Local home construction declines during 2013

COLUMBUS New residential construction didn't exactly go through the roof last year, but a couple of local home builders believe conditions are ripe for an uptick this spring.

"The phone is just starting to ring," said Dave Humlicek, theowner of Style Builders Inc. of Columbus, who recently got his first call from a potential customer looking to build a single-family home this spring.

"He's really anxious to get going and I think there are a lot of people in anticipation, but time will tell," Humlicek said. The company designs and builds custom homes.

New home building in the community slowed in 2013, according to the city building department's year-end construction activity report released this month.

There were 38 new single-family homes built in the city last year, a slide from 51 built during 2012. The building permits for 2013 homes were valued at more than $9.4 million, a tumble from permits valued at nearly $12.3 million in 2012.

Jason Schmidt of Design Build by Shelby Lumber Co. said his company was "busy last year," but the brisk pace of home construction from three or four years ago fell off in 2013.

"The (building schedule) for this spring is filling up nice," said Schmidt, adding that activity in rural Columbus markets has remained relatively strong.

Humlicek and Schmidt agreed thatmortgage lendingrates hovering around 4 percent remain attractive forborrowers looking to build this spring. Althoughinterest rates edgedhigher as the economy began perking up, they are still low by traditional standards.

"There's a lotof talk (by home building industry groups) that it's going to be a good year," Humlicek said.

"There's a lot of pent up demand and enthusiasm in the state," he said. "I think when it pops, it's really going to pop in a big way."

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Local home construction declines during 2013