Dear Rose

Use Space Effectively to Add More Room to Older Homes

Q: We are appalled to find ourselves living in a neighborhood of tear-downs. Our house — like many of those being razed — was built a half-century ago when the area was working class.

We also need more living space, but can't decide how to add it. Do you have any suggestions?

A: Arm yourself with a good architect. He or she can survey your options and make professional recommendations on how to best enhance your specific property.

Meanwhile, you're to be congratulated for standing firm in your "working-class" footprint. After the bloated size and embarrassing aesthetics of America's McMansion phase, we are rediscovering the truth — that less is indeed more.

Here's inspiration from the pages of a new book that celebrates the smaller, smarter home, "The Simple House" by architect Sarah Nettleton (The Taunton Press). Subtitled "The Luxury of Enough," her book shows why and how to think through one's space intelligently.

The pictured room is an addition to a small home similar to yours. Long and loft-like, the new space parallels the old, cascading through several activity areas down to the sitting room, which is on the same level as the outdoor garden. Architect Taal Safdie of Safdie Rabines orchestrated the addition so it connects the new and old house through open "windows" hung with shutters.

The long storage wall is as practical as it is attractive — with open shelves and closed cabinets under columns that define the stairway as they evoke a feeling of the out-of-doors.

Happy New Year

Luxury Liners

http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1323118.html

excerpts:

Luxury not selling

Sales of all Triangle homes have been off 28 percent through the first nine months of the year. But sales of luxury homes -- those $500,000 and above -- are off 66 percent, according to a Triangle Area Residential Realty report that tracks the luxury market through Sept. 30.

The market for homes above $1 million, albeit small, is particularly shaky. At least 121 homes priced above $1 million were sold during the first nine month of 2008. That's down 28 percent from last year. At the same time, the number of million-dollar homes listed for sale grew 59 percent -- more than twice the growth rate of all listings.

"Developers kind of were convinced that we were Atlanta and that we were going to have this massive influx of people who were going to buy $1 million housing," said Stacey P. Anfindsen, an appraiser a Birch Appraisal Group of Cary, who prepared the report. "That's the bet that they made. And they lost."

In Fallonia's neighborhood, this translates to 4 unoccupied speculative monoliths and at least 4 unsold but occupied overthetoppers. In addition, two are currently being readied for the market, one other avoided foreclosure by selling for a $500,000 loss.

The greatest mystery is the unoccupied owner built mansionette (you can't be a mansion on less than .5 acres, can you?) nearby. Best guess is that by not occupying until after the new year, the gargantuan property tax increase is avoided a little longer. A little troublesome considering every one on the street got whopped, except the most expensive house out there.

Is there any wonder why these massive replacement homes are seen with mixed feelings in older neighborhoods?

Giving Thanks

Enjoyed this ...

http://vincemichael.wordpress.com/2008/11/27/thanks/

Article found on an internet reading romp

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Dreaming of a bungalow?

Today's abodes could benefit from modesty

Kelvin Browne, National Post
Published: Saturday, November 15, 2008

In a recent conversation with Paul Goldberger, architecture critic for The New Yorker, he said tough economic times make us appreciate modern houses more, the kind often built in the subdivisions of the 1950s. "The modern-style houses of this period are typically modest but well-designed, making good use of their relatively small space," says Mr. Goldberger, arguably the most influential architecture commentator in the U. S. Since we can no longer afford behemoth teardowns, with multi-garages and four ensuites, will a Don Mills bungalow be our dream home again?

Modern or not, most 1950s houses were small compared with today's homes. The U. S. National Association of Home Builders statistics show the average American abode was approximately 1,000 square feet in 1950 and had grown to 2,400 sq. ft. by 2005. While families were larger in the 1950s, houses were not; it was usual for a family of five or six to feel lucky to live in 1,200 sq. ft. In addition, there was usually a basement and carport or, if the family was well-to-do, an enclosed garage.

People lived in the living room because -- where else? If there was a family room, it was a breakfast nook connected to the kitchen. Children often shared bedrooms and most always a bathroom. If parents had an ensuite, they were doing well. No one had huge closets. It may be naive, but I don't think people had as many clothes or as much stuff in general. Photographs of 1950s homes illustrate a more minimal style than today's. It could be a magazine illusion with all the heavy curtains and French furniture arriving after the magazine photographer left, but I don't think so. The rooms were smaller and people didn't have the credit we did, at least until recently.

