Members and guests of HBAGK, ETR, and KMBA will gather for a meet and greet with Knox Country candidates and elected officials ahead of the upcoming elections. Come get a better understanding of candidates' position on issues that impact your business and community.  All current elected officials are invited in addition to Candidates for Knox County Mayor and County Commission. This political networking event allows business professionals and candidates an opportunity to discuss important issues in a comfortable & casual atmosphere.

Cost is $25 for all members and guests and includes one drink ticket. There will be light hors d’oeuvres, tea and water, and a cash bar. Please RSVP using the registration link to help us plan. 

• HBAGK members will use our "Member" RSVP option.
• ETR & KMBA members will use the "Non-member" RSVP option.

Candidates and Elected Officials RSVP as of 3/17/26:

Kim	Frazier	Candidate Knox County Mayor
Beau	Hawk	Candidate Knox County Mayor
Betsy	Henderson	Candidate Knox County Mayor
Larsen	Jay	Candidate Knox County Mayor
Brandon	Huckaby	Candidate Knox County Commission Dist. 3
Barry	Beeler	Candidate Knox County Commission Dist. 7
Buddy	Burkhardt	Candidate Knox County Commission Dist. 7
Justin	Mash	Candidate Knox County Commission Dist. 7
Kimberly	Glenn	Candidate Knox County Commission At Large, Seat 10
Ronnie	Rochelle	Candidate Knox County Commission At Large, Seat 10
Katrina	Sharp	Candidate Knox County Commission At Large, Seat 10
Garrett	Holt	Candidate Knox County Commission At Large, Seat 11
Vivian	Shipe	Candidate Knox County Commission At Large, Seat 11

 

Gina	Oster	Knox County Commission Dist. 3
Shane	Jackson	Knox County Commission Dist. 4
Karyn	Adams	Knoxville City Council Dist. 1
Nathan	Honeycutt	Knoxville City Council Dist. 2
Matthew	DeBardelaben	Knoxville City Council Dist. 4

 

Nick	McBride	Candidate Knox County Trustee
Justin	Biggs	Knox County Trustee

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The Shrinking Supply of Finished Lots—and Why It Matters for Housing Affordability

Housing affordability is often discussed in terms of interest rates, labor costs, or construction materials. But one of the most fundamental—and frequently overlooked—drivers of housing access and pricing is the availability of finished lots. When the supply of developed lots declines, it creates a bottleneck that limits new home production, restricts consumer choice, and ultimately drives housing prices higher.

The long-term data for the Knoxville Metro area tells this story clearly. According to Market Graphics Research Group’s Developed Lot Inventory History for the six-county Knoxville region, finished lot inventory peaked at more than 24,500 lots in 2009 before entering a prolonged period of decline. By 2025, that inventory had fallen to approximately 11,461 lots—less than half of the peak level. Even compared to the late 1990s and early 2000s, today’s lot supply is historically low. This decline has meaningful consequences for the housing market.

Finished Lots Are the Foundation of New Housing

A finished lot represents land that is fully entitled, engineered, and served by infrastructure such as roads, utilities, and drainage. Without finished lots, builders cannot efficiently respond to housing demand—even if buyers are ready and financing is available.

When finished lot inventories are healthy, builders can move quickly to start homes, competition among developers helps stabilize pricing, and buyers benefit from a broader range of options. When lot counts fall, however, housing production becomes constrained at the most basic level. Builders are forced to compete for a smaller pool of buildable sites, pushing land prices upward before a single home is even constructed.

The Knoxville Metro data illustrates this constraint clearly. After years of relative stability above 18,000 lots from 1998 through 2015, inventory dropped sharply after 2016 and accelerated downward after 2020. While population growth and household formation have continued, the supply of finished lots has not kept pace.

Fewer Lots Mean Fewer Homes—and Higher Prices

When lot supply tightens, housing access declines in two important ways. First, fewer homes can be built overall. Even efficient builders are limited by the availability of finished lots, which reduces the total number of housing units entering the market each year. This creates upward pressure on prices as buyers compete for a smaller number of homes.

Second, the homes that do get built tend to skew toward higher price points. As finished lot prices rise, builders must either accept lower margins or increase home prices to compensate. In most cases, price increases win out. Entry-level and workforce housing becomes harder to deliver because thinner margins cannot absorb higher land costs. Over time, this shifts new construction away from affordability and toward higher-end product.

The Knoxville data shows this dynamic unfolding over many years. Despite brief periods of stabilization, the overall trend since 2009 has been decisively downward, culminating in 2025 with the lowest finished lot count in three decades. This structural shortage helps explain why housing affordability has deteriorated even in markets that were once considered relatively attainable.

The Long-Term Risk of Underproduction

Perhaps the most concerning aspect of declining finished lot counts is that the problem compounds over time. Developing lots is a multi-year process involving zoning, approvals, engineering, and infrastructure investment. When lot development slows for an extended period—as it has in Knoxville—there is no quick fix. Even if demand weakens temporarily, the underlying shortage remains and reemerges as soon as economic conditions improve.

The data shows that lot inventory never recovered to pre-2010 levels, even during years of strong housing demand. This suggests that structural barriers—such as entitlement complexity, infrastructure costs, and regulatory friction—may be limiting the market’s ability to replenish supply.

Why Lot Supply Should Be a Policy Priority

If communities want to improve housing access and moderate long-term price growth, increasing the supply of finished lots must be part of the conversation. Policies that support infrastructure investment, streamline approvals, and encourage responsible land development can help rebuild lot inventories and restore balance to the housing market.

Without those efforts, declining finished lot counts will continue to act as a hidden constraint—limiting new housing, reducing affordability, and placing upward pressure on prices regardless of interest rate movements or short-term market cycles.

In housing, everything starts with the lot. And right now, there simply aren’t enough of them.