Richard Lawson

1 week ago | thebuildersdaily.com | Richard Lawson

Like much of the nation, Texas is grappling with a housing affordability crisis due to dramatic underbuilding and rising costs. Despite leading the country in new housing construction, the state’s rapid growth has outpaced supply, leaving many residents struggling to find affordable options.

1 week ago | thebuildersdaily.com | Richard Lawson

Many homebuyers prioritize eco-friendly homes, actively seeking out properties equipped with renewable energy and sustainable features. They are driven by a desire for lower utility bills and a smaller climate footprint. Could it signal a decisive shift in the residential real estate market? Lennar Corp., one of the largest U.S. homebuilders, will find out in Colorado when it incorporates geothermal heating and cooling systems into scores of new homes over the next two years.

1 week ago | thebuildersdaily.com | Richard Lawson

[Editor's note: Wildfires in Los Angeles. Hurricanes across Florida and the Southeast. Floods, extreme heat, and severe weather events are no longer rare occurrences—they’re becoming the new normal. The homebuilding and residential development industries face an urgent reckoning: how to build homes, neighborhoods, and communities that can withstand the increasing severity of climate-related natural disasters.

2 weeks ago | thebuildersdaily.com | Richard Lawson

North Carolina has been a decade-long winner in population growth. That came with a cost — a housing shortage, especially affordable housing. Tar Heel State legislators tried to end single-family zoning in 2021 to allow duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes. However, opposition from cities stalled the bill. State lawmakers are now making a run at a different solution that several states and cities have adopted, or at least are considering, that eases the path to building more housing.

3 weeks ago | thebuildersdaily.com | Richard Lawson

A battle is brewing in Nashville over efforts to alter zoning to allow missing middle housing. Growing opposition is playing a familiar tune. Protect our neighborhoods.”Earlier this year, Metro Nashville Planning released its draft of “The Housing and Infrastructure Study,” outlining its initial findings and offering preliminary recommendations. A critical – controversial – recommendation allows missing middle housing types to help address the need for 90,000 homes over the next decade.