Approximately one year after the first draw for building lots in a small parcel of the development, home builders are asking the province to release more.
"Demand in the area has proven to be extremely high, higher than expected. Really, it's a nice problem to have," Huntington Homes partner Rob Swan said.
"The truth of the matter is that after the initial draw (plus a smaller secondary one), we've been without lots to sell for just under a year. All the lots I had for sale are gone, have been for months. The majority of other builders are in a similar situation. That's why we're anxious for another draw (to happen)."
While commending the Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corp. for its innovative design concept and attention to detail, Swan said it's time for more lots -- large laneless, laneless and laned, to be exact -- to be made available.
The urgency, he said, is rooted in pure practicality.
"Don't get me wrong -- the initial supply of just under 200 lots was great, but now demand has outpaced supply. According to the MHRC, the first phase (broken down into areas A, B and C), will be fully serviced in eight weeks -- in fact, a good portion of the roads and services are already in place," said Swan. "Another lot draw would be a big help to us; it would give us the lead time we need to sell the lots and design and price out the project."
Swan said holding the draw in the near future would provide the continuity the builders are looking for.
"We have a one- to four-month window to work with owners on all the fine details of the project and enter into a builder's agreement," he continues. "The idea is that with all the services in place, we'll be ready to roll when we get the permits."
He adds that on the surface, it might not seem like much is going on in the southwest Winnipeg development. That's not the case, not by a long shot.
"There's always something going on -- right now, we (Huntington Homes) have several foundations in, and if you look around, houses are being built and more foundations are being poured every day. So you can't wait for everything to be in place, then start the digging and pouring," Swan explains. "Home builders always have work in progress at one stage or another. That's why we need a continuous inventory of lots."
With no lots forthcoming at the present time, many builders are frustrated because they can't move to meet the requests of prospective homebuyers.
"It's not clear what the holdup is -- all the people in charge will say is that their superiors haven't yet committed to a draw date. As builders, that puts us in an awkward spot -- we have to put customers off, because we can't sell lots that we don't have," he said. "Without the lead time to choose important features like location and lot exposures, our hands are tied. We're turning away people every day because we don't have lots to show them."
Spencer Curtis, Swan's counterpart at Hilton Homes, agreed it would be advantageous to have a lot draw sooner than later.
"There's no question -- demand for lots in Waverley West has been stronger than anticipated," he said. "Right now would be a great time for more lots to come online. We could fill the demand now, the response has been so strong. Having more lots available would give us the lead time we need to let people know what's available to them."
Both Swan and Curtis -- plus the majority of home builders involved in the development -- are hoping the MHRC will soon come to appreciate how pressing the demand for new lots is.
"There's still plenty of demand, so it makes sense to make the lots available while the market is still strong," adds Curtis.
Swan concurs.
"This is the only land available in the southwest part of the city, so demand isn't going to slow down any time soon," he said. "The sooner we can get lots to sell, the sooner we can provide people with an idea of when, and where, they can build their dream home."
A spokeswoman for the province said they're aware of the situation in Waverley West.
"The overwhelming response has shown just how high the demand is there," the spokeswoman said. "To date, 155 lots have been sold, 25 are under construction, and there are only 12 lots remaining. We're very excited about what's happening, and understand where the builders are coming from."
As for the timing of the lot draw, the byword is patience.
"We're in the process of determining what's available in the next phase -- we're working on having more information available on that as soon as possible. Our goal is to have more in-depth information available in the next few weeks," she said.
lewys@mts.net
