With an insufficient supply of existing homes and the desire for more space spurred on by the pandemic, local home buyers are now opting to build from scratch, writes Michaelle Bond for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

DeLuca Homes, which is currently building several housing developments in the region and plans several more, is seeing a 20 percent uptick in sales of new homes compared to the same time last year. A lot of these homes are selling even before the shovel hits the ground.

”I didn’t expect orders to be as robust as they’ve been, and for consumers to be as active,” said Joe DeLuca, a partner at DeLuca Homes.

However at the same time as demand and builder activity increases, the coronavirus outbreak has disrupted the output of building materials, including lumber and drywall. This is pushing prices up drastically for distributors and builders, according to Dan Durden, CEO of the Pennsylvania Builders Association.

There is also the issue of the skilled labor shortage.

“There are plenty of people looking for work,” said Durden, “but they just don’t have the skills.”

Read more about the new construction boom at The Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.

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