Small homes

Tiny Houses for SERIOUS Downsizers

These are for SERIOUS downsizers! Houses/sheds/spheres from 89 to 500SF, Plus a unique bed that rises to the ceiling to create living space underneath. Includes links to manufacturers if you want one

I think this one from local Modern Shed is the best looking, and the Zero House (#7 in the slide show) is amazing in it claims to be completely self-contained off the grid, including water and waste.

See slideshow of  Tiny Houses here

 

 

Seattle Area Build-to-Suit

Great news for downsizers! As I was showing homes the other day I noticed that builders are now offering build-to-suit opportunities on infill lots.

For many years now,  downsizers who wanted new ramblers have found they have to travel far from Seattle to find them. All of the infill construction close-in has been multi-level homes because builders needed to build larger houses so they could pay competitive prices for land and still make some money.

This has changed with the re-set economy, and builders are realizing that offering flexibility and choices sells more more new homes now, plus downsizers are a big part of the current market. The result is opportunities to have a custom home in an established neighborhood in a close-in area.  Imagine the possibilities! If the lot is big enough, a detached accessory unit is possible.

Another option for rambler buyers in this market is to look at rehabbed ramblers. Many of yesterday’s builders are now buying foreclosed homes, rehabbing them and reselling them. I realize the “flippers” do not have the best reputation, but some of the builders are producing product of very high quality and design.

If you are interested in these possibilities, let me know and I can send you some listings.

Affordable North Seattle Rambler

Condo alternative! This delightful 2br rambler with recent price reduction to $199,900 inpressed me as a nice house to live in at a very affordable price. Clean, updated but cozy interior with hickory hardwoods, oak kitchen, and separate dining room. Converted garage/3rd bedroom could be converted back to garage.  Nice yard w/ shed is great for gardening or entertaining.  Good commute via I-5 or 99, and close to Interurban Trail and Lakeside School.

Buyer Representation available on this listing.

Smaller homes a trend with relocating buyers

McMansions are rapidly becoming the housing equivalent of “harvest gold” or “avocado green” appliances as more Americans are opting for smaller residential footprints, according to a new Relocation.com consumer lifestyle survey.

Nearly half the respondents of the survey said their ideal home size would range from 1,000-1,999 square feet. Nearly three of every ten buyers (29 percent) prefer homes that are 2,000 to 2,999 square feet. Only 2 percent reported a home would have to be larger than 5,000 square feet to match their ideal residence.

Five years ago, the average home’s size was 2,400 square feet — about 400 square feet larger than what is desired today — according to the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB).

Relocation.com conducted the survey to gauge lifestyle factors that drive moving and relocation decisions in the U.S.

Its latest research found many Americans are still attracted to a suburban lifestyle. Fifty-four percent indicated a preference for living in a suburban neighborhood. About one-quarter of those polled (24 percent) said they prefer an urban setting, while 22 percent desired a rural neighborhood.

When asked about commuting, 27 percent of the respondents indicated they wanted to live less than 10 miles from their work place, while another 45 percent reported that they wanted to live within 11 to 30 miles of their workplace. Only 10 percent said they would like to live more than 30 miles away from where they worked, while 18 percent said that it did not matter, since they worked from their home and had no commute to worry about.

Survey sponsors said a surprising finding was that the cost of a residence is not the main deciding factor when purchasing a home: only 29 percent of respondents stated living costs were the most important reason when considering a move.Sixty-one percent said it was somewhat important; 10 percent said it was not important.

“We’re definitely seeing more Americans downsizing due to the current state of the economy,” said Relocation.com chairman and founder Sharon Asher. “But as more homeowners rethink how much space they need, I think we’ll continue to see more innovative approaches to living well and sustainably within a smaller footprint.”

Researchers also asked participants to compare household amenities or features, and to rank factors they deemed to be most important in determining a neighborhood’s safety.

Survey respondents were also asked to rate the importance of various factors in their moving decisions. By a wide margin, “neighborhood safety” outranked all other factors:

Top 2* Importance Rating % Comparisons

The Relocation.com survey, conducted in mid-October 2010, polled 1,500 home owners and buyers.

The Size of Home That Buyers Say They Most Want

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

The “small home” craze continues as buyers say they find less square footage more desirable. Nearly half of Americans say their ideal home size would range from 1,000-1,999 square feet, according to a recent survey by Relocation.com of nearly 1,500 home owners and buyers.

Just five years ago, the National Association of Home Builders reported the average home size to be 2,400 square feet — that’s 400 square feet larger than what buyers say they now want.

