Homebuilding surges in Palm Beach County

With much of the developable land to the south already gobbled up, Palm Beach County is now the focus for many residential builders.

Developers are particularly targeting agricultural sites that can be rezoned into massive residential communities. The county had 5,051 building permits issued for new homes in 2013, nearly four times as many as 2009, according to the Sun-Sentinel. That is still well below the 12,000 permits issued in 2005.

Palm Beach County’s building department estimates the value of the 5,051 new homes, townhomes and condos at about $1.2 billion.

The county’s economic and residential real estate resurgence has builders looking for more land for housing development. More than 20,000 new homes are proposed on agricultural sites near Palm Beach Gardens, Royal Palm Beach and Wellington. Citrus groves and other farmland in Loxahatchee are also getting substantial demand. [Sun-Sentinel] — Eric Kalis