MARIETTA - January 2010 saw an uptick in the number of home-building permits issued across Cobb County, but builders are still bracing for more foreclosures to flood the market.

There were 64 permits for new single-family homes issued across Cobb in January. The same month a year earlier saw only 27 permits.

Most of the permits, 43, are for unincorporated Cobb. Smyrna had nine; Acworth, eight; Kennesaw, three and Marietta, one. Austell and Powder Springs did not issue any permits in January.

The number of permits has steadily increased in recent months. November saw 38 county-wide, and December, 59.

Across the country, 484,000 single-family housing permits were issued in January. That was down 1.5 percent from December, which saw 477,000 permits, according to the Census Bureau and federal housing authorities.

Jim Hughes of Building Ventures Inc. said he doesn't expect real improvement in the housing market this year.

"Not until the homeowner can sell his current home for a decent price will you see an improvement in the market," Hughes said. "I doubt that it is going to happen this year. The next reset in home mortgage interest is about to happen. When it does, you are going to see this wave of foreclosures bring many more houses to the foreclosure market. My expectation is you will see homeowners who have some money update their current home and try to wait this market out."

Russell Ives, owner of Marietta-based Custom Dwellings, a design/build residential construction company, said he has seen more remodeling activity in Cobb, but not so much for new home construction.

"I think 2010 will have increased building activity in Cobb, but we are still years away from seeing anything remotely close to pre-2006 levels," Ives said.