Green Builder Media's Ronan Mirza delivers the weekly housing and sustainability news roundup, covering the Squamish Nation's 6,000-home net zero development in Vancouver, a 4 million unit US housing shortfall pushing median prices past $400,000, and state efforts to trim building codes for affordability. He also reports on the $11 billion SunZia transmission line delivering New Mexico wind power across the Southwest.
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Ronan Mirza: Hey, I'm Ronan, and before we jump into this week's news, we've got an exciting announcement. Green Builder Media is proud to officially launch vision House Asheville, our newest demonstration project in partnership with a Layer Homes and a Layer Asheville Red tree, located in Asheville, North Carolina. Coming on the heels of Hurricane Helen, the project couldn't be more timely.
00:00:25:17 - 00:00:55:11
Ronan Mirza: The demonstration project will showcase high performance building science, climate ready construction, healthy indoor environments, smart technologies, solar energy, water saving solutions and innovative products from some of the industry's leading manufacturers. Over the next year, we'll be documenting every step of the journey, from design and construction to performance and occupancy, and sharing what we learn along the way. You can follow the project using the link in the show notes, or visit Green Builder Media and click on the vision House tab in the navbar.
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Ronan Mirza: Now let's get into this week's news. A fascinating experiment is underway in Vancouver, Canada, where the Squamish Nation is building one of the densest residential developments in North America called synagogue. When complete, one of a Canada's largest net zero operational carbon communities will deliver about 6000 homes across 11 towers on just ten acres of land. The first residents have already moved in.
00:01:18:14 - 00:01:42:18
Ronan Mirza: What makes the project so notable is how it got built, because the land is under Squamish jurisdiction. The project wasn't subject to many of the zoning battles, appeals and neighborhood objections that often slow housing projects for years. The result is a high density car light net zero community designed to help address affordability while reducing environmental impacts. A new housing report card is out and the results tell a pretty simple story.
00:01:42:22 - 00:02:13:21
Ronan Mirza: The states making housing more affordable are generally the states building more housing. Realtor.com ranked every state on affordability and homebuilding activity. Indiana took the top spot, followed by Iowa, South Carolina, Texas and North Carolina. What do they have in common law? Regulatory barriers, more available land and stronger construction activity? They're adding supply. At the bottom of the rankings was New York was interesting is that New York City is actually seeing a surge in apartment construction and office to residential conversions.
00:02:13:22 - 00:02:43:02
Ronan Mirza: Thousands of new units are entering the market. But that's the point. Even with all that activity, New York is still trying to dig out of decades of under building. Statewide affordability remains among the worst in the nation. And that's not just a New York problem. This week, Redfin reported that the median US home sale price topped $400,000 for the first time ever, and Zillow just reported that 242 cities now have starter homes valued at $1 million or more, plus pending home sales decline for the fourth straight week.
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Ronan Mirza: As buyers continue pulling back normally, weaker demand would cool prices, but prices keep rising because they're still aren't enough homes. The US remains at roughly 4 million housing units, and only 11 states have median home prices that are considered affordable for median income households. Almost all of them are in the Midwest and South. A state search for ways to make housing more affordable.
00:03:05:09 - 00:03:31:16
Ronan Mirza: Some are taking a closer look at building codes. Colorado, Texas, Idaho and others are losing certain requirements, including allowing some apartment buildings to be built with a single stairway instead of two. Supporters say at lower, its cost opens up smaller infill lots and makes more housing projects financially feasible. But not everyone is convinced. Fire safety advocates warn that many of these rules were created after deadly fires and accidents in an emergency.
00:03:31:17 - 00:03:55:00
Ronan Mirza: A single stairwell may have to serve as both the escape route for residents and the access route for firefighters. Some states are also scaling back electrical safety requirements and slowing code updates to reduce costs. Critics argue the savings are relatively small compared to the potential risks. The bigger question is when we're hearing more often across housing, how do we make homes more affordable without compromising safety?
