GOT JOBS....A Must Read

What is the best way to create jobs? I'm not an economist and even I know that an economy based around manufacturing provides jobs. In simple, if you can create products that people want to consume, then you will need people to produce those products and thus create jobs. Why am I, an architect, discussing this topic? The United States economy is struggling and has shifted away from producing consumer products as many items purchased today are shipped in from overseas. There is a movement to change this line of thinking in the construction industry.

A report on ABC News recently highlighted a home built entirely out of construction materials made in the USA. The cost of this home was only 1% higher than if every product had been purchased from another country. The old argument that buying foreign will dramatically save you money no long holds water.

Increasing jobs will provide more confidence in our economy and as history serves us, that confidence translates into an increase in home ownership. Increased home ownership will provide many additional jobs as more homes will need to be constructed and renovated to accommodate the desires of owning. If more homes are being built and renovated, there will be a demand for construction materials. If the amount of construction materials being used are manufactured in America, there will be an increase in jobs to keep up with demand stimulating the economy even further. If you don't believe me, the non-economist, simply watch the ABC News report on the following link which DOES speak with economists based on this theory. The other old adage, "Buy American and Americans work" is a beautiful thing when put into motion and it's more than just a saying,

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2011/10/how-to-build-a-made-in-america-home/

- Design is what you make it.

Reality Sets in for Homeowners

Well the reality of the housing market is impacting the reasons behind the recent escalation of home improvement projects being performed. According to the WSJ (http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/109389/the-new-rules-of-remodeling) many home owners recognize the hard truth, the days of quick renovation to trade up for the bigger house next door are over. This is not necessarily a bad thing, what many homeowners are doing instead, they're building additions to accommodate the space they need and/or renovating the current space in their home to better suit their living lifestyles. This is a huge win for the design and construction world. It also acts as baby steps for the economy to recover. Once the housing market can become strong again, the economy typically gets into full swing. So keep those renovation projects going, enlarge your home with an addition, and purchase more home improvement materials so we can get back to being the prosperous nation we've so grown accustom to being.

- Design is what you make it.