LANSING, Mich — Lior Ron surveyed the renovations inside a century-old duplex in the heart of Lansing before heading to the gym to cap a cold and busy Friday.
After five months of work, Ron says the house is on track to open later this summer.
Ron, owner of Lansing Home Pros, has managed to keep the project going despite uncertainty about costs for materials stemming from tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
- The U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Trump's tariffs Friday but the administration plans a Section 122 workaround allowing 15% tariffs for 150 days.
- Lansing builder Lior Ron bought materials in bulk and switched from a metal to acrylic bathtub to manage rising costs.
- Economist Jason Miller expects tariffs to continue with potential increases despite the temporary legal setback.
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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that the Trump Administration lacks authority to impose reciprocal tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act without congressional approval.
However, the administration has announced plans to use Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, which would allow 15% tariffs for 150 days without congressional approval.
"This is not going to have a major impact. We're already seeing the president announce that he's going to use the Section 122 tariffs to essentially fill in much of this hole," said Jason Miller, an economics professor at Michigan State University.
Miller expects tariffs to continue and potentially increase.
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"Tariffs are not going anywhere and given the president's history I wouldn't be surprised if he almost doesn't double down and tries to actually raise where we were at," Miller said.
Since the U.S. still collects tariffs under the previous framework, Miller says there will be little break before replacement tariffs take effect.
Ron is renovating a 100-year-old duplex near Pennsylvania Avenue and Vine Street. The project will create a three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit upstairs and a two-bedroom, one-bathroom unit downstairs.
"We learned how to turn an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan," Ron said.
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The location between Sparrow Hospital and downtown Lansing makes the building an attractive investment, according to Ron.
However, tariffs have increased costs for construction materials including light fixtures, windows and doors. To manage price volatility, Ron purchased materials, like lumber, in bulk to use across multiple projects. But storing those materials creates additional costs, Ron says.
The tariff impact forced Ron to make budget-conscious decisions. He wanted to install a metal bathtub but chose an acrylic alternative due to cost constraints.
"When we had to figure out price versus use and versus return on investment we decided to go acrylic on this one. Will this be here 100-years from today, not likely," Ron said.
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Ron expects to invest up to $180,000 in the renovation, higher than normal due to material costs and the building's location. Despite the challenges, he remains passionate about the transformation process.
"When you take that before and after photo, you see something become into something and that's where it becomes cool," Ron said. "I wake up every morning for this.:
Ron expects renovations to be completed this spring, with the units available for residents this summer.
Ron believes stable building costs would amount to savings that could eventually make his properties more affordable for tenants.
"If I can predict and I can control the price and I can control my build cost, eventually those discounts would trickle down," Ron said.
"My properties become more affordable."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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