Home construction in Round Rock is slowing but hasn't stopped in the wake of COVID-19, local industry leaders said this week.
The Central Texas region has seen a boom in the housing market in recent years, even ranking fourth on U-Haul's annual growth cities list for 2019, the American-Statesman reported in February.
Ever-active real estate agents, home builders and construction workers are adapting to meet the demand while staying healthy and complying with Williamson County's shelter-in-place order in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, said Bryan Hutchinson, CEO of the Williamson County Association of Realtors.
"Society has had a massive shift as people try to stay safe," Hutchinson said. Even so, he noted, "homes are still selling."
While many design centers, model homes and offices have closed, construction sites have remained as active as possible within the county order. The "Stay Home Stay Safe" order allows residential construction, as it is recognized as an "essential business."
Buffington Homes is among the region's home builders adjusting its practices to keep up with demand during the pandemic. About 10% to 20% of the company's homes are in Round Rock, said Chris Townsend, Buffington's vice president of construction.
He said he's thankful the company can still build in Williamson County, as residential construction is being halted in neighboring Travis County.
"COVID-19 has slowed where we can build, but crews still want to work," he said.
Construction crews contracting with Buffington are rarely larger than 10 people, he said, meaning they already meet one aspect of the Stay Home Stay Safe order. Social distancing isn't too much of a challenge, he said, as very few tasks require workers to be closer than six feet of each other.
Townsend said the county guidelines on social distancing will have more of an effect on trades like electricians and plumbers. These workers have had to perform their tasks successively instead of simultaneously, he said, which causes certain phases of construction to take two or three times as long to accomplish. What may have taken two days before the pandemic now takes up to five days, he said.
Despite those stresses on the industry, Townsend said Buffington Homes was able to make all of its March closings.
Alice Mateyko, president of Avi Homes, had similar comments on how the pandemic has affected construction in Williamson County. She said her Northwest Austin-based company is slowly working on 25 homes in Round Rock.
Model home traffic is "down substantially," she said, but Avi Homes continues to receive "strong inquiries" through social media and the company's website.
Following construction, companies are finding alternative ways to complete phases of the home buying process that usually require face-to-face meetings. Many real estate agents are taking customers on "virtual showings" instead of guiding them through homes in person, Hutchinson said.
One major challenge Buffington Homes construction managers have faced is how, or if, to proceed with walk-throughs that usually occur once a home is finished, Townsend said.
As the county tightened regulations, construction managers first attempted to complete walk-throughs while staying six feet away from the homeowners, he said. But managers are now writing a list they leave for the new homeowners that guides them on the walk-through, or they conduct the walk-through while talking with the homeowners on the phone.
As much as they're adjusting to a temporary new reality, local industry workers said they are preparing to meet what will likely be a pent-up demand after the county lessens its orders on social distancing and business.
Hutchinson said the area housing market will endure, partially thanks to good stewardship by local governments.
"Williamson County and its municipalities have a pro-growth mindset," he said.