So what’s to happen to all the McMansions out there from just a few years ago when big homes were in their heyday?

Naturally, you would assume that the cost of homeownership has gotten buyers thinking smaller. But according to this survey, when asked whether cost was a main deciding factor in choosing a home, most respondents said it wasn’t very important. In fact, only 29 percent of survey respondents said that living costs was the most important reason when considering a move.

So why have buyers gotten so practical with their home buying decisions?

“As home owners rethink how much space they need, I think we’ll continue to see more innovative approaches to living well and sustainably within a smaller footprint,” said Sharon Asher, Relocation.com chairperson and founder, in a public statement about the survey results.

Other notable findings among the survey results:

• Sububia reigns: The Relocation.com survey also found that 54 percent of Americans continue to find a home in the suburbs the most desirable. They want to live near the city but prefer the peace and quiet of the suburbs. Urban and rural neighborhoods were only preferred by 24 percent and 22 percent, respectively.

• Main priorities in selecting a home: Neighborhood safety was an important factor in choosing a home. Buyers judged neighborhood safety by the upkeep of homes and front lawns in the neighborhood, word of mouth reputation, and local crime reports and statistics. Besides neighborhood safety, respondents also ranked proximity to decent shopping and having a large backyard as important factors in selecting a home.

• Most sought-after features: Survey respondents said the most desirable features of a new residence are central air conditioning (87 percent); custom, walk-in closets (50 percent); and “top of the line” dishwasher and/or refrigerator (43 percent).

• Least sought-after features: The least desirable home features were custom window coverings, followed by an in-ground pool or spa.

Backyard Cottage Design Challenge

Inspired by Seattle’s new backyard cottage ordinance, Method homes sponsored a design competition for backyard cottage designs that could be built as pre-fabs (to lower costs).

It drew a lot of entries from tiny to big, modern to craftsman, and all were pretty cool , take a look.

Now you can be just like the Kennedys and have your own family compound! Backyard cottages are fantastic solutions for extra living space or a studio, multigenerational housing for returning kids or parents. As years go by, you can even move the kids and their family into the main house, and you can downsize to the smaller one out back. And they will have free babysitters!

Another scenario can have the new cottage as an Accessory Dwelling Unit, which can be a legal rental as long as you live on the property.   The Backyard Box website has examples of cottages with prices. From a financial standpoint, these are a make-sense real estate investment in that they would provide a positive cash flow from the start, and provide an decent return on investment.

Sliding Walls and Sharp Design make this Super-Efficient Apartment.

Here’s a video of Gary Chang’s 330sf  ”Domestic Transformer”. This architect designed 24 combinations of luxury space in his unique Hong Kong apartment.

View video here

Click on Photos to browse listings:

Â	Condos
Â	Ramblers
Â	Bungalows
Â	Townhouses
Â	Co-ops
Â	Houseboats and Barges
Â	Small Houses

Skinny Houses a Good Downsizing Solution

Downsizers have been discovering that Seattle’s skinny houses are perfect for simplifying their lifestyles. They are also finding them to be much more livable than townhouses. Here’s why:

• Skinny houses are generally 1200 to 1600 sf, which are smaller than detached houses, but larger than most townhouses.
• Most skinny houses in Seattle are 2 levels instead of 3, and have more area per floor. Many have bedrooms on the main level, offering mostly one-level living.
• Their lot sizes are around 2500 t0 3000 sf, which leaves a manageable amount of yardwork and enough room for developing pleasant outdoor living spaces.
• Unlike townhouses, they are built in quieter, less dense single-family zoned neighborhoods.

Click here to view Skinny House listings in Seattle

AARP Livable Communities Awards

Admitting that you are maybe finally beginning to get “up there” is not easy. However, I find myself running into AARP more often these days in housing issues. So, the last time their membership offer came in the mail, I sent it in. It’s the best $12 I ever spent! I cold go on about all the benefits, but I won’t bore you.

What is fascinating is what AARP has been doing lately in housing research. A recent survey they comissioned showed that of boomers who expect to move for retirement, (21%),  59% will look for a home that’s all on one level, 49% will look for a smaller home, and 50% will look for a newer home.

Their Livable Communities Awards, co-sponsored with the NAHB, shows the detail they get into when working with what makes our homes and communities livable. Go here to see more. By the way, one of the award winners was Vineyard Lane on Bainbridge Island!

