How Sable Homes is working to preserve local community neighborhoods

In 2016, nearly 80,000 newly-constructed homes nationwide were built on sites where a previous residence was torn down, according to a recent report from the National Association of Home Builders. Closer to home, Sable Homes and the Kent County Land Bank Authority have been working together to improve the quality of housing and provide community development in Sparta.

NAHB estimates that about 10 percent of all new single family homes built in 2016 – about 79,300 – were constructed on lots where a previous home had been torn down. That is significantly higher than the 55,200 tear-downs that NAHB reported in 2015 when they accounted for about 7.7 percent of single-family production. This increase mirrors the continued recovery of the single-family housing market, which recorded about a 10 percent increase in single-family starts in 2016. It may also reflect a shortage of developed lots which builders are facing in many markets.

“This is starting to become more of a trend with builders – especially on the West Coast – as buildable lots become less and less available,” Sable Homes President John Bitely said. “We are fortunate to work with the Kent County Land Bank Authority to help turn these abandoned lots into respectable family homes.”

More than 40 percent of the tear-downs last year — 33,400 homes — were in the West, while 15 percent — or 12,300 — were recorded in the Midwest, according to NAHB.

Sable Homes is currently constructing its second home in partnership with the KCLBA. Within the past year, Sable worked with the county on an energy-efficient 1,920-square-foot home on W. Division Street in Sparta. Upon completion, a family purchased the three-bedroom, two-bath home.

“We are pleased with Sable Homes’ and the Kent County Land Bank’s commitment to sustainable living in the Village of Sparta,” Manager Julius Suchy said. “Without their involvement, it may have taken years to have these properties redeveloped. Their efforts to rebuild vacated lots have become a valuable asset in our community.”

Now, Sable Homes is working with KCLBA on building a home on Carrie Street off of Sparta Avenue in Sparta. The 2,000-square-foot home is a couple blocks north of the neighborhood Sable Homes constructed on a former school site. It features three bedrooms, two baths, brick and vinyl exterior and a two-car garage.

“These projects are important to local communities because they help eliminate deteriorating homes, preserve neighborhoods and increase property values,” Kent County Land Bank Authority Executive Director David Allen said. “Rather than letting these properties become an eye sore in small communities like Sparta, the Land Bank works with certified private sector developers and builders, like Sable Homes, to bring essential inventory to our local real estate market.”