A top U.S. housing executive has delivered a stark warning about the economy, sharply criticizing consumer attitudes and government policies that he says threaten affordability and homebuilding growth. Drawing a direct parallel between America’s fiscal habits and the problems facing homebuyers, Allan Merrill, CEO of $650 million homebuilder Beazer Homes, declared, “We want things that we don’t want to pay for” as a country.
Speaking on a panel at ResiDay, a residential real estate conference hosted by ResiClub, Merrill talked to the outlet’s editor, Lance Lambert, about what he sees as a fundamental cowardice in American economic behavior. At the same time, he warned that America’s neglect of blue-collar trades poses a significant risk to the economy and the homebuilding sector. With immigration-related labor supply dwindling and front-end trades anxious for work due to declining new home starts, he pressed for more industry-led training and recruitment initiatives.
