Quote Originally Posted by t_ross33
Awesome post LaGrange,



The recent softwood lumber trade dispute between Canada and the US has been a big topic up here, what's your perspective on it and has it impacted building supply costs there? Not to get political, just wondering about the "man on the street" view.

Trev

P.S. Sorry to hear about your Mom. I've been down that road with both my parents. Thoughts and prayers, dude!


What is really killing home buyers regionally (Ohio,Kentucky,Indiana,Pennsylvania)

Illegal Immigrants! HUGE numbers of them flooded the area about 6 years ago (when I was 19 ) and started taking the skilled labor jobs - bricklayers,Framers,Carpenters - for DIRT CHEAP. Contractors, and homebuilders alike hired these sub-contractors at thousands of dollars less a house but still sold the houses for around the same price. A housing boom went up but, since these people building the houses were illegal you cannot tax them. Houses, whole businesses were being run under the table. Tax money was being ushered south of the border and the governments around picked up on it. The residential areas were booming, lots of money were flowing into the construction supply yards, anything connected with what the illegals had to buy to live also. So all the Homebuilding companies were making loads of money BUT fronting to the government they weren't. Local sheriffs in counties and states around here started going to jobsites and busting illegals - they got permission from the federal govt. to do these operations. Fischer Homes were busted BIGTIME, having over IIRC 200 Illegals working for them. They posted a statement saying "It is our sub contractors job to make sure of the legitimacy of their employees"

So couple that with bloating lumber costs - that only the builders and people who care hear about - and skilled labor costs going through the roofs and 9/11 (still affecting the construction ind. in the US and esp. here) home costs are insane. Hamilton County in Ohio (the county where Cincinnati is) has the highest foreclosure rate in the country as of now also.

Thats about the condition from me perspective.