[spr8364]

I am trying to build a house in Douglas County for myself and finding builders has been a real challenge (Finding the land was also a big challenge). And, when you do find them, they often throw out silly high prices to see if it will stick. Some trades, I have had to contact over 20 contractors and I'm lucky to get half of them to reply. Part of the problem is that I am trying to build a small "affordable" house and the builders and sub-contractors don't need to spend time on a small house. There are plenty of large expensive houses keeping them busy. In addition, they have to charge a lot because they know they have to pay their workers well, because if they don't they will just get a job with the builder down the street.

I am aware that there is a shortage of labor from Mexico, I have heard it is partly because they can get jobs in their home country and they don't need to come here. Because of that, immigration from Mexico has been down for years.

In the end, I don't know how this plays into the spec construction market though other than maybe the border states get all the laborers and fewer trickle up to us in Colorado.