Wilmington hit the latest list of the nation’s top 50 building markets in 2008 as compiled and published by Builder, the print and online trade publication for the home building industry.

The publication has been gathering the number of building permits issued by planning departments in metropolitan statistical areas around the country for about ten years, said Denise Dersin, editor in chief of Builder.

On this year’s list Wilmington was ranked no. 50 and had 3,551 building permits for new homes, according to the publication. Wilmington was not on the publication’s 2007 list. The top market, Houston, had 42,697, the publication reported.

New York, Dallas, Atlanta and Phoenix rounded out the top five cities with the largest building markets in the country.

Regionally, Charlotte ranked no. 11 with 12,231 permits in 2008. The Raleigh/Cary market came in at no. 13 with 11,386 permits issued. Charleston, S.C. was ranked no. 35 with 4,947 permits.

Wilmington last hit the list in 2006 as no. 59 out of the top 75 areas with 6,752 permits issued. On the 2005 list, Wilmington’s number of building permits jumped to 9,381 permits and making the list at no. 49. “For everyone in the country, 2005 was the top of the market,” Dersin said. On the 2004 list, Wilmington was no. 63 out of 75 with 5,712 permits.

In Wilmington, the publication reported that the largest builder was Pyramid Homes, which closed on 113 homes in 2008, representing 3.2 percent of the market. D.R. Horton, the biggest home builder in the nation operating in 77 markets in 27 states, was the second-largest builder in Wilmington. D.R. Horton had 93 homes close, which represented 2.6 percent of the local market. The third-largest builder was Bill Clark Homes, with 84 homes and 2.4 percent of the market.

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