113th Year, 27th Issue Thursday, February 14, 2002 Sparta, North Carolina

Land sales rebound, but construction remains down

By ROBBY LUCKE
Staff

Alleghany County land sales rebounded last year, while money spent on residential construction continued to drop — by 24 percent. According to figures from the Alleghany County Register of Deeds office, there were 600 deeds with stamps — that is, deeds sold for money — in 2001, down from 627 in 2000.

Total value of land sold, however, showed a significant increase. Based on stamp value, land sold last year amounted to about $40.12 million, a 14 percent increase over the 2000 total of $35.2 million. (That puts last year's average sale at $66,861, versus $56,140 in 2000.) Land sales totaled $47.0 million in 1999.

Last year's heaviest month for sales was August, in which 69 deeds sold for a total of about $4.7 million. The leanest month of 2001 was April, during which 47 deeds sold for $1.7 million.

Of the deeds with stamps, 331, or 55 percent, involved a purchaser from outside Alleghany County.

According to building inspection department statistics, money spent on new residential construction, based on permits issued, dropped from $14.8 million in 2000 to $11,235,802 in 2001. The figure was $16.8 million in 1999. Of the 2001 amount, $15,000 was for one two-family, or duplex house. The remainder was for 95 single-family houses. In 2000, 122 single-family houses and 30 duplex homes were authorized.

Get the rest of this article in this week's issue of the Alleghany News!

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