The prices of lumber have doubled, and more, in the last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing building and developing costs to go up as well.
Fewer than 100 houses were on the market in the Killeen-Fort Hood area last week, and that can be contributed in part to developers struggling to get lumber and other building materials and the increased prices.
Don Farek, the owner of Cameo Homes, a local development company, explained how the prices have gone up and how it has impacted his business.
âThey are double what we have been paying,â Farek said about lumber prices.
He added that the 2-by4 studs that they use to build houses have gone from $2.60 each in May 2020 to $6.88 apiece now. Also, the 4-by-8 pieces of plywood that builders use to deck roofs have gone from $8.99 each to $38.92 each now.