00:03:55:02 - 00:04:18:23
Ronan Mirza: One of the biggest energy stories of the year happened this week, as a massive $11 billion sunset project officially came online. The system includes a 550 mile transmission line capable of delivering 3000MW of New Mexico wind power across the southwest. Enough electricity to power roughly 1 million homes. Sunshine is expected to eliminate about 9 million metric tons of carbon emissions each year.
00:04:19:03 - 00:04:39:02
Ronan Mirza: The bigger takeaway is about infrastructure, because the challenge today is moving renewable energy to where people actually need it. This project is a reminder that the future of clean energy depends as much on transmission lines and great capacity as it does on wind turbines and solar panels. Speaking of infrastructure, it's not just electricity that residents expect to be available on day one.
00:04:39:04 - 00:05:00:10
Ronan Mirza: A new multifamily housing report from Parks Associates found that internet connectivity has become one of the most important amenities for apartment residents. Nearly half of renters say having internet available at movement is a top priority, and more than 40% expect it to be ready the moment they walk through the door. The report argues that connectivity is no longer just an amenity, it's infrastructure.
00:05:00:10 - 00:05:22:18
Ronan Mirza: In fact, residents who already have property provided internet rank it as the number one feature they want in their next home. The research also found that good connectivity supports many of the smart building technologies developers are increasingly deploying, from access control and security systems to smart thermostats and leak detection. It's another reminder that housing today isn't just about walls and roofs.
00:05:22:19 - 00:05:47:07
Ronan Mirza: Increasingly, it's about the digital infrastructure that allows people to live, work, learn and connect from home. When homeowners imagine their ideal bathroom, they think about spa like experiences rainfall, showers, natural light and luxurious retreats. But when it's time to spend money, they make different choices. This week's cognition hot take reveals one of the biggest gaps between aspiration and action in bathroom design.
00:05:47:12 - 00:06:14:23
Ronan Mirza: Heated floors ranked relatively low on homeowners wish lists, yet they emerged as the most common wellness focused upgrade during actual renovations. Similar patterns appeared with soaking tubs, better lighting, and smart controls. The reason is simple when budgets meet reality, homeowners prioritize features that improve daily comfort and convenience over features that simply look luxurious. The data also highlights a significant opportunity for builders and designers.
00:06:15:00 - 00:06:41:03
Ronan Mirza: Only about 22% of homeowners have intentionally upgraded their bathrooms for wellness, suggesting most have yet to invest in the category at all. Moving a sofa through the front door just got easier with our editors. Product of the week provides Cygnet fiberglass entry door system. The door features vented sidelights with removable mole posts, allowing homeowners to create a wider opening when moving large furniture, appliances or other bulky items.
00:06:41:05 - 00:07:05:00
Ronan Mirza: The vented side light also provides fresh air and natural ventilation through a retractable screened opening, while a multi-point locking system and hidden hinges maintain security and a clean appearance. I'll close today's podcast with some good news. A new report from the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative found that home buyers care about energy performance far more than the real estate industry may realize.
00:07:05:02 - 00:07:31:23
Ronan Mirza: Researchers analyzed 143 million home listings, surveyed more than 1500 real estate professionals, and spoke with over 1000 recent home buyers. What they found is a pretty significant information gap. Homes with solar panels sold for about 2% more when solar was actually mentioned in the listing. Homes with heat pumps also saw a price premium. Yet one third of homes with solar never mentioned it in their listing, and heat pumps a reference only 8% of the time.
00:07:32:02 - 00:07:56:02
Ronan Mirza: The takeaway buyers increasingly value lower utility bills, energy efficient systems and clean energy technologies, but they're often not getting the information they need to make informed decisions for builders, remodels and housing professionals. That's a real opportunity. The industry has spent years talking about energy efficiency as a cost. This research suggests it may be time to start talking about it as an asset.
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Ronan Mirza: That's our show. Thanks for watching and don't forget to like, subscribe and share. I'll see you next week.
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Melina Mirza: Before you click away. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen. And don't miss the daily coverage on sustainability, housing and what's next for homebuilding at Green Builder Media. Stay informed. Stay ahead.