The number of permits issued for construction of single-family homes in September rebounded from a year ago as fair weather and relatively low mortgage interest rates kept the Lawrence-area housing market steaming ahead.

According to a new City Hall report, the city of Lawrence issued permits for construction of 25 single-family homes in September, up 56 percent from the 16 permits issued during the same period a year ago. Despite the increase, this September’s tally was still below the 10-year September average of about 30 permits from 1994 through 2003.

September’s tally also represented an increase from this August, when 18 permits were issued.

The increase in permits for new construction comes on the heels of record monthly Lawrence-area home sales in July and August.

Across Douglas County in August, there were a record 229 sales; in Lawrence, 183 sales were recorded at an average price of $167,673, according to the Douglas County Appraiser’s Office. In July, a record 330 homes were sold countywide.

The national and Kansas average for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage Monday was about 5.6 percent, according to bankrate.com.

Here’s a look at some other Lawrence construction categories included in the report. Each category is followed by the number of permits issued and valuation for that category:

• Single-family construction — 25, $4.36 million.
• Duplex construction — six, $1.01 million.
• Business construction — three, $2.34 million.
• Business and residential remodel — 16, $1.1 million.
• Total permits issued during September — 223, $9.75 million.