2 ms·

Sued out of existence for ignoring licensing laws during startup, I'd reckon. Or, contractors. I get the feeling residential building doesn't scale well outsi

by tomrod 3y ago

Sued out of existence for ignoring licensing laws during startup, I'd reckon. Or, contractors. I get the feeling residential building doesn't scale well outside of monopolistic competition, partially from red tape, partially from supply constraints/supplier network monopsonies.

pwb25 3y ago
I mean they could try to talk to politicians and NIMBYs but it seems like many programmers in silicon valley enjoy their wooden walls houses with no shops or bars around them just because they go up in value
- lex-lightning 3y ago
  Your assessment of the problem is accurate but persuasion so far has proven intractable. I live in Portland. I’ve been cornered for my opinion on urbanization, so I’ll give it. But at least here, many people have black and white opinions. Either you don’t care about the environment or you don‘t care about displacement. This is why we needed the Green New Deal or Build Back Better. Urbanize, but increase social safety nets, provide rent control… I don’t claim to know which levers to pull, but we definitely need to pull more than one at once to meet the goals of increasing density without driving people out of their own neighborhoods. But doesn’t it seem strange that increasing density would increase displacement? The US has a lot of political barriers to things like the Green New Deal. So when areas are urbanized, those against urbanization can point to the flawed execution and they certainly have a point. That said, I’d love to see the Green New Deal return.
bluGill 3y ago
Single family homes are easy to build. I could build one myself - just myself in about a year (worked on a framing crew and have done every part of building a house). With access to experienced subcontractors (plumbers, concrete...) a house can be built by "one man" in just over 100 days, and banks will even give construction loans to someone wanting to attempt this - most inexperienced people can create enough of a plan to convince a banker that in less than one year they will have a house more valuable than the costs and so they will then get a regular mortgage on it. However apartments because of size quickly get to the point where you cannot build them without already having experience. Banks know that the details are just enough more complex than a small house that they won't risk a loan on someone without experience. Which opens the question: how do you get experience without experience?

by tomrod 3y ago

pwb25 3y ago

I mean they could try to talk to politicians and NIMBYs but it seems like many programmers in silicon valley enjoy their wooden walls houses with no shops or bars around them just because they go up in value

lex-lightning 3y ago
Your assessment of the problem is accurate but persuasion so far has proven intractable. I live in Portland. I’ve been cornered for my opinion on urbanization, so I’ll give it. But at least here, many people have black and white opinions. Either you don’t care about the environment or you don‘t care about displacement. This is why we needed the Green New Deal or Build Back Better. Urbanize, but increase social safety nets, provide rent control… I don’t claim to know which levers to pull, but we definitely need to pull more than one at once to meet the goals of increasing density without driving people out of their own neighborhoods. But doesn’t it seem strange that increasing density would increase displacement? The US has a lot of political barriers to things like the Green New Deal. So when areas are urbanized, those against urbanization can point to the flawed execution and they certainly have a point. That said, I’d love to see the Green New Deal return.

bluGill 3y ago

Single family homes are easy to build. I could build one myself - just myself in about a year (worked on a framing crew and have done every part of building a house). With access to experienced subcontractors (plumbers, concrete...) a house can be built by "one man" in just over 100 days, and banks will even give construction loans to someone wanting to attempt this - most inexperienced people can create enough of a plan to convince a banker that in less than one year they will have a house more valuable than the costs and so they will then get a regular mortgage on it. However apartments because of size quickly get to the point where you cannot build them without already having experience. Banks know that the details are just enough more complex than a small house that they won't risk a loan on someone without experience. Which opens the question: how do you get experience without experience?