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Suncoast Pasco News

Despite building slump, some retain optimism

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI

kwiatrowski@tampatrib.com

Published: July 5, 2009

New home construction may be in the doldrums, but Joe Fontana remains hopeful that a turnaround could be near.

"We're optimistic," said Fontana, Tampa division president of Ryland Homes.

Ryland is among the handful of builders still putting up houses in Pasco County. The pace has slowed to a crawl, but construction continues in communities such as Concord Station and Asbel Creek in Land O' Lakes and Water's Edge in New Port Richey.

Across the board, though, builders are putting up smaller houses than they did during the heady days of the mid-decade housing boom, a result of tightened credit that is preventing buyers from buying the McMansions of yesteryear.

"On the whole, more people are building homes in the 1,800- to 2,000-square-foot range," Fontana said. "They can't get credit they could get three years ago, so they're having to live within their means."

At the height of the building boom in 2005, Pasco County approved more than 7,200 permits for single-family homes. Last year, that number was slightly more than 1,100. In the first five months of this year, the county issued 334 permits.

Builders aren't the only people hurt by the drop in construction. The loss of permit-related fees forced county officials to cut jobs last year in its permitting and building inspection offices. The loss of impact fees paid by new development also has forced the county to delay road projects and other improvements.

Reporter Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813) 731-8168.

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