01/04/2026
The Price of a Soul vs. The Price of a Square Foot
I was sitting across from a fellow developer recently, talking shop. With 30 years in real estate, construction, and finance, I’ve seen about every trend come and go. I was trying to enlighten him on the advantages of using sustainable, high-performance materials—specifically materials that don't just look good, but actually protect the family inside.
He looked me in the eye and asked a question that stopped me cold:
"Why would I use sustainable material when I can use something less reliable, more common, and cheaper? Why would I give them the best of my ability when the 'standard' is more profitable?" " if my son or grandson takes over the business they would have no repair jobs to tone their skills " 👀
He went on to say that while my process makes sense for massive commercial builds, it didn't fit his residential bottom line. He’d rather use traditional, less innovative materials—the kind that deteriorate with time—because the immediate profit was higher.
Here is my response to that mindset:
My client is my bottom line. My client’s family is more important than a few extra points on a spread.
We are all in this business to make money, but there are moments where integrity must outweigh profit. As developers, architects, and engineers, we are the gatekeepers. If we don’t tell the customer there is a better way to build, how will they ever know?
If we don’t offer them the innovation we know exists, how can they protect their largest asset from a fire? How can they protect their home from a flood?
Affordability and sustainability is a team effort. When I educate a potential customer, I don’t care if they buy my product. I care that they use the damn product. Because at the end of the day, a house shouldn't just be a line item on a balance sheet—it should be a fortress for the people living inside it. wouldn't you want your next generation to leverage what You've done instead of repair it. IJS!
Build for the future. Build with integrity. Happy and prosperous 26!!!!
