Builders Offer a ‘Home Within a Home’ for Multi-Generational Households – Floor Plans in 2012

As the number of people living in a household expands, builders are responding and tweaking home designs to meet the growing needs of multigenerational households.

.

In recent years, the number of grown children moving back with their parents and the number of elderly parents moving-in with their adult children is increasing, causing more households to re-evaluate their use of space at home. Analysts say the number of multigenerational households will likely rise even more in the coming years, particularly among ethnic groups like Asians and Hispanics who are more likely to live with extended family.

.

More builders are debuting floorplans for single-family homes that include “semi-independent suites with separate entries, bathrooms, and kitchenettes,” the Associated Press reports. “Some suites even include their own laundry areas and outdoor patios for additional privacy, though they maintain a connection to the main house through an inside door. “

.

For example, homebuilder Lennar Corp. has started offering 700-square-foot suites contained in some of its 3,400-square-foot floorplan homes in Las Vegas. Homebuilder Standard Pacific Homes also has rolled out more “casitas,” which are attached to the main house but also offer more independent living.

“The Family That Stays Together,”

.

SOURCE: The Associated Press; The Washington Times

Read Full Post »

Three Generations Living Under One Roof as a Way to Trim Housing Costs

What a difference a few years make.

With interest only loans gone, with no money down loans gone (with exception of VA loans) and lenders going back to more conservative lending requiring 10%-20% down for conventional loans ( FHA loans require 3.5% down), a growing number of families are moving in together, which sometimes means that three generations are living all under one roof.

The sluggish economy has caused some households to expand, taking in more family members to trim housing costs, or to simply save money for a downpayment to purchase a home.

According to Census Bureau data, 4.4 million households had three generations or more under one roof in 2010. That is a 15% increase compared to two years prior.

The “double-up” phenomena is particularly pronounced among adult children, who are increasingly moving back with their parents after college to curb costs. The number of 25-to-34 year olds living with their parents jumped by more than 25% between 2001 and 2007, according to Census data.

The larger household sizes are causing builders to take notice and redesign floorplans to accommodate multi-generational households. For example, Pulte Homes says it’s swapping out one of the garages in its two-car garage plans to allow for extra space in a home for a guest room. And Toll Brothers reports that it’s creating new floorplans to accommodate multiple generations, such as a guest suite with a kitchen added where a family room may have once been.

 “The New American Household: 3 Generations, 1 Roof,”

.

SOURCE: CNNMoney

Read Full Post »

Home Owners’ Lawsuit Blames Builders for Value Losses Caused by Artificially Inflated Prices

A group of California home owners filed a lawsuit against eight major homebuilders –  Beazer Homes USA Inc., DR Horton Inc., Lennar Corp., MDC Holdings Inc., PulteGroup Inc.’s Centex homes, Ryland Group Inc., Standard Pacific Corp., and Shea Homes Inc. – who they allege are responsible for the loss in value of their homes and for making their neighborhood less desirable due to high volume of short sales and foreclosures created by the artificial bubble created by the builders.

A lawsuit is being revived in federal court.

The home owners had purchased homes from 2004 to 2006 in new developments built by the eight major builders in the Inland Empire region of California. The home owners claim that the developers represented the homes as “stable, family neighborhoods.”
But in the lawsuit, they allege that the builders marketed the homes to and financed unqualified borrowers using sub-prime loans, which in turn led to a “buying frenzy” that artificially inflated prices.

Following the housing bubble, foreclosures and short sales in the neighborhood skyrocketed, leading to a high number of abandoned homes and unkempt yards and crime, the home owners say in the lawsuit.

A federal district judge in Riverside, Calif., had originally dismissed the lawsuit, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco disagreed September 21, 2011, saying the home owners could continue to pursue their fraud claims against the builders. The court said that the home owners sufficiently alleged that the builders’ practices “inflated the ‘bubble in their particular neighborhoods” and that “decreased economic value and desirability” are injuries that home owners can recover damages for in court.

Among the builders named in the lawsuit: Beazer Homes USA Inc., DR Horton Inc., Lennar Corp., MDC Holdings Inc., PulteGroup Inc.’s Centex homes, Ryland Group Inc., Standard Pacific Corp., and Shea Homes Inc.

Read Full Post »

Stratshire Crossing of Aldie Virginia New Construction Builder Single Family Homes and Townhomes by Winchester Homes – Professional Buyer Agent Representation in Aldie Virginia

If only the smell and the feeling of the New Construction Home will make you happy, here is your opportunity. Winchester Homes is building new construction homes in Aldie Virginia and would like you to pay them a visit.

.

Winchester Homes plans the release of homesites at Stratshire Crossing in Aldie, Virginia on Saturday, September 17th, 2011.
Purchasers must be present to sign the contract. Should demand require it, a lottery drawing will be held at 11:30 a.m.

Released Homesites – Rear Load Garage:

Homesite 0123 … Granville (22GN32) … $354,900

Homesite 0124 … McKinley (22MK33) … $335,900

Homesite 0126 … McKinley (22MK32) … $334,900

Homesite 0128 … Granville (22GN33) … $359,900

.

.

