Why are new homes built mostly McMansions when people want smaller?

[greeneyedchick]

Oh, I totally know what a sneaky (blank) life can be. My husband and I are going to be taking a break from being homeowners. Once our two oldest dogs go to "the bridge", we're going to be nomads in early retirement. If we tire of that, or need to settle somewhere due to one or both of us needing or wanting to be more settled (possibly due to health reasons), we'll likely choose a place to live more permanently.

We're not exactly sure if we'll ever own again. It's been a long time since we've been renters, but we're also truly over the never ending repairs and costs of homeownership. We're planning to travel....and if we get tired of the nomadic existence we'll figure it out from there.

Good for you! I want to do t

Yes, Essex county, NJ, either #1 or #2 in the country for highest property taxes.

I lived in Essex county, too. SOMA area. Small world.

 

[tvguy]

The majority of homes here do not have garages.

I'm not saying everyone puts a car in their garage. Many just use it as storage.

 

[georgina]

Anyone actually looking at Zillow or Trulia in your area?

Just curious of what others see with regard to home prices of available homes lingering on the markets, what I see is over the top $$$ with reductions noted and on the other side of the spectrum, homes that are older, neglected and needing tons of work.

I suppose point of view for favorites will be slanted towards wealth on here, I mean a person or family does need to be able to afford the disposable income to participate in the Disney experience in the first place so there must be some degree of financial comfort in the mix. Should have considered this when posting the thought...

Things in my neighborhood go very fast generally, as soon as they hit the market. 1-2 million range. I see homes in some Alexandria and Arlington neighborhoods where modest homes are bought and either demolished or completely upgraded into much larger homes

In and around Ann Arbor, a very good chunk of (and probably most) new construction is in the from of townhouses or mid-rise condo buildings. They tend to be high-end in terms of fit and finish, and are still not cheap (at least, not cheap for the Midwest). So they are still quite profitable, but they are much more effective uses of the land.

There are some McMansions, but increasingly they seem to be the exception.

I just moved into a condo in the next town over from A2. The buildings are each two stories, with four units on each floor. Two bed, one bath, just under 1,000 sq. ft. It was built in 2000. Not a lot being built like that right now, but such things do exist.

I think the ‘missing middle’ zoning in Arlington VA recently passed, to allow small multi-unit bldgs on single lots. It was an acrimonious battle but affordable housing is scarce around here.

 

[MICKIMINI]

Our new build has many ADA features including large doors, halls and stairs. Walk in shower with grab bars on first floor. 48"+ around kitchen work table (in place of island). Same hardwood flooring with no threshholds to smoothly accommodate a walker or wheelchair.

My folks are having a more difficult time lately and are grateful they are in a one floor home with many ADA features. We have offered the attic if they need it, though it will have to be finished with an elevator and stair lift as well (IMO for safety). The extra garage space may come in handy as my Dad still drives.

It was important to build a large enough home to at least have a guest suite if we had to move them quickly. Finishing off the attic will require lots of money, however much quicker and less expensive than building from the ground up. We could build out a 2 BR apartment for them if needed as electrical, plumbing and HVAC is already there. Time will tell how that goes.

Reading OP's stories of stair issues is valid. It only takes one fall or surgery to make it an impossibility. Not all big homes are just for the sake of being big.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Things in my neighborhood go very fast generally, as soon as they hit the market. 1-2 million range. I see homes in some Alexandria and Arlington neighborhoods where modest homes are bought and either demolished or completely upgraded into much larger homes

I think the ‘missing middle’ zoning in Arlington VA recently passed, to allow small multi-unit bldgs on single lots. It was an acrimonious battle but affordable housing is scarce around here.

Not Alexandria but one of the builders I work with have townhomes in Richmond for 1-2 million dollars. I couldn't help but think about how you'd spend that much and then experience some of the worst traffic I've ever went through in my life.

 

[NotUrsula]

What I'm seeing in my city is that smaller, perfectly liveable existing homes are being targeted as tear-downs to be replaced with homes 3X the size and up to 4X the price. What's typical is that the house & lot sells for $250K, and is replaced with one that sells for $875K. Normally you are going from a 1000 sq.ft. one or 1.5 story home to 3800 sq.ft. with 3 full stories and a basement, built right up to the lot lines thanks to setback variances being granted.

This is forcing working-class people away from living close to work, and is pushing them to the FAR outer suburbs to find something they can afford, yet often as not, the only thing they can manage is a townhome with no room for expansion.

