Labor Shortages a Growing Problem

Educational

NAHB Eye on Housing reports that labor shortages in the home building industry are becoming more widespread, according to recent results from the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index survey. The September 2026 survey asked builders about shortages across sixteen specific trades, with the percentage of builders reporting either serious or some shortage of labor they employ directly varying considerably across those categories.

For builders and investors watching crews thin out and timelines stretch, the shift is not merely operational—it is financial. loantrust.ai works with clients in this environment through financing structures designed for projects where cash flow timing matters: DSCR loans that qualify on property income rather than personal returns, bridge and new construction programs that carry work from groundbreaking to completion, and bank statement options for self employed borrowers whose books do not fit standard templates. Every file is packaged by one licensed MLO, not routed through a call center, which means the same person who understands the project structure stays with it through closing.

The current labor market rewards builders who can secure materials and talent early and keep capital flowing without interruption. A mortgage partner that underwrites to property cash flow and assigns a single originator to the file fits that workflow more naturally than one built on consumer retail models. That alignment matters most when the margin for delay is narrow and the cost of carrying inventory is rising.