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Death of the McMansion


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Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 7:10:25 AM   
Iamsemisweet


Posts: 3520
Joined: 4/9/2011
From: The Great Northwest, USA
Status: online 		Interesting article on the trend away from those disgusting McMansions that builders were knocking up everywhere. Not that many houses are being built these days, since this country is seriously overbuilt, but what is going on is on a far different scale from 6 years ago. I was horrified at the trend in my county towards developers knocking out as many cookie cutter subdivisions as they could. I am surprised that the role of developers in the housing debacle is not discussed more. Instead, the ones here try to claim they are victims of the banks. Funny, before they claimed they were victims of too much regulation. Anyway, this article discusses one good thing that will come from the bust.

http://www.buildingrevival.com/feature.php?rec_id=275

_____________________________

Alice: But I don't want to go among mad people.
The Cat: Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.
Alice: How do you know I'm mad?
The Cat: You must be. Or you wouldn't have come here.
Profile   Post #: 1
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 7:34:10 AM   
Owner59


Posts: 12799
Joined: 3/14/2006
From: Dirty Jersey
Status: offline 		I`ve been in the trades for 35 years and seeing them being built during the 90s and 00s used to make me think,all that space,whether is gets used or not must be heated...forever.Endless vaulted ceilings,3-4-5 car garages and thousands of square feet require a lot of energy.I thought,I`ll never be that sucker roped into paying into a black hole like that.

Of course the market drove such choices but I wonder how the housing market would have acted if home prices topped out(as they have)and buyers couldn`t count on selling their homes for a profit.

In other words,if the speculative aspect of buying a huge home as an investment were not in play,if the home was used as it was intended....to live in only,just how big would they have grown in average?

_____________________________

"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals"

President Obama

(in reply to Iamsemisweet)
Profile   Post #: 2
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 7:58:05 AM   
txsuzie


Posts: 1
Joined: 1/15/2012
Status: offline 		.

(in reply to Iamsemisweet)
Profile   Post #: 3
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 8:01:30 AM   
Iamsemisweet


Posts: 3520
Joined: 4/9/2011
From: The Great Northwest, USA
Status: online 		No where near as big, Owner. The investment aspect was a big selling point. Unfortunately, the farmland that this shit was built on can never be restored.

_____________________________

Alice: But I don't want to go among mad people.
The Cat: Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.
Alice: How do you know I'm mad?
The Cat: You must be. Or you wouldn't have come here.

(in reply to txsuzie)
Profile   Post #: 4
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 9:12:28 AM   
kalikshama


Posts: 8128
Joined: 8/8/2010
Status: online
quote:

all that space,whether is gets used or not must be heated...forever.Endless vaulted ceilings,3-4-5 car garages and thousands of square feet require a lot of energy.


My ex boss paid over $1,000/mos for electricity for his 4,000 sq foot house.

(in reply to Owner59)
Profile   Post #: 5
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 9:22:54 AM   
tazzygirl


Posts: 27136
Joined: 10/12/2007
Status: offline 		That always made me chuckle.... why would I need 20 rooms for two people? Or even 6? The stars have been complaining for a few years about the loss of value in their homes. I can really feel no sympathy for them.

_____________________________

Barack Obama failed to keep many of the campaign promises that his opponents made for him
RIP, my demon-child 5-16-11
"There are no atheists getting blowjobs" ~Master Ron
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Duchess of Dissent 1

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Profile   Post #: 6
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 9:43:19 AM   
servantforuse


Posts: 4717
Joined: 3/8/2006
Status: offline 		My home is about 1500 sq ft and big enough. My view is different than the OP though. I'm certainly not 'horrified' when new sub divisions go up. If someone want a large house and can afford a large house I see nothing wrong with that.

(in reply to tazzygirl)
Profile   Post #: 7
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 9:58:50 AM   
Iamsemisweet


Posts: 3520
Joined: 4/9/2011
From: The Great Northwest, USA
Status: online 		Obviously you don't live in my county.  The environmental and social cost of the so called "building boom" are going to be with us for years.  The productive land that was taken out of production can never be recovered.  And best of all, it turns out we really didn't need that many houses, and certainly not houses of that scale.  A big public policy fail all the way around.  The greed of developers and their lack of common sense knew no bounds.  I fought this rampant development for years, and it turns out, I was right.
quote:

ORIGINAL: servantforuse

My home is about 1500 sq ft and big enough. My view is different than the OP though. I'm certainly not 'horrified' when new sub divisions go up. If someone want a large house and can afford a large house I see nothing wrong with that.


