Operation Full Circle
On the Housing Crisis
Since 2008 building a home has been a headache to say the least. By the next Presidential election that will be 20 years ago. People that were children during the crash are now looking for homes, struggling to find one and construction prices are not trending on going down at the end of 2025. (1)
Let us name the three big culprits for why construction costs are as they are now (2):
Material costs (especially wood, steel, and concrete)
Labor (especially overhead, insurance, and skilled labor)
Government ineptitude (I.e. over taxation, over regulation, bureaucracy and/or perhaps tariffs)
Pundits posit on what to do about point number three ad nauseam so for the sake of this article we shall focus on points 1 & 2 without forgetting the powers held by number 3. Material costs are volatile and constantly changing but there are several alternatives that one can turn to. I will name two underused or up and coming materials already in the market that can be used to build new homes cheaply and quickly. Plus one way to reduce risk on new home loans especially concerning worn homes that Boomers will pass down.
Number One: Shipping Containers
Shipping Container homes are some of the cheapest to build on the market. They are the most versatile buildings on the planet be it their use in hydroponic farming, water creation, and last but not least housing. Adding a Powerwall or other home battery alternative to a hypothetical shipping container add-on could even generate power and income depending on one’s Virtual Power Plant (VPP) programs. That’s without mining crypto, which companies are doing with leftover natural gas in a process called “stranded gas utilization”. There’s perhaps only one thing more versatile.
Number Two: 3D Printing
The revolutionary tech for our age is no doubt the 3D printer. They’re used for guns, multi-million dollar supercars, 1$ knick knacks and finally homes. Foremost among these are Japanese 3D printed adobe structures. To the layman that would mean these buildings are made of mud but through technology the material is interwoven in a lattice like structure on a near cellular level creating a material abiding to Japan’s building regulations somewhat similar to California’s. The tried and true lattice technique reminds me of the Fulton Mansion’s (3) lattice insulation strengthening the house then in the 1800’s and now here in the modern era. This end result of 3D printing is durable buildings crafted from less wood, metal and other strained materials from the supply chain hiccups from COVID.
Besides the Japanese dirt buildings, companies are using proprietary cement mixtures that—at times—keep prices of printing houses high. This should or will be undercut. It is this author’s opinion that it’s only a matter of time before someone develops locally cheaper mixes like the Japanese adobe, or an equivalent like shellcrete sourced from the area like in Fulton, Texas (3).
Number Three: Crypto-gardens
If a builder or buyer chooses wooden homes however, in today’s market there is a way to grow money on trees: with one’s home. Herein is a hypothesis of possibilities, not a rehash on house equity. Mentioned in passing above was power walls and how they can be used to generate cash in certain examples; namely through VPP programs. What if a buyer doesn’t have the funds or credit to fix a roof or insulation on a home they are looking to purchase? Like many in the market today, they have no assets to leverage or lien besides the home. Boomers are edging upon the mortality cliff and have homes that will likely need repairs when they’re gone. What if a lender were to agree to sell, and fix up the house on the condition that the buyers allow the lien holder to install a power wall setup to farm crypto? If hardship were to occur five or fifteen years from the initial installment the crypto balance could act as a buffer against foreclosure or help pay the mortgage sooner; reducing risk while still using a home as an asset. If not and hardship occurs six months to a year into the loan then one could revert to more traditional methods of redress. Adoption of such a system could further stabilize the crypto market if a large number of homes participated. Reducing the risk and hesitancy towards crypto further.
Government
One would be remiss to underestimate the potential of the government to aid or screw up a good thing. While tariffs have ignited a conversation the Union hasn’t had since Reagan and Friedman’s day or perhaps the Smoot-Hawley Tariffs, that isn’t the only issue. While seeming elementary the building process can be hampered or tied down at every level of government; federal (tariffs), state (taxes), and local (building codes and regulations). What is needed is maximum flexibility of all builders to do their jobs. It is this author’s opinion that McGulliver’s strings of bureaucratic governance are to blame for stifling innovation. However, I realize that a balance must be struck to ensure the safety of our neighborhoods from a natural disaster or shoddy electrical work.
With these suggestions summarized as shipping containers, 3D printing investment, and crypto gardens, one can use shipping containers that are hardy enough to withstand hurricane winds just by being stacked atop the other for their home. If these don’t fit local government specifications then with these suggestions one could print a home in any way needed as long as such structures aren’t outlawed outright. Even still, one could refurbish an old house, add in some new tricks and then regain on their investment over time. These plans if enacted would add much needed flexibility at a time when housing in America is at a critical juncture.
(1)
(2)
(3) Author’s visit to the residence in Fulton, Texas.