The US housing industry is hoping for new growth under the incoming Trump administration despite some concern about certain issues -- but one expert has some good news for the Houston market and for those looking for a career in a growing industry.
The Washington Post and NewsMax reported recently that many in the homebuilding industry are hoping for significant regulatory reductions under the new Trump White House, working with Congress and regulators.
The newspaper said there are worrying problems like reduced day-worker manpower as illegal immigrants are removed and increased costs for building materials if tariffs are slapped on other nations that supply them, but those may not be the biggest problems the industry faces.
The host of the Texas Home Improvement Show on 740 KTRH, Jim Dutton, says one of the best things Trump could do is to reduce the overwhelming regulatory and paperwork burden that faces most homebuilders.
It's everywhere, he says, and it causes delays and setbacks in building and, yes, it can add a lot to the price of a home...
"Everything from where you can plant trees to, well, the new one: What kind of air conditioning coolant you have to use for the new air conditioning systems, all of that adds money."
Concern about tariffs may be overblown, Dutton says.
"I think the tariffs will actually work themselves out because that is a negotiating tool and that can be used to straighten out some other issues, so I'm not as concerned about that, Dutton adds.
And it remains to be seen how many or how few construction workers will be available for work in the future Trump administration at any one time, making the future hard to predict.
But there is one surprising aspect of home building emerging, according to the Texas Home Improvement Show host.
"What you're going to find in the next five to ten years -- people in the trades, who are doing the labor work and working with their hands on air conditioning, plumbing, pouring foundations, framing, they're going to be making more money than the people going to college."