Many of you have noticed the increase in roadside homes for sale signs. Yes, the market is slowing down a bit but there are still between about 5,400 and 9,100 active Maine listings in late September/October 2025. New listings increased in late summer and early fall 2025, but the rate of new listings has been decreasing since the summer. While the statewide inventory has grown, the supply in southern and coastal Maine remains tight due to factors like job opportunities and desirability. Although specific data comparing old versus new homes is limited, you can be sure that there are more existing homes on the market than new ones. The demand for housing is high, and the skilled labor pool is low.
The story was about the contractor licensing bill (LD1226) but turned slightly to Maine’s labor shortage. As VP of the Home Builders and Remodels Association of Maine, I was one of three panel members. The other members were State Rep. Tiffany Roberts (D-South Berwick) and Jeff Harris, President of the Maine Association of REALTORS®. Mr. Harris said that the already tight housing market and the high cost for that housing would be adversely affected by the added cost of regulation. He mentioned that licensing would have a negative impact on the production of quality homes and the production of generational wealth.
Meh, maybe… but it wouldn’t be much. Lumber prices go up; lumber prices go down. Sometimes it hurts more than others, but in reality, none of it matters if the parking lot at the jobsite is empty. If you want more houses, if you want less expensive houses, we need more skilled labor and that starts with guidance counselors.
Jump in the way back machine to 1985. As a sophomore in high school, I wasn’t performing to expectations in a college placement curriculum. I excelled in shop and was mechanically inclined but that didn’t work so well with my school’s college placement record. We had a 90-plus college placement for students. Sounds great right? Sounds like a great school. Great schools entice people to move there. Taxes fund things. All is good.
Not so much. Neither the school nor the guidance counselors were helpful at looking at the students as individuals and identifying what was best for them. They wanted college placement regardless of whether it was to their benefit.
“The world needs ditch diggers, too.”
For the last five years I’ve been an advisory panel member of the Portland Arts and Tech High School and most recently the Lake Region High School and the Lewiston Regional Technical Center helping both to evaluate and augment their existing curriculum. This August, I was part of the curriculum steering committee for the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce which offers short-term training through Maine’s community colleges. Courses are offered free of charge thanks to grant funding through the Harold Alfond Center. They will be offered again in early 2026, as well as similar offerings at KVCC in the Fairfield region.
Until we erase the stigma of trade schools as dumping grounds for the bad actors and ne’er-do-wellers, we will be paying a premium for skilled services. When fewer skilled workers are available, builders must pay higher wages to attract and retain them, and projects take longer to complete, which adds to carrying costs and ultimately increases the final price for buyers. Some of the direct cost increases are higher wages, extended timelines and lost production.
Competition for limited skilled labor has driven up wages significantly, with some reports noting increases of 40 to 50 percent for small builders since the pandemic. Projects take longer to finish, adding to the builder's overhead and carrying costs for financing, property taxes, and insurance. A reduced capacity to build new homes due to labor shortages leads to lower housing inventory, which puts upward pressure on prices for existing and new homes. If you would like the idea of more affordable homes, better-built homes, not having to pay off student loans, job security and the ability to earn as much as some medical trades, talk to your guidance counselor.
Warren O'Shea is the owner of O’Shea Builders LLC, Maine’s most award-winning remodeling contractor. He has 35-plus years of residential remodeling experience. He is a certified home inspector and has been featured on HGTV, Food Network, and Maine Cabin Masters. He is a recipient of the Portland Police Department’s “Citizen Award,” and is a staunch consumer advocate. Warren has, and continues to, co-author articles for nationally distributed trade magazines. <
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