“All problems are solved by good design,” observed long-ago English statesman Stephen Gardiner. That guy clearly didn’t have a contractor’s license in the 21st century North Bay.
Even with the pandemic fading in the rear-view, local building and construction businesses continue to grapple with challenges that could jackhammer even the most optimistic of building crews.
In our latest issue focused on local construction and real estate topics, we look at both pressing concerns of the construction industry, as well as the latest changes to the world of real-estate and what it all means at the local level.
Post-pandemic supply chain delays, materials costs and labor shortages have put more than a spanner in the works for many construction companies. In our lead story, reporter Jessica Zimmer asks local companies what they’re doing to mitigate the effects of inflation and keep their scheduled starts, renovations and payroll dates from suffering any unexpected, er… developments.
If those frustrated by a lack of construction starts are hoping the market for pre-existing housing stock enjoys a sudden uptick in inventory—we know one company that won’t be adding much to the MLS: Pacaso. This winter, the City of St. Helena joined other North Bay jurisdictions in passing an ordinance limiting timeshares in their communities—targeting Bay Area company Pacaso, which sells “fractional” homeownership for up to eight purchasers to enjoy the benefits of a second home for an evenly split portion of the year. Pacaso insists it’s not a timeshare—but, then, what is? Reporter Janis Mara looks behind the scenes at timeshares—those that love ‘em and those that wish they’d never bought one in the first place.
Meanwhile, if lofty mortgage rates are keeping prospective buyers out of the market, there may be some relief: The real-estate industry’s 6% agent commissions have been 86’d. At least that’s likely the result following the March settlement between the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and groups of lawyered-up home sellers from Missouri, who filed anti-trust lawsuits last year alleging NAR and a pair of brokerages conspired to keep agent commissions artificially high. NorthBay biz spoke with local agents about the ruling some are calling a game-changer for buyers, sellers and the agents themselves.
Of course, another thread that ties all these stories together is the never-ending quest for industry players—from the builders to the buyers and everyone in between—to lessen expenses to realize their dreams, whether they be running a profitable company, investing in a vacation home or jumping into the housing market for the first time. All problems solved by good design, eh? Some of us prefer: A penny saved is a penny earned.
And if you disagree, we’ve got an incredible timeshare we’d like to sell you.
