DF - It's not reasonable to compare buying a home from a local contractor to buying a prefab from China.
But there was a local contractor involved - "Without payment of the duty, the container would not be released. It remained at the port, and the house we had bought stayed there with it — until the contractor was able to resell it to another buyer."
As for tariffs, the only way the effective rates on China could be whiplashed from ~10% to 50% to ~30% (charts are ironically also from Upenn Wharton) that Will got caught in, was from the illegal use of IEEPA as struck down by the Supreme Court. The new imposition of increased Section 122 and such tariffs are much more limited in scope and time, requiring studies and ultimately congressional approval to be upheld.
As a state that is heavily reliant on imports (anyone see a lot of #2 pine forests out your Puna window?) Hawai'i's cost of housing is deeply and directly tied to tariffs and other import taxes. Trying to find alternatives to the usual stick-built 3/2 $300,000+ HPP home is essential for most people to be able to afford to live here.
But there was a local contractor involved - "Without payment of the duty, the container would not be released. It remained at the port, and the house we had bought stayed there with it — until the contractor was able to resell it to another buyer."
As for tariffs, the only way the effective rates on China could be whiplashed from ~10% to 50% to ~30% (charts are ironically also from Upenn Wharton) that Will got caught in, was from the illegal use of IEEPA as struck down by the Supreme Court. The new imposition of increased Section 122 and such tariffs are much more limited in scope and time, requiring studies and ultimately congressional approval to be upheld.
As a state that is heavily reliant on imports (anyone see a lot of #2 pine forests out your Puna window?) Hawai'i's cost of housing is deeply and directly tied to tariffs and other import taxes. Trying to find alternatives to the usual stick-built 3/2 $300,000+ HPP home is essential for most people to be able to afford to live here.