all phases of the Oak Valley master-planned community in Beaumont and Calimesa, including entitlements, annexations, environmental review, development and construction.

He lives in Corona del Mar with his wife, Katchen.

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BIASC and its four chapters – Los Angeles/Ventura, Orange County, Riverside County and Baldy View – represent the homebuilding industry throughout Los Angeles, Ventura, southeast Kern, Orange, Riverside, Imperial and San Bernardino counties.

Note to editors: (A table detailing production in the two counties has been posted here, while statewide data can be found here.)

SANTA CLARITA – Residential building activity in Los Angeles County rebounded in August from the abnormally low levels recorded in July, the Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California reported today.

According to data compiled by the Construction Industry Research Board (CIRB), there were 203 single-family permits pulled in L.A. County in August, up 36.2 percent from last month and 15.3 percent from August 2010. There were also 1,120 multifamily permits issued, up 711.6 percent from last month and 98.6 percent from last year. The total of 1,323 permits was up 361.0 percent from July and 78.8 percent from August 2010.

Year to date, there have been 6,696 permits issued countywide. While single-family permits are down 6.4 percent from 2010, multifamily permits are up by almost 45 percent.

L.A. City led the way in August with 42 single-family permits and 1,007 multifamily permits, including a 348-unit (25-story live-work) project at 900 S. Figueroa St. in downtown, a 298-unit apartment development on Eton Avenue in Warner Center, an 87-unit senior housing facility at Lanark Street and Sepulveda Boulevard in Van Nuys and an 88-unit, 8- story complex at Burton Way and San Vicente Boulevard near Cedars Sinai Medical Center.

Bell Gardens was second with 60 permits for an apartment complex on Clara Street, while Azusa ranked third during the month with 27 single-family permits and 19 multifamily permits. The unincorporated portions of L.A. County reported 38 single-family permits and no multifamily permits. No other jurisdiction issued more than 25 permits during the month.

In Ventura County, the CIRB data showed just six single-family and five multifamily permits were issued in August. However, after CIRB finalized its metro-area tables and statewide report, Oxnard reported it issued 544 multifamily permits in July and another 9 in August. That would bring the county’s year-to-date total to 835, well above the 358 for the same time period last year. The tables will be updated next month to reflect the actual totals.

The rebound in housing starts was reflected around the state in August, with total permits up 96 percent from July and up almost 30 percent from August 2010. At least part of July’s low totals was attributed to two costly new state building requirements – green building standards and mandatory fire sprinklers – that went into effect on January 1. Permits applied for late last year to avoid the higher costs involved in those state mandates had to be issued by the end of June, which probably led builders to pull permits earlier than they would have otherwise.

However, CIRB still projects that total production this year statewide will only total 46,700 units, the third-lowest level since accurate records began being kept in the 1950s. More than half of this year’s housing starts are expected to be multifamily projects, mainly apartments.

Holly Schroeder, the Chapter’s chief executive officer, said the rebound is good news for builders and the region’s economy, but warned the overall state economy is not likely to turn around until homebuilding gets back on track.

“One thing that could help make a lot of new-home projects financially feasibly would be for our cities, counties and school districts to reduce their developer fees, which average $50,000 or more per home – or at least to defer collecting the funds until the home is completed instead of with the building permit. These steps would help our members build more and help get the state’s economy moving again,” she said.

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Note to editors: in California, building permits are seldom pulled until construction is ready to begin due to the tens of thousands of dollars in development fees usually due when the permit is obtained. Unlike most other states, permits obtained is a good indication of the number of homes on which construction began.

BIASC is a non-profit trade association representing more than 1,100 member companies in the housing industry, construction trades, and affiliated businesses throughout Southern California. The Chapter, one of four that make up BIASC, serves homebuilders in Los Angeles, Ventura and southeastern Kern counties.

The Construction Industry Research Board (CIRB) is a Burbank-based nonprofit research center established in 1974 to provide statistical information on the California building and construction industry. More information is available on the CIRB Website, www.cirbdata.com.