What I would like to see is a rule that unless the home currently lacks an occupancy permit (yes, we do have those), whatever is built to replace it on the same lot cannot be more than about 25% larger, exclusive of garage space. ((I'm OK with putting a garage on a property that didn't have one before, but not making the house exponentially larger in terms of living space. Most of the older homes in these neighborhoods either have parking on an alley running behind the house (usually detached garages, with the lawn in between the house and the garage), or there is a single-wide driveway running alongside the house leading to parking behind it.)) My feeling is that this way, unless the house is in such bad shape that it really needs to be leveled and can be had for a song, builders will sometimes shy away from destroying perfectly good homes because the profit won't be sufficient.

This city has thousands of homes that are not liveable at all due to things like dry rot and failed foundations. If you want to build an infill McMansion for profit, go ahead and replace those, so that you're replacing nothing with something, but don't tear down a perfectly good home unless you actually will be living in the one that replaces it.

PS: There is also a double-profit motive here as well, because most of the older homes in my area are brick, and the new builds are not. Our brick is highly prized as salvage nationwide, going for $2/brick on average, and builders always sell off the bricks from the homes they tear down -- most of which have double-course walls. (There is always a flatbed full of pallets parked on the street when they do the demo, and the bricks are carefully stacked on them, shrink-wrapped, and hauled away at the end of the day; never left on the site overnight.)

 

[georgina]

Not Alexandria but one of the builders I work with have townhomes in Richmond for 1-2 million dollars. I couldn't help but think about how you'd spend that much and then experience some of the worst traffic I've ever went through in my life.

Personally we're retired, but the DC region has decent public transportation. We bought in a walkable area but the metro is close by also. If you can avoid rush hour times the traffic isn't too bad!

 

[nene0182]

Remember when you could order a Craftsmans Home kit from the Sears catalog and build a home yourself?

We live in a Sears catalog house that was built in 1921.

We bought our house when we thought we would have more children. We never did and we have been empty nesters for 2 years and this house is entirely too big for the two us. We would love to downsize but can’t find anything existing that is comparable quality wise to what we have and all new housing being built here is either bigger than we have now or a townhouse, so we will stay put.

 

[MillauFr]

You don't have zoning laws where you live?

Yeah too many. At least they have eliminated single family zoning in the entire State of Washington. It is a start but more needs to be done.

 

[tvguy]

Yeah too many. At least they have eliminated single family zoning in the entire State of Washington. It is a start but more needs to be done.

Eliminated as in.......they don't allow single family housing.......or as in they don't have any rules if it is a single family house?

EDIT: I looked it up. So you can have multi-family up to six-plexes in non-commercial areas. That is basically what they are doing here, zoning to allow denser housing. That is the idea of no longer requiring off street parking, so they can pack more people in a smaller space.

 

[MillauFr]

Eliminated as in.......they don't allow single family housing.......or as in they don't have any rules if it is a single family house?

EDIT: I looked it up. So you can have multi-family up to six-plexes in non-commercial areas. That is basically what they are doing here, zoning to allow denser housing. That is the idea of no longer requiring off street parking, so they can pack more people in a smaller space.

The state precluded cities from restricting zoning to 1 house on 1 parcel. You can build up to 4 and up to 6 if you are near public transit. Parking will be available if you are willing to pay for it. The problem with parking is that people want it for free. Parking is never free. They just hide the costs of providing it.

 

[TCRAIG]

I don’t necessarily want a smaller house when I move to be closer to my daughter (current house is 33oo+ sq ft) but I sure as HE-double L DON’T want the ridiculous ‘open concept’ floor plan that seems to be all you can find! I wasn’t raised in a barn - I don’t want to live in one…I don’t mind a combo kitchen/family/breakfast room - but only if I can get a formal living room or parlor and a big formal dining room - with walls! And a garage that you can actually park a full size car…

 

[tvguy]

The state precluded cities from restricting zoning to 1 house on 1 parcel. You can build up to 4 and up to 6 if you are near public transit. Parking will be available if you are willing to pay for it. The problem with parking is that people want it for free. Parking is never free. They just hide the costs of providing it.

My issue would be, if I am buying, I expect off street parking to be a part of the property and to be included in the sales price. That is what I was referring to here, in some cases, the city will now allow a project to be built without any included parking.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Oh, I totally know what a sneaky (blank) life can be. My husband and I are going to be taking a break from being homeowners. Once our two oldest dogs go to "the bridge", we're going to be nomads in early retirement. If we tire of that, or need to settle somewhere due to one or both of us needing or wanting to be more settled (possibly due to health reasons), we'll likely choose a place to live more permanently.

