Beyond the Blueprint with Jason Smith

Welcome to a special episode of Beyond the Blueprint with Jason Smith: More Than a Home, a new series highlighting the people, philosophies, and stories behind the builders shaping our region. In this episode, host Jason Smith sits down with Matt Walraven of Walraven Signature Homes to discuss how the company got its start, the lessons learned through years of homebuilding, and the values that gui...

On this episode of Beyond the Blueprint, we sit down with Greensboro Mayor Marikay Abuzuaiter to discuss the city's future, from housing and economic development to downtown revitalization, infrastructure, and quality of life. The conversation explores Greensboro's rapid growth, the Build 10,000 housing initiative, workforce development, aviation and aerospace opportunities, and efforts to...

Today on Beyond the Blueprint, Jason Smith interviews Kevin Lansink of Lansink Custom Homes and Rich Orta of Beefy Homes as they look for brand new innovations at the Kitchen and Bath Show 2026. These builders talk about what their thought process is when deciding whether or not to bring a new innovation into their home building designs. While KBIS shows off a huge variety of new and exciting prod...

Today on Beyond the Blueprint, Jason Smith talks with Edsel Charles of MarketGraphics Research Group. For decades Edsel has meticulously mapped and charted key home building statistics to track real world data of how the housing market is evolving. Today he will be sharing his insights on how the NC Triad market is changing as well as trends in building across the US as a whole. This is episode 29...

Today on Beyond the Blueprint, Jason talks with Stacy Parent from Coldwell Banker about her experience as a real estate agent attending the International Builder Show. Stacy goes over the advantages she has gained from attending the builder show and how having hands on experience with the latest styles can positively inform her clients on how to sell their homes. This is episode 28 of Beyond the B...

Live from the NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) 2026 in Orlando, Florida, Jason Smith sits down with Phil Warrick of Piedmont Wholesale & Engineering in Greensboro, NC — this year’s Convention & Meetings Committee Chairman for the National Association of Home Builders. With approximately 1,800 exhibitors and more than one million square feet of exhibit space, IBS — co-located with NK...

Today on Beyond the Blueprint, we interview Chris Kepko as he talks about the brand new pickleball facility, Peak Pickleball. Jason talks with Chris to help understand the growth of pickleball and how facilities like Peak Pickleball are catering to the new demand of residents in the area for more of the sport. This is episode 27 of Beyond the Blueprint with Jason Smith. https://peakpickleball.club...

Today on Beyond the Blueprint, Jason talks with Kathy Haines of EXP Realty and Will Yearns from Granville Homes about the brand new Hayden Park Townhomes community. These homes are a bold new take on home design that mixes the luxury of custom building with the density required to develop only a few steps away from shopping and dining centers like Greensboro's Friendly Center. Jason, Kathy, and Wi...

Today on Beyond the Blueprint, we talk with President and CEO of the Greensboro Sports Foundation Richard Beard. Richard has been a driving force in turning Greensboro into a sports capital highlighted best by the stunning Greensboro Aquatic Center which is world renown. Richard talks extensively on how the investment into sports tourism has brought in both prestige and revenue to the city, and ho...

Today we interview Denise Roth, one of the top candidates for the current Greensboro election for City Council At-Large. Denise was a former Greensboro City Manager as well as Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration reporting directly to President Obama. Today she talks about how she would help to grow the resources of Greensboro specifically targeting growth in east Greensboro....

Today on Beyond the Blueprint, Jason Smith speaks with Ahir Khan about what changes he would make if elected mayor of Greensboro. Ahir speaks to the continuing need for more efficient housing practices, from density to how the permitting process could be improved. Ahir plans to bring more technology and AI into the governmental process to reduce costs as well as improve housing for lower and middl...

Today on Beyond the Blueprint, we talk with Richard Beard about how he plans to streamline development in Greensboro should he be elected to the Greensboro City Council. Greensboro is home to an amazing variety of world class sports and entertainment venues however maintaining these venues is a critical part of keeping Greensboro on a positive growth trajectory. Richard Beard outlines how he would...