Families in the 1950s didn't know they were saving on the costs of addiction counselling because parents in close proximity to their children knew what they were up to. As well, like it or not, everyone had to try to get along because you couldn't disappear to your wing of the house and avoid your parents or sibs. No reality-cum-psychotherapy shows for these families.

They didn't know it then, but 1950s families were living energy efficiently because they had less space to heat and cool. Air conditioning was a luxury; a wall unit in a bedroom was the norm. They didn't have mammoth stoves or commercial-size refrigerators that guzzled energy. (More home-cooked meals and less need to have a week's worth of frozen pizza in the freezer.) Few had washers and dryers; clothes were hung outside to dry until subdivisions got snotty and outlawed clotheslines. There weren't a million energy-wasting gadgets. People raked lawns and didn't use leaf blowers. If there was a television, there was only one and the family watched it together.

"Modern houses tended to make good use of natural light, and the best had good relationships between interior and exterior spaces," Mr. Goldberger says. The most lauded examples of connection to the outside, and the expansion of perceived living area, are the classic plans of Frank Lloyd Wright. In the home magazines of the time, someone was always extolling the virtues of sliding glass doors and windows that let in garden views.

Modernists were concerned about natural heating and cooling, or positioning houses for natural ventilation. Think of Richard Neutra. Lattices above windows became standard design elements but also allowed for passive heating while blocking unwanted noon sun or sun during the summer. Traditional houses favoured in the ritzy subdivisions of the 1990s didn't care about working with nature. They were restricted by Georgian or other style conventions and couldn't, but even if they could, why bother? Heating and cooling was cheap; 1990s cottages were the worst offenders. They inevitably had huge windows facing west (to capture the sunset) that required the house be massively air-conditioned to make it livable. So much for the natural cooling of lakeside summer living.

Mr. Goldberger doesn't say that affluence made us thoughtless but he does point out how thoughtful many modernist houses are. He says they were about how people really lived and how design could make lives better. That Don Mills bungalow's goal wasn't a stage set for pretension and conspicuous consumption, but rather about making the day-to-day lives that most of us live quietly better.

Copyright © 2007 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks Publications, Inc.. All rights reserved.

Up in the Northeast Corner

Here Quoth a Realtor/Lawyer from a distant blog:

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2008

A reader asks, "This post brings up a question that has been nagging me for a while...does it make sense to put money into a now depreciating asset in anticipation of making it more desirable to sell at a later date? What determines whether or not a house is a 'tear down'? "
. . .

What makes a tear down? In happier days, any older house that sat on decent land was quarreled over by builders and first time home buyers alike - picture sea gulls fighting over a fish carcass. Now that the builders are on hiatus there are fewer tear downs and a much better opportunity for young families who can't afford a mansion to move in, maybe add that new kitchen you so wisely avoided, and live happily ever after. Personally, I like that development; I represent a couple of builders, whom I like and admire, but I also live in this town and I'd be glad to see the return of "normal" families.

Another neighbor heard from.

Alexandria Says Yes to Infill Standards

Looks like a plan to me. Oh yeh, a Plan, that's what we wanted.

I guess Santa isn't going to bring this to Raleigh this year since Alexandria got it. For the uninitiated, (citizens of Raleigh) this is what studying a problem looks like. I think this is called Planning.

Infill Task Force
City Council Approves Comprehensive Infill Regulations

On Tuesday, June 24, the City Council approved the recommendations of the Infill Task Force, with a few minor amendments. The recommendations are comprehensive, and include amendments to the zoning ordinance for the following:

• Height
  
• Front setbacks
  
• Garages
  
• Floor Area Ratio
  
• Tree Coverage
  
• Teardowns on Substandard Lots
  

The amendments are generally applicable to one- and two-family dwellings in the R-20, R-8, R-5, R-2-5, RA and RB zones, outside the historic districts. To view the new ordinance language on the above, please see the following link to the Council docket item:
http://dockets.alexandriava.gov/fy08/062408rm/di46.pdf

The regulations are effective as of Wednesday, June 25, 2008. As such, all new applications submitted from that day forward will be subject to the new regulations. Any complete applications for building permit or grading plan submitted prior to that day will be processed under the prior rules.

In addition, the City Council directed staff to prepare a scope, timeline and budget proposal for a Citywide Pattern Book to bring back for their consideration in Fall 2008.