We're not exactly sure if we'll ever own again. It's been a long time since we've been renters, but we're also truly over the never ending repairs and costs of homeownership. We're planning to travel....and if we get tired of the nomadic existence we'll figure it out from there.

Report back and let us know what it's like! I'd love to do it, but DW wants to have a home base. We're going to Europe September-December this year and I hope it'll whet her appetite for nomad life.

 

[dvcgirl67]

Report back and let us know what it's like! I'd love to do it, but DW wants to have a home base. We're going to Europe September-December this year and I hope it'll whet her appetite for nomad life.

I definitely will....it's likely going to be a couple of years before we can pull this off. But, DH has put first ever official date on the calendar for retirement....July 1st of 2025. Then it's down to how our older two dogs do (how long they're with us) and one older parent in particular. Then it'll be the two of us and one middle-aged miniature schnauzer. There's a learning curve for traveling with the little dog too....but she seems to be up for anything. .

But...we do intend to sell the house and hit the road. We're excited for a new adventure. We'll see how it feels I guess...best laid plans and all of that .

 

[barkley]

Yeah too many. At least they have eliminated single family zoning in the entire State of Washington. It is a start but more needs to be done.

i believe under that new law density requirements can be reduced in lots within a city that don’t have adequate water supply or public sewer service. i know that is the issue with the small city near us. developers would love to build more there-but unless they cough up the money i don't see the city finding it.

 

[barkley]

Oh, I totally know what a sneaky (blank) life can be. My husband and I are going to be taking a break from being homeowners. Once our two oldest dogs go to "the bridge", we're going to be nomads in early retirement. If we tire of that, or need to settle somewhere due to one or both of us needing or wanting to be more settled (possibly due to health reasons), we'll likely choose a place to live more permanently.

We're not exactly sure if we'll ever own again. It's been a long time since we've been renters, but we're also truly over the never ending repairs and costs of homeownership. We're planning to travel....and if we get tired of the nomadic existence we'll figure it out from there.

i have a few old friends who are doing the nomadic lifestyle and seem to adore it. in all cases they sold their existing homes and are traveling to their hearts desires. in all cases though, they did through advice or experience decide that they needed some kind of 'home base'. with at least one it was due to the realization that for tax advantages they wanted to establish legal residency in a friendlier state than they were retiring from, with some others it was to establish a primary care provider they could at least have call in regular scrips/sched to see for annual checkups. whatever works for folks-i just like seeing the photos they post of their adventures!

 

[MillauFr]

My issue would be, if I am buying, I expect off street parking to be a part of the property and to be included in the sales price. That is what I was referring to here, in some cases, the city will now allow a project to be built without any included parking.

It should be a choice of the buyer. Others that don't have a car are basically forced to pay for off street parking whether they like it or not.

 

[barkley]

It should be a choice of the buyer. Others that don't have a car are basically forced to pay for off street parking whether they like it or not.

if more/smaller housing options are built absent off street parking it will be interesting to see how that plays into their pricing/ future value. i've noticed with recent real estate listings in our area that parking options are being more strongly promoted-and detailing it down into parking spaces/covered/enclosed-secured (with the total in each category) so some must place a value on it. even if someone does not have a car i have to imagine having a secure garage is of some appeal (those e-bikes are not cheap), if my kid's apartment complex is any indication they are wildly popular for full size freezers and storage (cuz it's the exception to see anyone parking their cars in them despite the premium price and 2 year wait list).

 

[mousefan73]

Builders wouldn't build something if it there is no market for it.. So there must be a markert for super size homes. Many want to downsize but even "downsizing" isn't really downsizing compared to past generations. Many say we want to downsize but want:
1. a dining room still for family holiday dinners
2. guest room for kids
3. office due to WFH or simple a place for crafts/storage/bills.

so you are looking at a 3 bedroom home which when I grew up was a standard home. ( ranch, one car garage, 3 bedrooms, eat in kitchen, living room, utility room, no basement and one !!! bath. for maybe over 1000 sqft....

so people are really downsizing from an alreay high level. basically abundance to normal.


I live in a house about 4000 total sqft. I can honestly I havent been insome basement rooms since months. Kids will move out soon, who knows if they come back.. lots of space for just DH and I ... but to suggest we sell so another family has more room. heck no, it's my HOME. so as long as I capable of living here I will.

I think there is a demand where couples or singles want a larger home as many enterain more at home ( movie rooms vs going out to movies) working from home vs office. etc.... and then some really truly want to downsize... one bedroom that is it and a condo so i can turn the key and go.