THE ORIGINAL LINCOLN BLOCK

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”
     Crystal Frye
   September 15, 2020
I feel like there is just SO much standing in the way when the answer really is so simple. If there is a FIVE MILLION home shortfall in the United States the simple solution is to BUILD MORE HOUSES, right? Easy peasy! Problem solved. But- unfortunately it isn’t as easy as it should be. In order to build homes in America today, you are subject to multi-level legislations, permitting processes and rules. Now- don’t get me wrong. Most of these things are to keep you and the rest of your neighbors safe- as most rules are- but, after being involved with my Dad and this product for the last 7 years, I have learned that most of the regulations and procedures have been created to keep the machine fed. What I mean by this is that from the Wall street home developer with its multi layered profit driven system of mortgage, escrow, and insurance companies , ALLLLL the way down to our city officials telling us that the zoning and permitting are tailored to usher in those types of builders over anyone else- Tells me that they are not building homes for the people to get them into homes, they are building to keep their own pockets lined. Otherwise why would we be building the types of homes we are today? Homes that are in need of serious repair before the length of the mortgage is up? Why is this acceptable?
Well as we have seen a lot lately unfortunately due to this crazy pandemic, our world CAN move quickly and bypass all of the levels of legislation, but only when it has been declared a state of emergency. It is a 5 MILLION home deficit. That’s more than just 5 million people that need homes. This is full families too. The amount of people that need a home is staggering. Why isn’t THAT considered a national emergency?
The National Association of Home Builders reported that in order for us to catch this shortfall and keep up with the ever growing need we would have to build 2.8 Million homes a year from now until 2050. That is double the number that we are able to build using the current methods. How can we build 1.4 Million MORE homes a year quickly, affordably and sustainably? Well you all know my answer. The reason we are so passionate about this Block system is because you CAN do all of those things and more with it!
Let’s break it down a bit- 
I googled how long it takes to build a new home and this is what came up:
Average Time to Build a New Construction House
The average amount of time to build a new construction house is about 7.7 months, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 Survey of Construction. That includes about one month for building authorization and permits, followed by 6.7 months of actual construction, ending with the final walk through. Note that this timeline refers to houses built for sale, such as custom homes in a new housing development. Homes built by the homeowners themselves took considerably longer, at 12.5 months, likely due to less experience and smaller crews.
Guess how long it takes to build a LINCOLN BLOCK® home:

TWO TO THREE MONTHS, MAXIMUM.

WITH 75-80% LABOR COST REDUCTION!
Go ahead and set aside all of the other bonuses to building with LB like energy efficiency, sustainability, and a building that will last a lifetime or longer with minimal upkeep- JUST BASED ON SPEED ALONE- we can offer up something that you can do in HALF OF THE TIME with EIGHTY PERCENT less labor! Imagine the possibilities given trained crews of Lincoln Block installers across the nation- the idea of catching this shortfall seems doable doesn’t it? In fact- it seems a lot less like a dream and something that can really become a reality and fast!

The thing is- building is in our DNA. The idea for Lincoln Block came to dad when he was fishing that day, but he has LIVED and worked in the construction industry for his entire life. My grandfather and his brothers had Venturo Construction company that built some of the first skyscrapers in New York. They also built THOUSANDS of block homes after the war when there was a massive need. It was an emergency! The government and the unions stepped in to take care of the people and build them simple block homes. Most of which are still standing today! I would be willing to bet you have a neighborhood that looks like this near you!
Over the years many things have improved, and now being a stone mason is a highly specialized and skilled profession. They are paid top dollar to do what they do because frankly it is heavy and tough work! My grandfather could see that things in that industry were changing, and over coffee one morning when I was itty bitty- told my dad that if someone could create a wooden brick, they could really change the way the world builds and give us the opportunity to build a lot of homes quickly again. Well- we have it folks. My dad has dedicated everything in him for the last 10 years to bring this block to the world. It has been the hardest and yet most rewarding thing we have done as a family. Hard because breaking into this industry with a new invention has had MANY obstacles, but we hang on tight and keep fighting because we KNOW that we have the ability to do what my Grandpa Joe did back then. We can create jobs, put a roof over all of those heads, and give them something of quality that my great grandchildren will be talking about 100 years from now.
It’s time to stand up with us and declare that this 5 million home shortfall IS an emergency. We CAN build quickly, AFFORDABLY, and sustainably. We CAN catch this with a little help! It is time for us to demand better in housing and come together to create change. The problem can’t be fixed with the same methods that created it. Let’s change it up and build a better future with block.
crystal
Crystal Frye via
LINCOLN BLOCK®.
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