In this episode, Ryan sits down with Jay Knight, a seasoned builder and developer whose career began in the late 1970s. Jay shares how his family business, Knight Homes, started with a few tools and a framing crew and eventually scaled to building 1,000 homes a year before being sold in 2020. Now with Templar Development, Jay continues working in land development with a focus on affordability and smart growth.
Jay explains how the experience of building homes before becoming a developer shaped his entire approach. Unlike many who start with engineering plans and work backwards, Jay’s team starts by understanding who the future homeowners will be—teachers, cashiers, young families—and designs accordingly. He explains how real-world math drives every land acquisition decision, from lot size to price per square foot.
A big part of the conversation focuses on the challenges in today’s market, particularly zoning restrictions, overregulation, and local opposition that make it hard to build smaller, affordable homes. Jay talks about how well-meaning zoning conditions can backfire, turning projects into unmarketable losses. He also explains why most new builders get stuck or priced out before even starting, and how large builders are benefiting from barriers that keep small players out.
As Chairman of the Georgia Residential Land Development Council, Jay is working to push for real change. He shares why his team is advocating for faster permitting timelines and more flexible zoning rules, and how this could open up opportunities for more young entrepreneurs to enter the industry.
Ryan sits down with Peter Murphy Lewis to talk about how storytelling can help developers and builders attract better talent and build stronger teams. They break down simple, practical ways to use video and real stories to stand out in today’s labor market.
Keith Miller joins the show to talk about his focus on building attainably priced homes at scale in Montana, why he’s using factory-built housing, and what it really takes to bring new supply to fast-growing markets.
Ryan and Charles break down falling homebuyer demand, a heated TikTok debate on millennial housing choices, a proposed property tax hike in New York City, and what a shrinking U.S. population could mean for developers.