The county Community Development & Planning Department reports year-to-date revenues of $1,179,124 — close to 97 percent of the total revenue forecast for 2008.

“Given the housing market nationwide I am surprised by the amount of activity,” CDP director Ron Henrickson said in a press release. “The critical question is: What will happen over the six next months or so?”

John Evans, president of the San Juan Builders Association, is projecting bad news. “Other counties are reporting decreases of anywhere from 40 percent to 60 percent in permit activity and thus far San Juan County is the only one bucking the trend,” he said. “In November-December. we will probably start joining the rest of the counties.”

Evans said that most homes built in the county are second homes or retirement homes and that market is heavily dependent on the economy and housing market elsewhere.

Henrickson speculates that individuals may be obtaining building permits, but delaying construction. “This is a difficult time to predict what will happen in the building industry,” Henrickson said.