The Georgia Residential Land Development Council (GRLDC) announces Ned Butler, Vice President of Reliant Homes, as a member of its Board of Directors. Butler brings extensive experience in land acquisition, entitlement and permitting, along with a firsthand understanding of how regulatory delays and development costs affect housing supply and affordability.
Reliant Homes is a regional homebuilder serving northeast Georgia and the Greenville-Anderson area of South Carolina. As Vice President, Butler focuses primarily on land acquisition, entitlement and permitting, helping position the company to deliver new homes in growing communities.
Addressing the Real Costs of Housing Development
Butler believes improving housing affordability requires addressing both the cost of delivering new homes and the growing gap between housing prices and household incomes.
“One of the biggest misconceptions about homebuilding is that there are huge profit margins built into every home,” Butler said. “The reality is that land costs, development requirements, regulations and lengthy approval processes all contribute to the final price. If we want to make homes more affordable, we have to look at what it costs to develop and build them.”
Butler has experienced the financial and operational consequences of development delays firsthand, including one project where final plat approval took 16 months.
A final plat is the legal document that officially establishes subdivision lots and allows them to be sold. Delays in final plat approval and recording can prevent completed developments from moving forward while builders and developers continue incurring financing, taxes and other carrying costs.
“Sixteen months is an extraordinary amount of time to wait for a final plat,” Butler said. “When projects are delayed that long, the costs continue adding up, and those expenses ultimately affect the price of the homes we deliver.”
Jay Knight, chairman and co-founder of GRLDC, said Butler’s experience demonstrates why the organization is focused on reforming the final stages of the land development process.
“Ned understands the development process from land acquisition through permitting, and he has experienced exactly the kinds of delays GRLDC is working to eliminate,” said Knight. “When a final plat takes 16 months, that’s not just a problem for the developer. It affects housing supply, increases costs and delays opportunities for families to purchase homes. His experience and perspective will be valuable as we continue advancing meaningful reform.”
Building on SB 447 With Final Plat Reform
Butler joined GRLDC because he believes the organization fills an important gap in housing industry advocacy by focusing specifically on the land development process and the regulatory challenges that affect it.
“GRLDC is meeting a real need in our industry, and we wanted to be part of it,” Butler said. “I’m not aware of another organization focused specifically on land development and achieving meaningful change for the industry.”
He points to the passage of Senate Bill 447 as GRLDC’s most significant accomplishment to date. The legislation established clearer timelines and greater accountability, helping address delays that increase the cost of residential development.
Making Homeownership Possible for the Next Generation
For Butler, housing affordability is more than a professional concern. As a father of five and a local school board member, he sees the challenges facing families and essential community workers.
“I have five children, and I want them to have the opportunity to purchase a home, work hard and achieve the same American Dream I’ve been fortunate enough to experience,” Butler said.
His service on the local school board has also reinforced concerns about whether teachers and other public employees can afford to live in the communities they serve.
“I don’t believe two teachers just starting their careers in our school system could afford to buy a home in our community,” Butler said. “The same challenge affects police officers, firefighters and EMS personnel. These are the people who make our communities work, and we need to make sure they have the opportunity to live here.”
That perspective aligns with GRLDC’s broader commitment to increasing the supply of Essential Housing, which the organization defines as housing that people working in a community can afford on their salaries.
About Georgia Residential Land Development Council (GRLDC)
The Georgia Residential Land Development Council (GRLDC) is a coalition of leading developers, builders and industry stakeholders dedicated to improving land development and permitting processes across Georgia. The organization advocates for policies that increase housing supply, streamline regulations and promote responsible growth. By working collaboratively with policymakers and industry partners, GRLDC advances solutions that help ensure Georgia can meet current and future housing demand. For more information on GRLDC, visit https://grldc.org.
