Stick built dumps

[TR25]

"A problem hiding in plain sight is keeping Americans from buying homes​

National Association of Home Builders CEO Jim Tobin says the gap has been as high as 400,000 jobs​

Builders reveal a critical labor shortage in their field is fueling the housing affordability crisis in America.
America needs more homes, but the industry doesn't have nearly enough workers to build them. With too few skilled laborers to meet the growing demand, construction is taking longer, costs are rising and, as a result, the much-needed housing supply in the U.S. remains constrained.
Experts in the industry point to an aging workforce, a lack of younger Americans entering the skilled trades and immigration policies that they say have failed to keep pace with labor needs."

While I agree with this, I'll also add that white american males haven't been entering the trades for many decades, I'd say going back to the 90s, so that's certainly valid. A lot of skills and knowledge are indeed disappearing. But.....builders are seeking to minimize their costs in ways not understandable to any knowlegeable person. Houses continue their downhill slide by using as cheap of materials as possible. Plastic is king. Now houses are being sheathed, not in 1/2" osb, but......in cardboard. Literally. Be interesting to see a house being built with cardboard sheathing and vinyl siding. Don't sneeze too close to it or your head will crash through both and into the house.

So yeah, a labor supply shortage. Just as mentioned in the other thread on the RV market here. But also junk being built.

The key component of both--and 'higher education'--though is easy money, for others that is. All of them are overpriced but all of them can secure financing for their products.

 

[sanda]

And these younger folks believe they are too good to get their hands dirty. When a heavy equipment mechanic can make 1.5 k a year that's nothing to sneeze at. Mike Rowe has been saying for years now that 2 million open jobs go unfilled.

 

[Underboss]

Thats what happens when you deport the workforce that actually worked. As for building junk, a good builder still builds with quality materials just like a top name rv builder does.
You always have to research your builder. You also needed to find a way to not deport, good, hardworking folks. You lost your carpenters, farm workers, gardeners etc and for what? You could have found a way to keep these workers here.

 

[d23haynes57]

Both of my sons have ended up following my footprints for careers even though both completed college. Being a craftsman, trades person is in the blood somewhat. As for new home building the need should be somewhat tied to population increase or maybe spread. Every time I drive to Florida, I see more large areas of land being turned into developments and commercial space. It is a blight. There is also opportunity for existing homes to be passed down to the young uns. Part of the problem with construction is job security and benefits are often much more important than a quick buck and most contractors pay the majority of their workers poorly. Few get to make 6 figures.

 

[Holdmybeer]

Couple home prices with rising inflation, rising interest rates, the genius of rounding up and deporting building crews, and it's the perfect storm for lack of housing availability. Even if builders could manage to pry Scooter from his video game ( which isn't btw happening) the cost to hire and keep him will just add another driver to the unaffordability of housing.