If you have any questions or comments, or have a specific project that you would like clarification on the applicability of the new regulations, please contact Peter Leiberg or Valerie Peterson at 703-838-4666. Planning Commission recommended approval of Infill Task Force recommendations at its June 4 hearing. The recommendations will go to City Council Hearing on June 14 at 9:30 am.

Background on the Infill study:

In April 2007, City Council approved a Resolution to establish an Infill Task Force, whose mission is to:

• Study the impact of large new housing construction and major residential additions in existing, established single-family neighborhoods.
• Analyze existing City regulations that pertain to limiting infill impacts and make recommendations to the Planning Commission and City Council for any regulatory changes.
  
• Keep the public informed about the study, briefing the community at large on the progress of the infill study, and briefing the Planning Commission and City Council on their analysis and recommendations.
  

Schedule & Meeting Agendas

Infill Task Force Members:
[snip], Chair, Planning Commission
[snip], Architect
[snip], Builder/Developer
[snip], Architect
[snip], Northern Virginia Association of Realtors
[snip], Resident, Mt. Jefferson/Del Ray
[snip], Resident, North Ridge
[snip], Resident, Rosemont
[snip], Resident, Strawberry Hill


Meeting Materials:

June 3 Planning Commission Hearing

• Infill Task Force Recommendations

Thursday, May 1, 2008, Infill Community Meeting

• Presentation

April 17, 2008

• Agenda
  
• Draft Proposed Zoning Ordinance Changes (proposed new language underlined in red, and existing language in plain text)
  
• Height Definitions
  
• Subdivision
  
• Substandard Lots
  
• FAR and Related Changes
  
• Average Front Setback and Threshold Height
  
• Supplemental Regulations
  
• Overlay Districts and Pattern Book (Policy Recommendations)
  

April 8, 2008 Joint Worksession with Planning Commission and City Council
› Presentation
› Summary Table of Preliminary Recommendations from Infill Task Force

March 18, 2008
› Agenda
› Meeting Summary
› Detailed Discussion of Potential Regulations
› Proposed Regulations and Staff Recommendations

February 21, 2008
› Agenda
› Meeting Summary
› Presentation
› Presentation on Annapolis, MD Conservation District
› Overview of Existing and Proposed Regulations

January 30, 2008
› Agenda
› Presentation
› Meeting Summary

January 17, 2008
› Agenda
› Presentation
› Meeting Summary
› Preliminary Concepts for Consideration FAR and Bulk

December 6, 2007
› Agenda
› Presentation
› Preliminary Concepts for Consideration
› Meeting Summary

November 15, 2007
› Agenda
› Presentation
› Meeting Summary

October 25, 2007
› Agenda
› Meeting Summary
› Summary of Infill Measures in Other Jurisdictions

October 16, 2007
› Agenda
› Meeting Summary
› Presentation

August 28, 2007
› Meeting Summary
› Presentation to Infill Task Force

Background Information:

• Interim Ordinance #4457
  
• Emergency Legislation Enacted Addressing Residential Infill Concerns
  
• Staff Report on Infill Interim Regulations June 6, 2006
  
• Presentation to Planning Commission March 9, 2006
  
• Report to Planning Commission March 9, 2006

http://alexandriava.gov/planning/info/default.aspx?id=6948

McMansion Meltdown?

Finally, a top 10 list Raleigh is not on.

Towns That Could Be Hit Hardest by the Financial Crisis
by Prashant Gopal | Saturday, September 27, 2008 | provided by Business Week

The upheaval shaking Wall Street will hurt privileged enclaves as well as working-class neighborhoods from coast to coast. Find out which will fare the worst.

The story begins ...

How many former Lehman Brothers bankers or AIG executives are likely to be buying a Park Avenue apartment or a home in Darien, Conn., this year? Most likely answer: not many at all.

Reading the article shows that many of the nation's teardown hotspots are on the list of places expecting slowdowns. Of course all will be affected by this. But Fallonia predicts that activities such as this and this and this will be slowed as well.

Of course, we can never get these back.

Sold on Claremont

Crabtree Creekview on Claremont changed owners on 8/13/2008.

The original house was razed on 3/15/2006, thus a 2.5 month flip-phase.

The sale price came in $500 lower than asking price, and $120K below tax value.

