Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 2, 1991 TAG: 9104020080
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Roanoke City and county issued 143 licenses for new businesses in March, down 32.5 percent from the 212 taken out in the same month last year. The March count was off 10.6 percent from the 160 licenses issued in February.
During the first quarter, 475 fledgling businesses were licensed, down 34.6 percent compared to 727 for the same period a year ago.
Other items new to the economic index this week are:
Roanoke Valley real estate agents sold 248 homes in March, down 28 percent from the 345 sold during March 1990. But sales were up 39 percent from 178 in February.
Frances Bridge, spokeswoman for the Roanoke Valley Association of Realtors, said the median price of those sold last month rose to $81,950, an indication that people who are moving up are back into the market. Previously, the median sale price was about $77,500.
The multiple-listing service reported sales of 162 homes under $100,000, 75 between $100,000 and $200,000, nine between $200,000 and $300,000, and two with a value of more than $300,000. The value of all homes sold last month was $24.3 million.
Roanoke Valley governments issued 268 permits worth $6,024,272 in February compared to 277 valued at $17,457,726 for the same month last year. The drop in value was 65.5 percent.
In January, permits were obtained for 213 buildings valued at $4,183,704, for a 44 percent gain.
The index of 20 area stocks compiled by Wheat First Securities stood at 150.46 points at the end of March, a 2 percent gain over January's 147.58 but down 12 percent from 171.02 at the end of March 1990.
Valley Metro average weekday ridership rose 7 percent, from 4,900 in March 1990 to 5,245 last month. The bus company handled 5,135 riders, or 2.1 percent fewer, in February.
Roanoke Gas Co., whose sales are largely governed by the weather, reported a 6.5 percent decline in demand, from 853,809 thousand cubic feet in March 1990 to 798,197 thousand cubic feet last month. The latest figure is down 16.3 percent from February's 953,274 thousand cubic feet.
Norfolk Southern Corp. said it loaded 18,564 coal cars in its Pocahontas fields last week, a short work week because of the Good Friday holiday. The number of cars was down 11.7 percent from 21,020 last year, which did not include a holiday, and down 12.2 percent from the prior week's 21,146 coal cars.
Roanoke banks cleared checks worth $143,999,095 against each other through the Roanoke clearinghouse last week, down 37.5 percent from $230,339,758 a year ago and down 5.7 percent from the prior week's $152,670,816. - Staff report
by CNB