Although housing starts in the country fell dramatically last month, local builders are optimistic that the home building market will be strong this year.  According to a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report this week, privately-owned housing starts in February fell over ten percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.421 million from the revised January estimate of 1.584 million.  Door County Home Builders Association President Jeff Dorner, the project manager at Van’s Lumber & Custom Builders in Dyckesville, says demand remains strong locally. He is handling daily inquiries for new homes, despite shortages of supplies contributing to higher pricing.

Dorner adds that orders for windows and doors take from four to 12 weeks to be delivered. With that scenario, Dorner relies on advanced planning to get current projects properly coordinated and completed.