Small Homes, Cottages Score Big With Buyers

Also check out this Seattle Times Article here

More and more buyers are interested in smaller homes that consume less energy. If you are looking for the ultimate in compact, ecologically sound housing, and prefer to know your neighbors, you may want to consider a cottage. Cottages are popular with first-time buyers as well as empty-nesters. Developers in Seattle, Boston, Milwaukee and California have been building cottage homes to satisfy this need for several years. The best-known local builder is the Cottage Company, which builds designs by architect Ross Chapin. In the area, you can find cottages in Seattle, Shoreline, Kirkland, Mukeltio, Everett, Lynnwood, Whidbey Island, and more are being built all the time.

Cottages range in size from 1000 sf to close to 2000 sf. They are usually at least 4 in a development, and are arranged around a central landscaped area. Parking is usually in a separate structure near the street that houses all of the garages, and sometimes a separate shed or small work area. Because of all the common areas and structures, they are owned as condominiums.

Well-designed and build cottages are not inexpensive when priced by the square foot. All of the things that were packed in to a house are packed into a cottage, and some of the inexpensive things, like extra room are left out. Many cottages feature extensive built-ins to allow multiple uses of the same space. Those get expensive too.

In the Puget Sound area, cottage developments have been build in many cities and towns that have added cottage ordinances to their zoning codes. There is a variety among the different city’s codes that result in a vairety of sizes. Some are limited to 1000 sf, others are larger. When I talk to city planners, they are very enthusiastic about cottages and how they meet the needs for smaller houses in resideantial neighborhoods. Some neigbors of cottage communities, however, aren’t always excited to see them. They feel the increased density (usually 2 cottages can be built in the space one house could be) leads to a lowering of home values. Cottages usually sell form $100,000 to $200,000 less than the prices of similar-aged nearby homes that are much larger.

If you  are curious about what cottages may be avialable, contact me for a list of current listings. Also check the Featured Properties section of this website, there may be some there.

Smaller homes running into big problems

The trend towards smaller homes is in full swing. No only among empty-nesters and singles but also with the general belt-tightening that many are doing right now. Unfortunately, this community in Idaho is having a hard time adjusting to the change in demand. This article from the Idaho Statesman tells of a community that was counting on homes getting bigger and bigger, thus raising everyone’s property values along with healthy tax revenue. It’s a standoff between the planning department who feels that this is a temporary blip in areas march to bigger and better things, and the developers who see huge demand for smaller homes.

Urban Downsizing

Here is an inspirational article from the Seattle Time’s Pacific Northwest Magazine about some very unique and innovative approaches to urban downsizing. Read it here.

Westward Migration Continues

An article in the PI talks about retirees who are following their children’s moves to Seattle, and the trends that lead them here. Many retirees choose to stay where they have lived their lives, others move to resort areas with a better climate for activities they enjoy. Others, whom we have seen more and more of, are moving to where their children, and especially grandchildren, are. The article talks about how our nation’s high degree of mobility has caused families to be geographically far-flung, yet the need that families have to be together is still there.

One of the couples choose to buy a small bungalow in a part of Seattle that reflects their ethnic heritage, and another chose a townhouse in Fremont because of the cultural diversity there.

Poulsbo Place

In this Kitsap Sun article, Steven Garner tells about Poulsbo Place, a re-developed housing project in downtown Polsbo, that has been a huge success, especially for empty nesters. The reasons for it’s success?

• Small lots offer just enough space for detached homes that are just the right size and function for empty-nest homeowners. Many have main-floor master bedrooms, and are around 1500 to 1800sf.
• They are in walking distance to picturesque downtown Polsbo, a minor tourist mecca, with a marina and cultural activites.
• Priced right, most under $400,000.

The article goes on to talk about how other towns can provide a place for down-sizing citizens who want to stay in the same town but have less house without going into a stacked-up condo can get the same thing. Polsbo was fortunate in having an area to re-develop. Other towns closer to Seattle, like Kenmore and Burien have similar opportunities in that the Cities own or have control of large peices of land where an entire neighborhood can be created. Burien’s is under construction, Kenmore’s hopes to start soon. The redevelopment of the south parking lot at Northgate is another good example that is underway now.

Unfortunately, these developments have gone for combinations of buildings of flats, and townhouses, not small houses on small lots. It seems the economics of land value make it difficult to do less intense small-lot development too close-in. An MLS search in this areas reveals lots of small houses on small lots, some even single level, located in the ring of suburbs around Seattle, in addition to some redeveloped areas in South and West Seattle.

In established neighborhoods many cities are experimenting with re-zoning to smaller lots, or allowing infill accessory units to be added to back yards.

Search for Poulsbo Homes Condos and Small Homes