A recent survey of home-building activities in 13 Atlanta counties confirms that builders and buyers are continuing to take advantage of the current economic cycle.

American Metro/Study Corporation, a market firm serving home builders, lenders and developers, announced the results of its second-quarter housing market study.

“Atlanta remains the top housing market in the nation, based on the number of single-family permits issued in the metropolitan Atlanta area for the one-year period ending June 30, 1999,” said study director Phillip Rassel.

“According to current U.S. Census Bureau statistics, Atlanta issued a total of 48,004 permits. Phoenix is second with 38,983 and Washington, D.C. is a distant third with 29,129,” he added.

In the second quarter of 1999, single-family starts in the north Atlanta market reached annualized rate of 26,536 units per year, far exceeding the second quarter of 1998, when the annual starts rate was 23,989 per year.

“We expect the pace of starts and losings to increase during the third quarter of 1999 in both north and south Atlanta, as traditional seasonal selling strength is exhibited,” said Rassel.