Posted on 06/03/2016 11:53:15 AM PDT by Lorianne
There was a small ray of hope just after the Lehman collapse that one of the most lamentable characteristics of US society - the relentless urge to build massive McMansions (funding questions aside) - was fading. Alas, as the Census Bureau confirmed this week, that normalization in the innate American desire for bigger, bigger, bigger not only did not go away but is now back with a bang.
According to just released data, both the median and average size of a new single-family home built in 2015 hit new all time highs of 2,467 and 2,687 square feet, respectively.
And while it is known that in absolute number terms the total number of new home sales is still a fraction of what it was before the crisis, the one strata of new home sales which appears to not only not have been impacted but is openly flourishing once more, are the same McMansions which cater to the New Normal uberwealthy (which incidentally are the same as the Old Normal uberwealthy, only wealthier) and which for many symbolize America's unbridled greed for mega housing no matter the cost.
Not surprisingly, as size has increased so has price: as we reported recently, the median price for sold new single-family homes just hit record a high of $321,100.
(Excerpt) Read more at zerohedge.com ...
Good design principles are essential for a large home or even a mansion. A combination of aesthetics, efficiency, low maintenance, careful use of energy and water, and if possible even recycling of sewage and garbage.
Technologies that should be considered include tile stoves for heat, a cooler system for dry climates, rain capture, conduit and insulated home water, conduit electrical and communications, conduit sewage, underground heat and cold sinks, aerogel insulation in walls and appliances, hot water solar preheating, basement and sub basement, pneumatic elevators, secret and security passages and rooms and duress escape.
And lots more besides.
My apologies. I left out condo crud and HOA retards in the above post.
Another possibility is community charge taxation.
All houses in a community might be taxed at a community/school district set rate (or rates).
There might be say a 25% discount if only one adult person lives there and a 35% surcharge for each adult in excess of two.
The problem with ad valorum taxation is that if the community average housing size is 2,000 square foot, the community won’t want to see a 1,000 square foot house built.
The bottom line is that property taxation needs to be fair (you must pay for the value of public services you get) and also there must not be an ever-increasing lock-out of lower-income folks.
In England houses are assessed according to bands.
The council(property) tax on the top band might be three times as expensive (4,200 pounds/annum) as the cheapest band (1,400 pounds/annum).
Banding does away with the expensive need to reassess properties annually.
“apartment”
I’ve seen doubled apartments in DC. Smart people bought a second apartment at say $10,000 in 1968 and they have 1,500 square feet of combined space.
Very nice.
What ever became of those 10s of thousands of FEMA trailers?
Yup the 405 and the 91 made my resentment lists and the 101
Well I love you too
“But zoning officials also claim no one should have a small house ... which is the same thing is it not?”
I am against most Zoning regs, not all, and all HOAs not in attached housing, and even then HOAs need revamped.
I think I could deal with a small 2 bedroom house, but I want a 10 car garage.
I come to these threads to see if the resident pompous, hoity-toity, pretentious folk weighs in... no surprise....
My parents had a home in Crystal, Minnesota (by Minneapolis). It was a bit over 6,000sq/ft for 3 floors and had 6 bedrooms, 4 baths. The basement opened to the backyard and the roof was high pitched and had 2 bedrooms and bath and a walk in attic. The place had a balcony overlooking the creek with a pond in view. The house was built in 1962. People like big homes.
I bet in the olden days people liked bigger caves.
I get a kick out of watching that show. Some of the space-saving ideas they come up with are pretty clever.
Yup, I just bought a house in a 1950’s subdivision of 1040 sq ft. homes. It’s always been a very family-oriented neighborhood, and even though it’s still relatively pricey, being located in a pretty nice part of the SF Bay Area, there are lots of young families, more moving in all the time. You gotta make good use of that space though!
At what square-footage does a home become “godless”?
Is 2500 sf a mcmansion?
I would think a mcmansion would be larger
#78 “I spend a lot of time in my shed”
The wife kicked you out again huh? : )
I prefer old bungalows with board walls and wood stoves. Create a convection current and no ac is needed. Electricity less than thirty bucks a month.
Envy is a dangerous thing.my brother in-law lives in a mini mansion. I think it’s sterile and that he got taken. He thinks my place is too small and can’t stand to come over which suits me fine. To each his own said the man as he kissed the pig.
It’s got 6 of my babies in it (dirt bikes).
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