Now, some builders are talking about how they can put more people back to work by buying American. Economist-turned-homebuilder Anders Lewendal is making the point with a Montana home he's building that will use 100 percent American-made products.
Lewendal estimates that increasing the domestic content of new homes by just 5 percent would create 220,000 American manufacturing jobs. NAHB estimates that the same increase would create 175,000 jobs. Either way, that's a lot of jobs.
And Lewendal is debunking the idea that domestic building supplies can't compete on cost. The Montana home's price tag is barely 1 percent higher than it would have been using comparable imported products.
Plus, it's as much about quality as price. Lewendal found that a box of U.S.-made nails, for example, costs $5 more than those made in China. But the domestic nails were also less prone to jamming nail guns.
Lewendal's "Build America" campaign was featured on ABC News, which reported that his project is using 120 products produced in 33 states, including Florida.
Of course, building a home using 100 percent American-made goods isn't easy and maybe not even practical. Buyers, after all, like imported products such as Italian marble.
But remember, it doesn't have to be 100 percent. Just a 5 percent increase in American-made goods would have a huge impact on our economy. I'm going to make it a point to learn more about this program and see if it has applications for Central Florida. At first blush, it sounds like something we could all get behind.