_____________________________

Alice: But I don't want to go among mad people.
The Cat: Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.
Alice: How do you know I'm mad?
The Cat: You must be. Or you wouldn't have come here.

(in reply to servantforuse)
Profile   Post #: 8
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 10:12:52 AM   
servantforuse


Posts: 4717
Joined: 3/8/2006
Status: offline 		Developers will only build houses that people want to buy. Nothing is greedy about that. Not to mention the thousands of people that were employed building these properties. There are many men and women in the 'trades' that can't wait for thins to turn around and start building again.

(in reply to Iamsemisweet)
Profile   Post #: 9
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 10:31:26 AM   
Iamsemisweet


Posts: 3520
Joined: 4/9/2011
From: The Great Northwest, USA
Status: online 		Well, they are going to have a long wait.  The numbers I have heard is that we are overbuilt by 10%  Going to take a while to make that up.  Obviously, developers (greedy fuckers) didn't build homes that people wanted to buy or could realistically afford, since so many of them are sitting empty and rotting.
My hope, as to the trades, is that energy will be focused on revamping existing homes to update them, rather than knocking up more oversized, wasteful shit. 


quote:

ORIGINAL: servantforuse

Developers will only build houses that people want to buy. Nothing is greedy about that. Not to mention the thousands of people that were employed building these properties. There are many men and women in the 'trades' that can't wait for thins to turn around and start building again.y


_____________________________

Alice: But I don't want to go among mad people.
The Cat: Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.
Alice: How do you know I'm mad?
The Cat: You must be. Or you wouldn't have come here.

(in reply to servantforuse)
Profile   Post #: 10
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 10:36:59 AM   
servantforuse


Posts: 4717
Joined: 3/8/2006
Status: offline 		You will also have a long wait for what you want to see done. Green jobs in this country are not what they are promiced to be. Solyndra, Ener1, TPM IdeaLab and a host of other green companies are all bancrupt.

(in reply to Iamsemisweet)
Profile   Post #: 11
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 10:48:49 AM   
peppermint


Posts: 3267
Joined: 10/18/2005
Status: offline 		Even when I was young and looking at homes I questioned the need for a formal dining room that was used 3 times a year.  Vaulted ceilings to me have always meant space that I had to heat but couldn't use.  I watch the home search programs on TV.  Young couples with no kids think they NEED 4 bedroom, 3 baths, a formal living room, a family room, media room, and a 3 car garage.  As others have said, that space will always require being heated. 

The largest house I ever owned was 900 square feet and that was great for a family of 5.  Now that the kids are gone I live happily in under 350 square feet with Gary.  We have a living room, kitchen, bedroom, and bath.  What more do two people need?  We never feel crowded. 

Edited to add this tidbit:

When I was in elementary school ( a very long time ago) we were talking about how the vegatation from the past had become the oil of today.  I must have been about 10 at the time.  I put up my hand and asked what would happen when we'd used up all the oil that had formed so long ago.  I was told to not worry because it would ever run out.  Maybe I was ahead of my time in thinking that everything was not constantly renewable.  My kids have always laughed at me because I turn the theromostat down in winter and wear a sweater. 

< Message edited by peppermint -- 2/3/2012 11:00:48 AM >

_____________________________

Home is where your story begins

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Profile   Post #: 12
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 11:15:39 AM   
Iamsemisweet


Posts: 3520
Joined: 4/9/2011
From: The Great Northwest, USA
Status: online 		You are pretty amazing, knowing what I want to see done, without me even mentioning it.  Very insightful on your part.  Have a nice day
quote:

ORIGINAL: servantforuse

You will also have a long wait for what you want to see done. Green jobs in this country are not what they are promiced to be. Solyndra, Ener1, TPM IdeaLab and a host of other green companies are all bancrupt.


< Message edited by Iamsemisweet -- 2/3/2012 11:17:33 AM >

_____________________________

Alice: But I don't want to go among mad people.
The Cat: Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.
Alice: How do you know I'm mad?
The Cat: You must be. Or you wouldn't have come here.

(in reply to servantforuse)
Profile   Post #: 13
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 11:21:37 AM   
Iamsemisweet


Posts: 3520
Joined: 4/9/2011
From: The Great Northwest, USA
Status: online 		I thought this article, discussing what preservationists could learn from Michael Pollan was pretty great too.  I have to agree with the author, most of the homes being built during the boom were the architectural equivalent of Chicken McNuggets.  Houses built of petroleum products instead of traditional materials, houses that melted instead of burned when they catch fire, houses that were designed for a short life span.  What the hell were we thinking?

http://www.buildingrevival.com/feature.php?rec_id=133


_____________________________

Alice: But I don't want to go among mad people.
The Cat: Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.
Alice: How do you know I'm mad?
The Cat: You must be. Or you wouldn't have come here.

