Last nite I went to a Tour of Homes in a suburban community on the north end of the city. The plan of the community is to replicate Old Neighborhoods/Towns..smaller lots, front & back porches, community playgrounds, garages in the back off alleys....The home exteriors were Craftsman, Victorian, Four-Square

The smallest home was 1700sq ft 2B/2Ba on a slab. It felt spacious - They used what i call a semi open floor plan - open, but yet separate spaces. All homes had master bedrooms and baths - tub/shower combos.

Bedrooms shared the hall bath(remember that concept?? ) The formal LR has been replaced with just the LR/FR/greatroom off the kitchen.
No unused spaces..

The largest home was about 3500 sq ft - and that was with a 1500 sq ft basement..the homes went from 2-4 bedrooms. The kitchens went from white appliances to stainless - countertops went from laminates to corian to quartz to granite islands. Tile backsplashes....

I do want to brag about a laminate countertop that i saw with an edge - ogee(?) rounded that reminded me of what you would see on high-end granite/stone edges. It was BEAUTIFUL!!! I actually had to feel it and look closely to see.

I would describe the kitchens as defintiely not builders grade oak and they looked beautiful.
I was definitely disappointed that most bathrooms had fiberglass tub surrounds. A couple of the homes did have tile in the showers. Floors were engineered wood and i think one had a higher end laminate...I still want the real thing...

The prices of the homes went from $250K to almost $500K (the higher priced ones had the tile) I live in Dayton OH and the $500K -can't imagine spending that kind of $ $ for a home, but for a new home, i think the $250 is reasonable...

I am an old house lover because of the character of the older/wider woodwork, front porches, the character that isn't found in newer homes. I do like the older neighborhoods because we do sit on our front porch and visit & know our neighbors - this community is trying to replicate that same feeling and I think they will be successful. I still can't afford to buy one of those homes, but if i could, i have to admit that I could buy a brand new home...because it has the characteristics of the older homes that i love.

So is this the beginning of the end to these mammoth mini mansions? And return to neighborhood communities that automatically form because the homes are smaller and closer together and because of the front porch???

A couple of those "neighborhood" concept developments have popped up around here, but they haven't been well conceived, IMO. The developers are building cr*p and charging top dollar. Until they realize that they need to deliver quality, I don't predict success. We actually made an offer on a unit in the one near where I live, but the builder was too arrogant to deal...9 months later, every unit that was available then, is still available, the model is closed, too. Tough times? Yes, but had he been willing to negotiate, he would have sold at least one unit...we bought an authentic Victorian instead of a reproduction and while there's lots to do, we don't regret it for a minute! And it's located "in town" with shopping within walking distance and a school down the street.

I think if the community is built right and well made, it would be a wonderful thing to see these being built. I can understand why they may be more expensive. From what I was told the trim work like they had in the old days would cost a small fortune and trim is already one of the most expensive areas because so much is needed.

Now, if we could just get some new plasterers trained! It seems to be a lost art form.

you are so right about the craftsmanship Tammy...in one (& only one) i could see the nails - they didn't get covered before painting...I also agree with plasterers...what a dying art...I will be curious to see how this eventually winds up...

Here's a development they're putting in an old Chicago neighborhood that mimics the surrounding area.

http://www.cadevelopment.com/vroipmain.htm

I could see where smaller housing would appeal to aging baby boomers who want to downsize, and also it helps younger buyers too!


Jim

There are many of these "return to a simplier time" communities popping up. But I agree with ya'll, the craftsman ship is just not there and you are having to pay top dollar for the simple life! Go Figure. I have a victorian style house, not the real thing but a 1985 reproduction. We are staying put and remodeling to make it look old. (Of course I have neglected it for so long--it now looks natuarlly vintage!!!!)

I forgot to mention WHY we don't regret buying the new one...this old house is built like Fort Knox! There is just no comparison to new construction...the materials, the building practices, the ethics...that's not even mentioning the craftsmanship and details! I know that owning an old house is not for everyone, but everyone should experience the feeling that comes from knowing your house has stood for over 125 years, and with care, will stand another 125.

quote:

(Of course I have neglected it for so long--it now looks natuarlly vintage!!!!)

chris - that is funny!!

i do agree with older homes feeling like Fort Knox...While i could potentially see me living in one of those homes, I still wouldn't give up my old home for the reasons that many of already noted....After all - Look at what Christie & Donnie & Tammy & Belstone & LeesHaven are doing....And those are only the people that i can think of on this Sat morning!!

When we were househunting 2 years ago, we had this problem. We have no kids, but wanted the features of an "upscale" house, in an "upscale" neighborhood, but wanted only about 1700 sq. feet. Not to be had around here. We ended up buying a townhouse, which had some of the features we wanted, and we have been upgrading the others.

I would love to find a neighborhood that is beautiful where there aren't McMansions.

I think it depends on the region. In our neck of the woods the Mc Mansions are still popping up. We were delighted to see the beginnings of an exclusive neighborhood hovering close to a cool mil near our small developement as they'll make our homes look like bargains. BTW, the area I speak of is anywhere outside Philly. The mainline of Philly has always boasted Mc Mansions. That's an entirely different planet

A family relative lives down south in the Carolinas. His town is growing in leaps and bounds. Newer housing is cropping up everywhere and I was surprised to see so many "patio homes" underway and selling lot hot cakes. The styles range from soft contemporary to two story colonial to craftsmen-like. Perhaps because the climate is hotter more often during the year and people can't or don't wish to toil under scorching rays or they're young and both working (no time to landscape)..I don't know. I simply wish builders here would construct empty nester housing (preferably one story)similar to patio homes. What they're doing here is 55+ communities which are cookie cutter houses almost abutting. Not only could a senior forget which house was theirs but the maintenance fee )(which isn't capped) can kill you alone.

The difference between our locale tho and our relative's is the cost of an acre of land. Ours is exorbitant! Builders know it'll profit them more to build a huge two story on a small lot vs. a ranch. The only ranches here are old and few and far between.

Dovie - you would have liked this - smaller, and upscale, and i personally like the smaller yard to take care of.....But even w/ kids - you have the neighborhood playground to go to...

I have to agree with Belstone about the old houses like ours. In our 36 yrs here we have had no major problems with our over 100 yr old house, in fact we use the original furnace & our service man told us never to replace it. Today I did yard sale ing and one house which has recently sold and is on ocean is neighbor to one on the market for 3.6M, then went to a McMansion neighborhood where the houses looked lovely from out side and are all less than 7 yrs old. I always wonder about the square footage, I thought only the first two floors were counted? If so ours would be under 1800 sq feet but cellar is as much space as first floor and attic, while it has sloping ceilings (we do use this as two bedrooms for visiting grandchildren) would be almost as much floor space again. And yes, we do have a hall bathroom and no open spaces except visually in back where we removed a wall between pantry and old kitchen, so can see across whole width of house. No house in my town would sell for under about 250k regardless of its age but this is a pricey area.

Throughout history, Utopia settlements have been built.

Around here we still have mansions (no Mc about them) going up in places, but we also have communities that have common parking areas, pathways and parks/ playgrounds. The concept is to have multiple dwellings in a neighborhood, but to preserve the land and habitat for wildlife, so the homes may be on 2 acres, but the structures are built close together.