Dallas-Fort Worth could have new-home shortage in 2010

Forget what you've heard about a glut of new houses on the market.

For three years, Dallas-Fort Worth builders have sold more homes than they have constructed. So the inventory of finished new houses has fallen so low that homebuyers may encounter a shortage when next year's market kicks off.

"For homebuilders to maintain their current sales pace, they are going to have to start 30 or maybe 40 percent more homes than they are starting today," said David Brown, who heads the Dallas office of real estate analysis firm Metrostudy Inc.

"There continues to be a demand for new homes, and we are not adding as much supply."

During the last two years, builders in North Texas have sold almost 13,000 more houses than they have started.

That's caused inventory to drop below 5,000 units – about a three-month supply.

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