Housing Materials, 1950’s & Today Here’s a pop quiz for would-be housing market experts: Which of the following building materials used in contemporary home construction and repair are virtually unchanged from the 1950’s? A. WindowsB. Asphalt shingles (roof)C. Wood joists (used in framing)D. Kitchen countertops Answer: B In almost every other category, building materials have...Read More
From More Square Feet to More Volume, Cont. I’ve discussed previously the trend toward homes not necessarily with more square feet, but more “volume” (higher ceilings, more and larger windows, wider stairs and halls, etc. — see, “Not More Square Feet, More per Square Foot“; “Cranking Up the Volume“). That trend applies to the exterior...Read More
Beyond Finished Square Feet In a tight economy, builders and homeowners alike must figure out how to make their houses live and feel bigger without increasing their finished square feet (and therefore cost). How do you do that? Increase the volume. Huh?? Whereas square footage is two-dimensional, volume is three dimensional. Consider two identical homes,...Read More
On Tap for 2010: Social Media, and (More) Foreclosures and Short SalesNo, I don’t predict the direction of home prices. But housing trends are another matter. Fortunately, if you’re an Edina Realty agent, corporate does that for you (or at least helps). Each year, senior management highlights at the annual meeting — and reinforces during...Read More
Home Trends 2010: ‘Don’t Call it a Basement’ First, some background: The big trends in housing at the moment are being driven by technology, demographics, and economics (primarily, the Recession, and secondarily, energy costs). Demographics: lots of upper bracket Baby Boomers — ages 50-65 and on the verge of becoming “empty nesters” — are suddenly...Read More
Trends for 2010: SUV-sized Fridges Here’s an early 2010 housing and home style prediction: smaller homes and bigger . . . . refrigerators. Really. It’s got nothing to do with Americans being increasingly overweight (obviously true); average household size getting bigger (the opposite is true); or even Thanksgiving approaching (that’s just a seasonal blip). Rather,...Read More