Delaware County waiting for a rebound in home building

And so far, it's hard to say a rebound is on the horizon. The factors that slowed recovery — a glut of available new homes, cautious lenders and anemic jobs recovery — have lessened, experts say. But they're not gone yet.

When the local home-building market improves, it'll be no surprise if the rebound happens in Yorktown. It's the fastest-growing area, population-wise, in Delaware County.

And the seeds for recovery — at least as far as Delaware County goes — are already evident in numbers collected by The Star Press.

In 2014, 14 building permits for single-family homes were issued in rural areas of Delaware County. That compares to 19 home-building permits in Yorktown alone last year.

Veteran local home builders say that shouldn't be a surprise. Dave Keller of Chase Custom Homes noted that Yorktown's geographic area, utility rates, property taxes and schools combine to attract people looking to build.