Visalia Home Building Permits Stay Strong
New home building permits in Visalia stayed strong in November with permits for 34 homes issued.That compares to 23 for November 2012. Year to date the number of new home building permits climbed 52% over last year and valuation has jumped by 84%. The total valuation of all types of permits in Visalia has increased 44% this year so far.
For the entire year it is likely the city will permit just under 400 new homes – about the pace seen in 2009 as the US started to slip into the recession. The year 2012 was the low with 252 homes permitted all year.
Weekly Rail Traffic Up 26%
Here’s a good economic indicator! The Association of American Railroads reported increased U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Nov. 23, 2013, with 296,581 total carloads, up 17.4 percent compared with the same week last year, which was Thanksgiving week in 2012. Total U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 267,759 trailers and containers, up 37.7 percent compared with the same week last year. Total combined U.S. weekly rail traffic was 564,340 carloads and intermodal units, up 26.2 percent compared with the same week last year.
All 10 of the carload commodity groups tracked by AAR on a weekly basis posted increases compared with the same week in 2012, led by motor vehicles and parts with 18,075 carloads, up 42.2 percent and nonmetallic minerals and products with 34,048 carloads, up 40.3 percent.
Tulare County Gas Price Is State’s Lowest
Selling gasoline this week at $3.18 a gallon, two Tulare County gas stations are offering fuel at the lowest price in the state says Gas Buddy. The two stations are the Valero on Blackstone at E Prosperity in Tulare and Eagle Feather Trading Post on Hwy 190 near Porterville.Nearly a dozen other stations in the county follow at $3.19 as the region is the Golden State’s low cost leader – competitive for the first time in recent memory.
Gas Buddy says the average price for regular in the state is $3.56,down from an average of $3.66 a month ago.