It is not simply house hunters contacting the man — Roger Fewtrell is also receiving offers of land.
He said he was seeking land for another at least six properties, but one section was already consented for a 20-lot subdivision, Mr Fewtrell said.
The former owner of Southern Hospitality went public earlier this week with his plans for affordable homes in Mosgiel, North East Valley, Rattray St, Russell St, Vauxhall and Kaikorai Valley.
Yesterday, he said he had received several calls and offers from real estate agents, landowners, lawyers and the general public.
One person was offering a section in Mosgiel that had consent for subdividing into 20 separate lots, Mr Fewtrell said.
"It’s been pretty surprising.
"I never expected the story to get so big.
"I’ve got a lot of calls to make."
He had already bought land for properties throughout Dunedin, and had received consent to turn land in North East Valley near the Ross Home retirement complex into 19 separate lots.
All told, he wanted to construct 60 homes in the city, and was seeking land for at least another six properties.
"I want to start construction on that [North East Valley development] in six months; and I want to get it all done at once, so there aren’t any delays for those who want to move into the area."
The entire project would take "two to three years" to reach fruition, he said.
Once constructed, the homes would be available to first-time buyers at below-market rates.
He would vet the applicants for the homes, and said he was conscious of not turning the developments into "ghettos".
"It would be nice to have a mixture of people and backgrounds.
"The problem for most first-time buyers is that prices are moving up faster than they can save, and building your own house is such a painful process."
The price range for the homes was likely to be between $500,000 and $700,000.
According to QV, the average house price in Dunedin is $627,300.
He did not want to "cut corners" or "pack people in".
The Otago Daily Times has also fielded requests from people wanting to contact Mr Fewtrell about his plans.
"I’ve enjoyed the process so far. It’s been fun."
Mr Fewtrell co-founded Southern Hospitality in 1989 and the supplier to the hospitality and food service industry grew to have 12 showrooms nationwide.
It was bought by Australian firm Reward Supply Co last year.