(in reply to Iamsemisweet)
Profile   Post #: 14
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 11:39:02 AM   
tj444


Posts: 3170
Joined: 3/7/2010
Status: online 		I dont see anything wrong with McMansions if two or more households reside in it..

land & building permit costs are expensive in some areas (like CA)... just the cost of the miriad of impact and development fees for 1 house can be an average of about $45-50,000 (I expect even more in some).. an outrageous amount when some lots are as low as $10,000 today in some cities.. the cities and counties are beyond greedy.. and people wonder why houses in CA cost so friggin much..

to me it makes sense to have a 2 or 3 level house designed and divided into seperate living quarters for 2 or 3 households.. they would have to be designed to be flexible like that tho (and built to be as soundproof as possible).. I saw one guys plans for a 2 storey house for 4 single people to live together.. To me it makes sense,.. but unfortunately its beyond most people's comprehension on how to live.. it doesnt really fit into their vision of the "American Dream"..

The plan shown for the prosperity house the way it is designed is not doable on small city lots.. they seem to be designs for farms where the house can sprawl.. Flex homes make more sense, imo.. and also building barrier free "accessible homes" so that the buyer can live there their entire life and if wheelchair bound at some point, the home is already built to allow for easy movement of the wheelchair.. it doesnt require much more if designed properly in the first place.. 36inch doors instead of 32inch, a few bucks extra per door at construction, and a little wider hallways, things like that..
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/buho/flho/


_____________________________

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

(in reply to Iamsemisweet)
Profile   Post #: 15
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 1:53:25 PM   
slvemike4u


Posts: 13977
Joined: 1/15/2008
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Iamsemisweet

You are pretty amazing, knowing what I want to see done, without me even mentioning it.  Very insightful on your part.  Have a nice day
quote:

ORIGINAL: servantforuse

You will also have a long wait for what you want to see done. Green jobs in this country are not what they are promiced to be. Solyndra, Ener1, TPM IdeaLab and a host of other green companies are all bancrupt.


Our servant is like that....such a resource for all of us to lean on....lol

_____________________________

If we want things to stay as they are,things will have to change...Tancredi from "the Leopard"

(in reply to Iamsemisweet)
Profile   Post #: 16
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 1:54:29 PM   
Iamsemisweet


Posts: 3520
Joined: 4/9/2011
From: The Great Northwest, USA
Status: online 		Must be why she is a servant!  LOL
quote:

ORIGINAL: slvemike4u


quote:

ORIGINAL: Iamsemisweet

You are pretty amazing, knowing what I want to see done, without me even mentioning it.  Very insightful on your part.  Have a nice day
quote:

ORIGINAL: servantforuse

You will also have a long wait for what you want to see done. Green jobs in this country are not what they are promiced to be. Solyndra, Ener1, TPM IdeaLab and a host of other green companies are all bancrupt.


Our servant is like that....such a resource for all of us to lean on....lol


_____________________________

Alice: But I don't want to go among mad people.
The Cat: Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.
Alice: How do you know I'm mad?
The Cat: You must be. Or you wouldn't have come here.

(in reply to slvemike4u)
Profile   Post #: 17
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 1:56:34 PM   
slvemike4u


Posts: 13977
Joined: 1/15/2008
Status: offline 		She is a he...lol.I was referring to "servantforuse.....lol

_____________________________

If we want things to stay as they are,things will have to change...Tancredi from "the Leopard"

(in reply to Iamsemisweet)
Profile   Post #: 18
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 2:00:03 PM   
Iamsemisweet


Posts: 3520
Joined: 4/9/2011
From: The Great Northwest, USA
Status: online 		LOL.  I know that was who you were referring to, I didn't bother to look at the profile.  Sorry servantforuse.
quote:

ORIGINAL: slvemike4u

She is a he...lol.I was referring to "servantforuse.....lol


_____________________________

Alice: But I don't want to go among mad people.
The Cat: Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.
Alice: How do you know I'm mad?
The Cat: You must be. Or you wouldn't have come here.

(in reply to slvemike4u)
Profile   Post #: 19
RE: Death of the McMansion - 2/3/2012 2:06:32 PM   
slvemike4u


Posts: 13977
Joined: 1/15/2008
Status: offline 		lol....I thought EVERYONE knew servant was a man,a particularly bitter,unhappy man,but a man nonetheless.

_____________________________

If we want things to stay as they are,things will have to change...Tancredi from "the Leopard"

(in reply to Iamsemisweet)
Profile   Post #: 20
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