No controversial comments were made, nor were chants of "Lock her up!" heard during Donald Trump's address to the National Association of Home Builders on Thursday. Speaking to a group of people who presumably understand his background better than anybody else, the Republican presidential hopeful had one message: I will solve your problems because I empathize with you.

"I have great respect for homebuilders because I grew up with a homebuilder," Trump told the NAHB board of directors at their annual meeting in Miami, Fla. "I used to sit at his knees with blocks and listen to my father negotiate with the plumbers and the electricians, and all of that – and I learned."

"By the time I was 14 or 15, I could build a home as well as I could build it today," he said, suddenly turning sentimental. "A homebuilder taught me everything I know. ... And he would be very proud to see that we're running for the presidency."

Trump, whose campaign has yet to escape the controversy surrounding comments he made earlier this week, avoided diving too deep into attack mode against Hillary Clinton. Instead, he told the roomful of real estate developers he can be trusted to make their lives easier if they put their confidence in him.

"I know what you're going through and one of the big things — I mean taxes, definitely — but what's happening with regulations [is] horrible," he said, echoing the economic speech he gave in Detroit on Monday. "In the last five years, regulations on building homes have increased by 29 percent and now you have 25 percent of your total cost is in regulation. ... I don't understand how that's possible. That's a pretty sad story."

He continued, this time taking a jab at his opponent. "If short-circuit Hillary Clinton ever gets elected, it's only going to get worse."

"She's mandated to go to the left," Trump claimed. "Because 45 percent of Bernie [Sanders'] people want her to head in that direction."

Clinton, who will counter Trump's plans to slash taxes and limit the costly regulatory burden on American industries with her own speech about the economy on Thursday, can't be trusted to stimulate economic growth, Trump said.

"There is nobody, other than I would say the energy industry, that is over-regulated more than the homebuilding industry," he told the crowd, assuring those present that "the last thing [they] want are four more years of Obama."

"I know you're amazing people. You can do amazing things. Now go back, build homes, create jobs and we will make America great again together," Trump said.