How Much Did Your Do It Yourself End Up Costing You

Author Mike O'Brian

March 7th 2:54 PM

A guy trying to fix a plumbing problem as for help.

It never fails, you try and fix it yourself…but how much did your “do it yourself” end up costing you? That’s what popped up this morning on The Mike & Carla Morning Show. All because Carla Rea is getting some plumbing work done at her house. Normally she has done it herself, but this time she had to call in some help.

So, that’s what we wanted to know this morning, How many times have you tried to fix something and it ended up costing you more? It does happen right? Mike O’Brian will be the first to tell you! How many projects he has started thinking he could pull it off. Before you know it, call in the pros!

How Much Did That Do It Yourself Job Cost Ya

It’s a common story that everyone has and a lot of listeners were willing to share. One very sweet story that a woman told us on the phone. She and her husband started the project, but he ended up passing away. She truly thought she could finish it on her own. One little mistake and $6000 later!

You have to give her credit though, she gave it a shot…nothing wrong with that. Other listeners called in with their tales, like the guy who thought he could fix his kitchen sink. After using the bathroom sink for a few months, he finally got it fixed by someone else.

Like we said before, nothing wrong with giving it a try, but most of the time it ends up costing us! Just ask Morty, our executive producer, on how efficient he is with changing out a window screen! Or anyone on the show for that matter.

Hey, we’re not shy about this, all three of us have had those moments when we think we’re Mr. “Tool” Man! It all starts out with good intentions, but then sooner or later, ya gotta make the call. And with that, get ready to break out the wallet!

Listen to the segment below and if you think of anything relatable, feel free to drop us a line at the Mike&[email protected].

Mike O’Brian is the Program Director and Morning Show host on 96.3 KKLZ in Las Vegas, along with Carla Rea. He has been with the Beasley Media Group for almost 23 years. Mike was named one of the “Best Program Directors In America” by Radio Ink magazine. Over the years, “The Mike & Carla Morning Show” have been presented with a number of proclamations for their work in the community and numerous awards. Having lived in Las Vegas for over 35 years, he writes articles on living in Las Vegas, sports, and odd stories happening within the state of Nevada. Mike is the host of the morning show and program director of 96.3 KKLZ/Las Vegas. He has been doing mornings in Las Vegas for the past 38 years. Over the years, he has hosted a numerous amount of community events and has been the P.A. announcer for a number of sports teams in Las Vegas. He has written on living in Las Vegas, the sports teams here, as well as odd & little-known facts about Las Vegas & Nevada.

Yes! Nevada Is One Of The Top 7 States For New Homes Built

If you have lived in Southern Nevada for any length of time, you know how fast this area has grown over the past three decades. Apparently, we’re still growing yet, as more and more people move here. Therefore, the demand for new houses continues, even after the COVID-19 pandemic slowed growth. Now, in a recent study, we find that Nevada still ranks in the top seven for states with the most new homes built since 2010.

New Homes Built Since 2010: Nevada Ranks In Top 7

The folks at RubyHome Luxury Real Estate recently began digging into the data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. Specifically, they are looking at the 2022 American Community Survey for the purposes of this study. In general, the numbers show that there are over 131 million occupied households in the U.S. Of those, more than 15.7 million houses were built since 2010.

Furthermore, those figures identify the fact that close to 12% of all occupied houses in our nation are newly built homes between 2010 and 2022. According to information provided by RubyHome.com, 23 states across the country surpassed that national average of 12% for new-build homes. In fact, some states report that one in five occupied houses have been constructed since 2010.

Which Regions Performed Well; Which Regions Did Not

Overall, southern, and western states seem to enjoy the most newly built homes since 2010. Five of the top 10 states in this study are part of the southwest and mountain west regions. We can safely say that Nevada is part of this region. Moreover, three states in the top 10 are part of the southeast region. One other state is on the mid-Atlantic coast. Finally, there is only one state from the Midwest to make the top 10.

It may be surprising to learn that states with very large populations such as New York, Illinois, and Michigan saw very little new home construction in the period of 2010 to 2022. Furthermore, states in the northeast and New England rank near the bottom in new homes built during this period. As a matter of fact, the New England states of “Rhode Island and Connecticut have the lowest rate of new-build properties in America.”

So, let’s see which states rank in the top seven for new homes built since 2010.

7) Nevada
The “Silver State” ranks seventh in the nation when it comes to new home construction since 2010. According to the figures provided by RubyHome.com, 200,603 new homes were built in Nevada between 2010-2022. That accounts for over 16% “of the total occupied housing supply statewide.”

Aerial view of Las Vegas, Nevada. Suburban communities shown with streets, houses and rooftops of homes. Mountains can be seen in the distance on a bright, cloudless day in Southern Nevada.
6) North Carolina
North Carolina ranks sixth in the U.S.A. in this survey of new homes built. Since 2010, over 780,000 new houses have been constructed in that state, accounting for over 18% of the total number of houses in the “Tarheel State.”

New homes of various colors line a quiet street in Raleigh, North Carolina.
5) South Carolina
We don’t have to go very far from North Carolina to find the state which ranks fifth in this study. South Carolina takes that spot with over 420,000 new homes constructed between 2010-2022. That accounts for 19.75% of the total single-family homes in the “Palmetto State.”

Fall afternoon in a typical middle class, southern American residential subdivision of homes that are built close together to maximize the land use by the developer and reduce the price of each home. Each home shares a similar contemporary build style with only minor paint or plan changes on the outside and inside. This subdivision is in South Carolina, USA.
4) Idaho
We head back towards our region of the country for the state placing fourth in this survey by RubyHome.com. Our neighbors to the north in Idaho have also seen tremendous growth in new home construction over the past decade. Many people from northern California have been moving there. Idahoans have seen over 143,000 new homes built there between 2010-2022. That’s over 20% of the total homes in the “Potato State.”

Relatively new houses built along the Boise, Idaho foothills in the light and mist of an early autumn morning.
3) Utah
We remain in the mountain west region of America for the state placing third in this study. Our eastern neighbors in Utah have seen over 233,000 new homes built since 2010. That accounts for 20.65% of the total single-family homes in the “Beehive State.”

View of the roofs of homes with chimneys in Daybreak, Utah community. The majestic Wasatch mountains and glowing cloudy sky can be seen in the background.
2) North Dakota
North Dakota is the only state in the Midwest region of the U.S.A. to make the top 10 in this study according to RubyHome.com. Per the information in their study, they fell just short of the top spot for new homes built since 2010 based on percentages. Between 2010-2022, over 68,000 new homes were constructed in the “Peace Garden State.” That makes up 20.74% of the total number of homes in North Dakota.

Aerial view of the tourist town of Medora, North Dakota, located outside of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
1) Texas
Topping the list in this study is the great state of Texas. As they say, “everything’s bigger in Texas,” so why wouldn’t they take the #1 position? In fact, according to RubyHome.com, residents of the “Lone Star State” “are more likely to live in a new, modern property than any other state across the country.” Since 2010, close to 2.5 million new homes were constructed in Texas, making up 22.5% of all homes in the state.

Modern homes with brick facades in a new housing development in suburban Austin, Texas.