Purchasing a new construction home is very different from purchasing a resale home. The contract for new construction homes is very complex and full of potential legal problems. The process of purchasing a new construction home requires as much due diligence on the part of the purchaser as purchasing a resale home – except, possibly more vigilant due diligence.

.

The cost of a professional buyer agent representation is already built into the price of the house – it costs you NOTHING to hire a buyer agent, but it can cost you A LOT if you do not have a buyer agent to represent you.

NOTE: The buyer agent MUST be present to register with the builder during the buyer’s very first visit in order to be able to write the contract and represent the buyer. Contact me TODAY to discuss the details.

.

To research Schools and Neighborhoods in Loudoun County VA & Aldie VA, Fairfax County VA, Arlington County VA, Prince William County VA, Fauquier County VA, visit http://www.realtorviviannerutkowski.com/schoolinfo.shtml

.

ALDIE Virginia Residential Real Estate Statistics for SINGLE FAMILY HOMES and TOWNHOMES: Average & Median Home Sale Prices, Average Days on the Market and Active MLS Inventory of Homes For Sale. Visit here for the list of the latest sales in STRATSHIRE CROSSING of ALDIE VA and  ALDIE Virginia NEIGHBORHOODS

NOTE: Advertisement Ads which appear in most posts on this Blog are run by WordPress and do NOT necessarily represent the views of Vivianne Rutkowski or Keller Williams Realty. Visitors to this blog are NOT obligated to click the ads to visit this blog.

 

Read Full Post »

Smart Upgrades to Choose in New Construction Homes in 2011

Most home owners opt to add some upgrades to a new home, which can be rolled into the mortgage opposed to paying for them later on their own. But the choices of what flooring, lighting, or other upgrades to choose can be overwhelming.

.

Designer Candice Olson, author and host of HGTV’s “Candice Tells All,” says lighting and extra wiring are key upgrades new home buyers should consider. “Adding lighting — or at least the wiring for it — means you’ll be able to have bathroom sconces instead of that one overhead light the builder gives you,” Olson says. “Your flat-screen TV can be where you want it. You’ll have a floor outlet for the lamp in middle of the open room. And you won’t be ripping out walls later to do all this.”

.

Also, she says home owners shouldn’t forget about the exterior lighting either. “Outside lighting, plus landscaping, will set apart your house from the others in the neighborhood where buyers chose from plans A, B and C,” Olson says.

.

As for flooring, Olson recommends hardwood floors for the main living areas, and cork floors for the basement, since there’s potential for water leakage in basements.

.

Alson also says the addition of taller baseboards, chair rails, crown molding, coffered ceilings, built-ins or a banquette also are smart investments for upgrades.

.

Of course, the purchasers of new construction homes should ALWAYS have a home inspection written into the contract and read all the fine print.

I represent buyers in purchase of new construction homes in the Northern Virginia area: Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, and Prince William County. The builder rules require an agent to assist the purchaser during the very first visit to the builder’s office –  Contact me for details BEFORE you contact the builder if you would like to have buyer broker representation. 

.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune

.

.

NOTE: Advertisement Ads which appear in most posts on this Blog are run by WordPress and do NOT necessarily represent the views of Vivianne Rutkowski or Keller Williams Realty. Visitors to this blog are NOT obligated to click the ads to visit this blog.

Read Full Post »

Home Space, Designs, and Floor Plan Preferences of U.S. Homeowners in 2010

The sluggish economy and the sluggish housing market of the 2007-2010 influenced homeowners’ preferences as to home space, designs, and floor plans.

The most dominant home features that homeowners look for in the homes now are affordability, and function over extravagance, according to the latest American Institute of Architects Home Design Trends Survey for the second quarter of 2010.

Here are a few highlights from the report, based on nearly 300 residential architects who were surveyed by American Institute of Architects Home Design Trends about the design preferences of U.S. households.

WHAT’S IN                                    

Home offices: More people are working out of their home or telecommuting, prompting more home owners to want a dedicated workspace in their homes.

Outdoor living areas: Home owners want to expand their living space into the outdoors and are seeking to incorporate more outdoor living elements into their lifestyles, AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker said in a public statement about the survey.

Mud rooms: The need for additional closets and other storage space, as well as the increasing informality of space in the home, is driving more home owners to want mud rooms, according to the report.

Energy-saving features: Home owners are seeking energy efficient products and systems that will reduce their rising utility costs. Those energy efficient products and materials that have boasted the greatest increase in interest in recent months include items such as double and triple glazed windows, tankless water heaters, and low maintenance materials.

WHAT’S OUT

• Media rooms/home theaters
• Exercise/fitness rooms
• Hobby/game rooms
• Home workshops
• Kid’s wings/guest wings
• Interior kennels
• Interior greenhouses



NOTE from Vivianne:  I must say that I do NOT necessarily agree with the result of the survey which indicated that home exercise and fitness rooms are on the way out – to the contrary, I believe that exercise/fitness rooms will gain in popularity simply because they are closely tied to our HEALTH and, therefore, not merely a passing fad.  I would definitely keep the space available for exercise/fitness room.

As for media rooms/home theaters, they are very popular with some home buyers, but like fireplaces, swimming pools, or wet bars, media rooms and home theaters are a matter of personal preference.

SOURCE:  REALTOR® Magazine

 

Read Full Post »