Today on Beyond the Blueprint, Jason talks with Kim O' Quinn of Mungo Homes about what it takes to develop a new neighborhood in 2025 specifically in the Triad. The first time home buyer is changing; from the style of home to what amenities they want in the neighborhood. Mungo Homes acquired Shugart Homes in 2019 and from there has become a prominent builder in the Triad with neighborhoods suc...

Today on Beyond the Blueprint, Tony Jarrett is back with an update on how the changes in the housing market are affecting Greensboro and the Piedmont Triad. With inventory on the rise there are new considerations to take with both new and existing homes as the market becomes more competitive. Tony and Jason go over key statistics and forecast how the market will react for the rest of the year, and...

Today on Beyond the Blueprint, Jason Smith interviews Greensboro councilwoman and current mayoral candidate Marikay Abuzuaiter on how she will improve Greensboro if she were to get elected. Marikay covers topics including improving safety in Greensboro as well as her plan for moving Greensboro forwards with her years of on-the-ground experience. Make sure to check out our previous episode with opp...

Today on Beyond the Blueprint, Jason Smith interviews former mayor and current mayoral candidate Robbie Perkins on how he will improve Greensboro if he were to get elected. Robbie covers topics ranging from how money should be invested in Greensboro’s amenities like the aquatic center and the coliseum to strategies for meeting the growing housing pressures as more jobs move to Greensboro. Make sur...

In this episode Jason Smith and Ian McPeeters of Beeson Hardware talk about the latest trends and technology in today's luxury bathroom. From large standalone tubs with hot air injection to remote controlled heated toilets there are a variety of amazing new innovations being shown off at the Beeson Hardware showroom. This podcast is a production of Triad New Home Guide. Episode 17 of Beyond the Bl...

Today on Beyond the Blueprint, Jason interviews Carlos Butler who shows off a wide array of lighting options available at the Butler Lighting showroom. This wide variety shows how North Carolina is still very traditional when it comes to lighting solutions, but that modern styles are slowly making their way into homes due to advances in LED technology. This podcast is a production of Triad New Hom...

In this episode Jason talks with Brandon Clendenin of Florida Tile about how tile trends are changing to accommodate new and exciting material technologies. Everything from full bathrooms to outdoor fireplaces are getting extravagant tile—and knowing what materials to use is why Brandon and Florida Tile are the best resource to visit when designing a new home. This podcast is a production of Triad...

In this episode, Jason talks with Betty Smith of Smith Marketing and Gary Hill in the second of a two-part discussion with these industry icons. Both Betty and Gary have been prominent leaders in the home building, land development, and real estate markets in the Triad for 50+ years. In this part the guests talk about how the internet and other modern technologies have influenced marketing strateg...

In this episode, Jason talks with Betty Smith of Smith Marketing and Gary Hill in the first of a two-part discussion with these industry icons. Both Betty and Gary have been prominent leaders in the home building, land development, and real estate markets in the Triad for 50+ years. They share interesting stories of their memorable successes and provide insights on how the markets have evolved ove...

In this episode, Jason Smith speaks with Ian McPeeters of Beeson Hardware to discuss the latest kitchen and bath trends. Join them as they walk throughout Beeson's extensive showroom, highlighting the styles, finishes, and quality features builders and consumers are seeking. Today, they focus on popular kitchen items like sinks and faucets, as well as newer offerings like pet washing stations,...

Jason Smith is at the NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) and Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He caught us with some local North Carolina builders from the Triad who are also at this year’s show to ask their perspective on the event and the new products and innovations being showcased. Featuring Michael Enscore of Veritas Construction in Winston-Salem, North Ca...

Buying a new home is exciting, but navigating the mortgage process can be confusing. Join us as we discuss the nuances of financing a new construction home. Jason Smith talks with Gary Cagle of The Fidelity Bank about some of the variables of the mortgage market, interest rates and appraisals, the benefits of CP loans vs. conventional loans, and how selecting an experienced builder can help to spe...

Join us as we explore what makes the Triad region of North Carolina an attractive destination for retirees and families alike. Jason Smith chats with Andy Dreyfuss of Nova Triad Homes about the unique benefits of the area, from affordable housing to the growing jobs market. They discuss how companies like Toyota and Boom Supersonic are bringing new opportunities to the region and how Nova Triad Ho...