Corpus Christi women beat challenges posed by building new Calallen homes amid COVID-19

Developer Eloy Salazar's 110-home Willowood subdivision in Calallen is a little different from other new housing developments in Corpus Christi. 

It's mostly custom-spec homes, many of which were built by women. 

Realtor Candy Crisman-Lopez, 45, of Corpus Christi, introduced the local, small business builders to Salazar a few years ago when she sold about half the lots.

"It just literally took off," she said.  

The builders focus on detail-oriented homes and build houses much slower than other large developers. 

And two of the companies are women-owned. 

The homes are priced between $250,000 to $280,000. The Willowood development will have a taxable value of nearly $30 million when completely built-out in 2021. About another 30 homes still need to be built. 

The two women builders will have built about half the subdivision when they finish next year. 

Jackie Sanchez, 55, of Corpus Christi, has owned Casa Linda Homes, Inc, for 25 years. 

Veronica Hernandez, 42, is the president of Stella Maris Custom Home Builders, LLC. She owns the business with her husband, Adrian.

The two other builders at the development are Steve Pournazari with Steve's Homes and Navid Zarghooni with Devonshire Custom Homes,Inc.

Pandemic changes the industry  

Hernandez and Sanchez didn't stop building when the coronavirus pandemic took off in March. 

It slowed construction down by about a month, both said. 

Hernandez said it was hard to find subcontractors. She had to build homes slower because only one trade could be at the site at a time, instead of multiple. 

Nueces County’s home sales started the year strong with double-digit growth during the first quarter compared to a year ago, said Paige Silva, research associate at Texas A&M University's Real Estate Center. 

But in April and May, when the pandemic disrupted buyer and seller confidence, wariness of visiting and showing homes for sale were at their peaks, home sales plummeted, she said. 

Falling interest rates and pent-up demand led to a rebound in June, resulting in a 8.5 percent year-over-year increase during the first half of 2020 compared to home sales during the first half of 2019, Silva said. 

For each month in 2020 so far, the months' inventory was less compared to the same time last year.

"Both strong demand and decreased total listings contributed to constrained inventory," Silva said. 

The median home price increased nearly 7% compared to June 2019, Silva said. Freddie Mac’s fixed, 30-year national mortgage rate has trended down since 2019. In June 2020, the rate slid to 3.16% compared to 3.8% in June 2019.

"(What's) been a huge help with this coronavirus is our interest rates have been just phenomenally low, and people aren't wanting to miss that," Crisman-Lopez said. 

Her business has had more traffic than normal since Hurricane Harvey. And the housing industry has gotten even more active because of the pandemic. 

One of Crisman-Lopez's agents at her office, The Crisman Group with Keller Williams Coastal Bend, had nearly 25 offers on a home priced about $180,000. 

"So we've been extremely busy. We can't breath almost sometimes," she said. "And like today, I have four houses closing today alone."

"I'm still in shock at the amount of business that we're doing."

Women empowerment

Although Sanchez started her construction business with her ex-husband in 1996, she took it over completely in 2008.

"(Business ownership) is going to be a challenge, because it's not for everybody," she said. "But for the most part it's rewarding."

Hernandez agreed, and said it's rewarding "when you get to hand over the keys and hear from your realtor how much the homeowner really loves the home and they're excited to move in."

"Especially when they're first time home-buyers."

Veronica and her husband got their start in commercial building, but became involved with building homes when they couldn't find one of their own that they liked. 

"I thought, 'You know what, this is something that we can do,'" she said. 

They still have a smaller-scale construction side to their business, but they mostly build custom-spec houses. 

"This is what keeps me going," Veronica said. "I love it — to be able to (do the) little details, the lights, the exteriors."

"I had to learn, and I have to learn (how)." 

Custom building 

Custom homes are the women's specialty. 

"We always try to have a good relationship (with the home-buyer.)" Hernandez said. "A lot of our buyers are first time home-buyers. And so we want them to be able to experience a beautiful home as their first home — upgraded light fixtures, just little touches that make a little difference."

Sanchez has been building homes for 25 years. 

"I've been doing it a long time," she said. "Quality and workmanship is what I strive for. In every home that I build for somebody. Even if it's a home that I'm just going to build to sell. I take the same pride."

"I mean, it's a big investment they're putting their money into."

Larger Corpus Christi developers, who may build homes faster, develop houses called "tract homes," a type of housing development where similar homes are built on a tract of land that is subdivided into small lots.

"That's why for us, on a cabinet phase, it might take us two weeks," Sanchez said. "It takes them maybe only a week or less. Everything is done already (prefabricated)."

Hernandez and Sanchez each build just under 10 homes a year. Hernandez has the goal to build a dozen this year.

Calallen housing shortage

A house in Corpus Christi's Calallen neighborhood often sells within a day of being placed on the market, local officials have said. 

The housing shortage there could worsen once Steel Dynamics, Inc. finishes building a $1.9 billion steel mill near Sinton in late 2021 or early 2022. 

The plant, which will be about a 15-minute commute from Calallen, is expected to bring at least 600 permanent, high-paying jobs.

Salazar's subdivision is one of a few in Calallen that will help combat the housing shortage in the area.

"It's great," Hernandez said, referring to helping combat the shortage. "I just wish we could build (homes) faster to be able to put them out for the demand."

"Calallen is a very desired area."

As employment growth of the Steel Dynamics campus ramps up, the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corp. expects more than 100 homes a year could be acquired by the plant's employees. 

Within a five-year period, 600 to 800 people could be working at the Steel Dynamics facility with potentially more than 1,000 other workers in related, supporting companies, said Iain Vasey, president/CEO of the CCREDC. 

"We could see potentially close to 2,000 jobs at the Steel Dynamics campus," he said. 

That, in turn, will have a residential growth effect on Sinton and Odem, as well as the Corpus Christi neighborhood of Calallen, Vasey said. Steel Dynamics will also bring roughly 10 other steel and manufacturing companies to the area. 

A long-time Calallen family, the Walkers, are also working with the city of Corpus Christi to build 408-411 conventional brick houses to roughly 117 acres in Calallen off U.S. Highway 77 and County Road 48.

Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni has said this subdivision, along with Salazar's, will help meet the housing need for Steel Dynamics employees and help combat a local housing shortage. 

Kathryn Cargo follows business openings and developments while reporting on impacts of the city government’s decisions.See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe. 

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