About Jay Knight Homebuilder, Author, Housing Advocate and Speaker
From framing houses in 1978 to passing legislation in 2026 — Jay Knight has spent nearly five decades on the front lines of American homebuilding.
He knows what is broken, he knows what works, and he has spent his career fighting to fix it.
About Jay Knight Homebuilder, Author, Housing Advocate and Speaker
From framing houses in 1978 to passing legislation in 2026 — Jay Knight has spent nearly five decades on the front lines of American homebuilding.
He knows what is broken, he knows what works, and he has spent his career fighting to fix it.
How 48 years on the Front Lines of Homebuilding Created America's Most Experienced Housing Advocate
It started in 1978, when Jay took his first job as a laborer on a framing crew in the Atlanta metro area. From that first day on a job site, he worked his way through nearly every facet of the residential homebuilding industry — as a realtor, real estate broker, sales manager, and land acquisition and development manager.
Throughout his career, Jay worked alongside his father, uncle, and cousins in family-owned companies dedicated to building homes and developing communities across Georgia.
Jay Knight didn't set out to become a housing advocate. He set out to build homes.
In 2020, Jay stayed on to manage land acquisitions for Dan Ryan Builders through 2022 before founding Templar Development, where he serves as Managing Member today.
Jay watched as regulatory barriers, restrictive zoning laws, and permitting red tape made it harder and harder for builders to deliver homes that working families could actually afford. He had seen it from the inside for decades — and he decided to do something about it.
ADVOCACY
Fighting for Affordable Housing Reform at the State Capitol
Most voices in the housing affordability conversation come from academia, policy, or journalism. Jay Knight comes from the industry itself. None of the other voices have built 15,000 homes. Few of the other voices have fought for reform at the state level and won.
Jay Knight has become one of the most credible and experienced voices for affordable housing solutions.
In 2022 he co-founded the Georgia Residential Land Development Council — known as GRLDC — a statewide organization committed to market and legislative solutions to the home affordability crisis. As chair, Jay has brought front-line industry experience to the halls of the Georgia state capitol, advocating for the builders, developers, and working families that government regulation too often leaves behind.
That advocacy produced a landmark result: in May 2026, Governor Brian Kemp signed into law the land disturbance permit reform that Jay led on behalf of GRLDC — a concrete, measurable win for affordable homebuilding in Georgia.
Jay is a frequent voice in Georgia's real estate and housing policy conversations. He has appeared on Atlanta Real Estate Radio and been featured in Builder Magazine and the Atlanta Real Estate Forum discussing the regulatory barriers driving up home prices across the state.
BOOKS
Author of Two Books — and More on the Way
JAY KNIGHT'S BOOKS
Jay's experience and advocacy found their fullest expression in two books that speak to two very different — but equally important — audiences.
Zoned Out
Exposes the zoning and permitting barriers blocking affordable homebuilding in America and delivers real, market-driven solutions for developers, builders, elected officials, and anyone who wants to understand why homes cost what they do. As Neil Koelbl, former colleague and industry veteran, wrote in the foreword:
"This book is not written by a distant academic or a politician armed with talking points. It is written by a battle-tested homebuilder who has spent nearly five decades in the trenches of the industry."
Richer Poorer Sickness Health
A deeply personal memoir about surviving financial ruin and a life-threatening illness through faith, marriage, and the tenacity of a wife who refused to let him quit.
1978-2019 
Homebuilder
1978 — First day on a framing crew in the Atlanta metro area
1992 — Knight Group early days, job sites and communities
Knight Group era — 15,000 Homes Built and Sold
Family Life — coaching sons baseball team with backyard baseball field for practice
2020-2024 
Advocate
2020 — Knight Group acquisition by Dan Ryan Builders
2022 — Founding of Templar Development
2022 — GRLDC co-founding, advocacy work, state capitol appearances
2025 - Present 
Author
2025 — Launch Build Baby Build Podcast
2026 — Writing Zoned Out
2026 — Writing Richer Poorer Sickness Health
2026 (May) — Governor signing the land disturbance permit reform
A Career Built From the Ground Up
Homebuilder
1978 — First day on a framing crew in the Atlanta metro area
1992 — Knight Group early days, job sites and communities
Knight Group era — 15,000 Homes Built and Sold
Family Life — coaching sons baseball team with backyard baseball field for practice
Advocate
2020 — Knight Group acquisition by Dan Ryan Builders
2022 — Founding of Templar Development
2022 — GRLDC co-founding, advocacy work, state capitol appearances
Author
2025 — Launch Build Baby Build Podcast
2026 — Writing Zoned Out
2026 — Writing Richer Poorer Sickness Health
2026 (May) — Governor signing the land disturbance permit reform
Beyond the work
Jay Knight is even more committed to his family as he is to affordable housing.
After losing their home in 2013, Jay remained committed to rebuilding Knight Homes alongside his family. At the same time, he and his wife, Michelle, launched a new venture, Chisel Mill Homes, to ensure they could continue funding their children’s education.
By 2016, Knight Homes had regained momentum, and as John graduated from college, Jay began preparing to wind down Chisel Mill Homes. However, John expressed a desire to continue the business, and Jay entrusted its future to him.
Since 2016, John has led Chisel Mill Homes, growing it into a thriving family business. He was soon joined by Kaitlyn, followed by Zack and Adie. Today, Jay and Michelle continue to serve as trusted advisors, offering guidance and support whenever needed.
Jay and Michelle's commitment to family shows up in big decisions — like launching a business — and small. They relocated their family closer to his children's high school to keep them together during busy seasons. Jay built a baseball field in his own backyard so he could coach his boys' team and stay deeply involved in their lives. During their college years, Jay and Michelle kept an apartment in Atlanta so they could remain present. Jay even chose a 15-passenger van — so he could drive his grandchildren to school and carve out precious time with the nine people who matter most.
Jay and Michelle Knight live in Palmetto, Georgia, and attend Newnan City Church in Newnan, Georgia. His faith is central to everything he does — in business, in advocacy, and in the marriage that carried him through the hardest seasons of his life. The story of how faith and commitment to Michelle brought him through financial hardship and a life-threatening illness is told in full in Richer Poorer Sickness Health.
Connect with Jay
Read Jay's books, book him to speak, or follow his ongoing work on housing affordability and faith.