Homebuilders are pulling more single-family building permits than they did this time last year, according to new data released by the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona. Some homebuilders are more bullish than others on metro Phoenix, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Take Greg Balen, the Arizona division president for Newport Beach, California-based Landsea Homes. With 40 communities on his drawing board, Balen plans to close on 1,000 homes in metro Phoenix this year.