Buster-Hayes Properties rides wave of growth

by Diane Rarick

SBJ Contributing Writer

With a summer shortage of construction workers, one subdivision entering its final phase and two more set to begin, Buster-Hayes Properties of Nixa is encountering all the challenges that face a growing and successful construction business.

Even if you call and ask for Mr. Buster Hayes and get manager/partner Brian Hayes on the line, he will likely remain unflappable. "I get called Buster a lot," he said.

Hayes and his partner, Joe Buster, have carved out a niche in the exploding Nixa-Ozark area, building amenity-filled homes in the $85,000-$115,000 price range. The company started with three employees in Springfield, but moved to Nixa in 1997 because it was closer to the company's construction projects and because Hayes and most of the company's employees live in the Nixa area.

In 1998, the company built 93 homes, and it is expected to complete 105 by the end of this year. Buster-Hayes Properties pre-sells 90 percent of its homes, which has both an up side and a down side, according to Hayes.

If labor or other costs increase during construction of a pre-sold home, Hayes said, he can't increase the price of the home. "The disadvantage is not being able to assess costs and price it at the end of construction. But the advantage is that you already have the home sold and it won't have to sit on inventory."

Buster-Hayes Properties sells itself as a totally in-house builder doing made-to-order homes, according to Hayes. The firm has 11 employees, including its own real estate listing agent, Roger Richardson with Murney Associates, who works from the Buster-Hayes office at 815 N. Main St. in Nixa.

Another benefit is the company's interior designer, who helps clients choose colors for walls, countertops, fixtures and carpet, along with light fixtures and other items. "It's like a custom home in the $90,000 price range, which is a bit unusual," Hayes said.

Buster-Hayes Properties is now finishing the final phase of Turnberry Estates, a 300-home subdivision southeast of the intersection of U.S. Highway 65 and highways CC and J in Ozark.

One of the company's next projects is a 48-home subdivision called Maple Dale West in northwest Springfield, in the Willard School District. The homes in this neighborhood will be priced around $85,000 and will feature farmhouse styling with wraparound porches.

In the Nixa School District, Buster-Hayes Properties will soon begin building Wellington Park near the intersection of highways 14 and M. There will be 68 homes, plus four to eight commercial lots facing Highway 14. The homes will be in the $100,000 to $125,000 price range.

Hayes' customers and the amenities they look for in a home say a lot about today's busy family. His clients' two biggest areas of concern are the master bedroom/master bathroom and the kitchen. In a $115,000 home, Hayes includes a 12-by-15-foot master bedroom with an adjoining bathroom featuring double vanities, a corner whirlpool tub, stand-up shower, toilet and a walk-in closet.

"And today, people eat out 10 times more than before, so the eat-in kitchen has become more of a gathering room for quick meals," Hayes said. With the decline of entertaining in the home, Hayes offers very few floor plans with a separate dining room. An office or den is much more usable and popular with his clients. High technology and increased wiring for phones, fax machines and computers are also vital in today's new homes.

But lately, Hayes' pre-sold customers have had to wait much longer than the traditional 90 to 120 construction days, according to Hayes. Dealing with labor shortages and the resulting delays in completion have been his biggest challenges this summer.

"This has really affected us adversely," Hayes said, often lengthening construction times up to 120 to 200 days, which is a problem for relocating families, those with homes they've already sold or leases that must be adhered to.

Hayes said he expects the situation to improve this fall and winter as the labor shortage dissipates somewhat. "The winter has been the best time to sell and build," he said.

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