Metal Roofs: Coming Trend?

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. Windows
B. Asphalt shingles (roof)
C. Wood joists (used in framing)
D. Kitchen countertops

Answer: B

In almost every other category, building materials have become more varied, higher quality, environmentally safer -- and often, longer lasting.

In many cases, they're also cheaper; for example, factory-built trusses save an enormous amount of on-site labor.

So, too, consider the improvements in modern-day windows (double-pane, "low e", virtually any size and shape); countertops (Corian, Silestone, various laminates, granite, etc.); plumbing (PVC instead of copper and galvanized steel); skylights (non-leak); flat-roof coverings (non-leak rubber membrane); and paint (non-lead; stucco-friendly).

Roofs: 'Same as it Ever Was'

Which harks back to . . . roofs.

I'm not prepared to pronounce it a trend just yet, but I am noting an uptick in homes with metal roofs, particularly in newer homes in upper bracket neighborhoods.

To pick just one example in the Twin Cities, there are now at least a half dozen such homes near Minneapolis' Cedar Lake.

Not only are they aesthetic, but their expected life can easily exceed 50 years (vs. 20-25 for asphalt shingles) -- more than compensating for the extra material and labor cost to install them.

Older is Better -- Sometimes

So, can it be said of anything in housing construction that "they don't make 'em like they used to?"

I can think of at least three things: 1) cedar shingles; 2) hardwood floors; and 3) stucco.

In the first two cases, modern tree farming techniques -- essentially, using agricultural steroids to accelerate growth -- have reduced quality and longevity.

Modern stucco, meanwhile, isn't much different than old-style stucco.

However, today's "tighter" construction techniques, including the use of various barrier wraps (think, Tyvek and its imitators), can raise the risk of trapping moisture between the home's framing and external sheathing.

Housing Trend 2010: Grand(er) Entries

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 of homes, too.

So, builders (and their clients) are designing homes with wider and more generous front doors, steps, porticoes (if consistent with the house style), and even wider walkways from the sidewalk to the front door.

The cumulative effect is enhanced curb appeal -- and the suggestion of grand, sweeping spaces inside.

All those features are vividly on display at 3812 Chowen Avenue, in Minneapolis' Linden Hills neighborhood (pictured above).

The home was built by Elevation, a division of Streeter, and is being listed by Edina Realty's Sheila Cronin for $1.449M.

(Oh -- and the inside's stunning, too!)

Housing Trends 2010 (Cont.): 'Cranking up the Volume'

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, except one has 10' ceilings throughout, the other 8' ceilings: the former literally has 25% more volume!

Other techniques to make homes feel bigger without increasing their footprint include:

--Wider halls and staircases;

--More (and larger) windows;

--Turning unfinished dark, interior basement space --now an afterthought in many homes -- into very finished, high tech space (typically, a media room with lots of wires and cables, recessed lighting, and even in-floor heat)

--A modified "Great Room" design (few interior walls) featuring a combined Kitchen/Family Room -- typically with a fireplace and elaborate surround as the focal point of the latter.

Take all this extra volume; add formerly wasted but now "technologically re-purposed" space (like the media room); and suddenly an already big, 4,000 square foot can feel positively huge!

Or, a 2,500 square foot can easily suffice instead of a 3,500 square foot home.

Edina Realty's Crystal Ball

On Tap for 2010: Social Media, and
(More) Foreclosures and Short Sales

No, 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 the year -- the themes and issues it expects to drive the marketplace over the coming twelve months.

From experience, their track record is pretty good.

So what is management emphasizing now?

Training on how to get up to speed on two things: 1) So-called "social media" like FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.; and 2) handling foreclosures and short sales.

If there is an honorable mention, it would be becoming proficient with alternative financing (contract for deeds, assumable mortgages, and various other "seller-facilitated" financing).

Not More Square Feet -- More Per Square Foot

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 finding themselves with too much house. Not only don't they need 5,000 square foot-plus monster homes, but they don't want the upkeep and property taxes that go with (see, preceding post).

The "Gen X" and "Gen Y" homeowners following immediately behind them are taking the hint, and opting for relatively smaller homes -- say, around 3,500 square feet -- that they won't automatically have to downsize from.

More efficiently used space. The keys to getting by with a smaller house are making it feel bigger, and using all the space efficiently.

Towards that end, here's what I'm seeing in upper bracket homes (with bits and pieces popping up in more modest homes):

--Higher ceilings. The beauty of a 3,500 square foot home with 10 foot ceilings (vs. 8' or lower) is that it really is bigger -- but the property taxes are the same, because the home's "footprint" is unchanged.

--"Don't call it a basement." No, it's not a basement -- it's a "(well) finished lower level." Higher ceilings are showing up there, too, and make a huge difference in how the space looks and feels.

So do lower level heated floors; oversized, flat-panel TV's (now de rigueur for high-end lower levels); lots of recessed lighting; and egress windows (I recently saw a lower level Bedroom with not one but two egress windows; the effect was stunning).

In fact, the only thing you won't find in these deluxe lower levels is the laundry: that's moved upstairs, to the first floor (or even the 2nd).

--More and bigger windows. Beside higher ceilings, the other way to make a smaller home feel bigger are more windows. The higher end, new construction I've seen the last year or so seem to have large, custom windows everywhere (energy efficient, double-pane, low-e -- of course).

--"The Great Kitchen": as I've posted previously, the pendulum is swinging back from completely opened-up "Great Rooms" to a hybrid I like to call "the Great Kitchen": basically, a combination Kitchen - Family Room.

The (formal) Living Room and Dining Room are still there, just smaller.

Same Footprint, More Square Feet -- part 2.

Of course, the other way to squeeze more finished square feet under the same roof is to tackle the space . . . under the roof.

A homeowner in my neighborhood just added dormers to their third level, presumably adding another 1,000 square feet-plus of finished space (I haven't seen the inside).

Besides the extra space, the dormers give the home another great amenity: views of Cedar Lake!

Smaller Homes, Bigger Fridges?

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, it's more a feature of today's economic landscape.

Here's the logic:

In a rocky economy, people eat at home more.

Sooner or later, meat loaf, tuna casserole, and spaghetti (or pizza, chips, and ice cream) get old. And fattening.

Meanwhile, with all that "staycation" time on their hands, people apparently are watching . . . cooking channels (what are there, 14 of them now?)

From there, it's only a small evolutionary step to start preparing better, more interesting food -- which necessitates buying more and better ingredients -- which takes up more space!

More Educated Palates

Think of it this way: 25 years ago, the typical American fridge stocked milk, eggs, red meat, and some veggies.

Now, at least in more well-to-do households, the list can easily include things like fresh basil, arugula, goat cheese, three different kinds of kefir, two different kinds of olive oil, etc.

Add to that modern maladies like lachtose intolerance, peanut allergies, etc., and suddenly every family member has their own, unique dietary requirements.

SUV's may no longer be in fashion, but the refrigerator equivalent is increasingly starting to show up in the kitchens of upper bracket homes.