Recently she posted a video on her YouTube channel in which she phrased the question more bluntly: "Why are homes so 'ugly' now?" Most people agree that America needs more houses, but nobody seems all that thrilled with the ones being built. Related storiesThe blame for America's architectural nightmare, however, doesn't stop at production builders, rising costs, or local codes. Homes look this way because they're not just places where we live — they're also supposed to help us get rich. As they stare down these rising costs, builders and architects have almost no choice but to streamline or opt for cheaper design elements.

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Persons: Bailey McInnes, McInnes, they're, James Wentling, John Burns, Peter Dennehy, They're, Dan Reynolds, Horton, Lennar, Kate Wagner, she's, —, Wagner, Marcia Straub, William Morgan, it's, Queen Anne Organizations: HGTV, YouTube, Facebook, Builders, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Association of Home Builders, John Burns Research, Consulting, Harvard's, for Housing Studies, Harvard, The Locations: Northern Virginia, America, homebuilding, Providence , Rhode Island