Home builders in the Charlotte, N.C., area maintain that a neighborhood design program in Monroe, N.C., that has specific parameters for builders drives up the cost of new housing. The program in Monroe’s Winchester community requires every new home to have a least a 12-foot front porch, a two-car garage, a brick exterior, and two trees in the front yard. Builders say that the requirements increase the price of a new home by up to $20,000, causing builders to leave the area. Similar design programs have been passed in other parts of the state.
Learn more about markets featured in this article: Charlotte, NC.
