Building Consensus Episode 102: The majority of new home built in America this year will be constructed as speculative projects by a wide margin. Profit margins on custom homes tend to be more substantial while spec builders rely on higher speed, lower costs and greater volume to make the smaller margins more profitable. While both our hosts are known for pursuing high performance and extreme durability through building science, they differ greatly on whether or not it makes sense to build spec homes, and they discuss their individual experiences that led to those views. Brandon explains the unfortunate reality of the uninformed buyer and both hosts lament the lack of market support to align the value of better built home details with initial costs. Operational costs and health impacts being summarily dismissed in the home pricing equation have led to a race to the bottom, and the impacts to our economy and environment reflect that. This episode seeks to answer, “does it make sense to build spec homes”?

Find Travis & Brandon on the Web

• Travis’ Build Show Videos: https://buildshownetwork.com/go/travisbrungardt
• Travis’ Instagram: @catalystbuilt
• Travis’ Website: https://www.catalystbuilt.com/ 
• Brandon’s Instagram: @joneshomeskc

Save the Date for Build Show LIVE 2025 in Dallas, TX: October 16-18, 2025!

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