You really could see Crabtree creek really well from the porches last week during Gustav. Or in the driveway.

Speaking of Turrets

The for-sale sign is gone on this Glenwood Avenue megamanse, which means we now have a new property value.

No longer is this property worth less than my or your property.

It is showing a land value of $453,600 for .49 acres.

The house weighs in at 7,535 SF and $1,621,633.

Total Value Assessed $2,075,233

Public records do not indicate that the house sold.

Wow, I'm a Land Baron

This home sold for $240,000 in late 2003, and is now valued at $1,359,365 with the new home. R-6 lots on this street are now valued at $450,000. The house is valued for $900,000 on this lot.


The City of Raleigh has mailed its property tax bills based on the new revaluations. As reported earlier, the rate is not revenue neutral as was suggested when the new property values came out.

It is an interesting cycle. As reported in the N&O this morning, it has potential of driving new market forces.

Several streets over..., Michael Rulison, who paid $17,000 for his home in 1968, said the high property values will accelerate the tearing down of homes inside the Beltline. Boosted values and higher tax bills make it harder for longtime residents to stay put. Rulison, a retiree whose ranch-style home is now valued at $346,574, says he won't move.

"This is going to gentrify the neighborhood and soon it will be filled with McMansions," Rulison said.

This resident speaks the truth; the land portion of the revals increased by 300% in many ITB neighborhoods. According to Emmett Curl, Wake County Revenue Director until June 30 of this year, these values are based on "comps." That means: what are comparable properties selling for in your neighborhood? So if there is speculation going on in your neighborhood, where properties are being bought for teardowns and new house construction, the sale price minus the cost of demolishing the house is now the land value. Similarly, the sale of million-dollar mansion up the street may raise the land value of that street. Thirdly, as land values go up, they begin to exceed the house value. So a formerly typical home on a side street in Anderson Heights might have a sweet value of $249,00, but property value of $350,000 and rising. Over time, the house depreciates and if the land appreciates, a very good house may become mismatched to the land value and begin to look inviting for a rebuild.

Since the favorite formula for speculative redevelopment of a lot is 3 x the land value, then we are quickly looking at homes that are at least double the cost of surrounding homes, and that generally happens by building houses 2-3 times the size.

Gentrification is a good word for what is happening in older neighborhoods. Suburbization is too. Soon an older neighborhood will be just another new upscale development.

See also in the N&O, The New Tax Rate and You. The comments indicate there is a campaign to blame the cost on the City / County rather than the cost to residents of real estate speculation in older neighborhoods.

Be sure to look up your property online at Wake County Real Estate site. When you click LAND, you can see what a unit of land in your neighborhood is valued at. For the first time in recent revals, that unit is not valued just as 1 Lot. So the size and build-ability of your land will be factored into that resulting number. (If you looked this up last year, all lots on your street would show the same number). You will also notice the land under a mansion nearby and the land under your home are valued the same. When that house sold, it increased the value of land on your street, and decreased the value of your home if it was older.

This is the way Raleigh of the future will be unless the residents get involved in NCOD's and appealing to the City for protection.

Makes Fallonia very sad.

If you are concerned, see the Respect4Raleigh petition above, and share. The City is watching for citizen concern.

Realtors with a Sense of Proportion

Drive to the Big, Huge House. Mine's the Little Crappy One Next Door.

A realtor's blog, the ensuing discussion among realtors is very interesting. Most found the original post a good fun read. Fallonia now remembers that some people go into real estate because they like houses.

Wow - I dont have a problem with big houses per se, but have we just completely abandoned the idea of character in our architecture?

Take a look at history and having first generation teardowns is not too uncommon. Even in places like Georgetown and Old Town, the 100-200 year old federalist/victorian houses we all see and appreciate so much are generally not the original, but second generation places after the poorly built wooden structures were demolished.

So too in these cases the 1st generation ranch homes are being torn down, but look at what is being put up in its place. Is brick on the front, vinyl on the side going to become a time honored architectural feature? Has the idea of connecting the "walkway" to the sidewalk instead of the driveway just a bygone feature of the days when neighbors would walk over and visit each other? Has the idea of building anything other than a box (no curved exterior walls) been banished forever?

I will admit, I am spoiled by living in such a wonderful place where tourists actually come to see houses like in my neighborhood. 100 years from now, will we look as fondly on the McMansion era as we do with the other eras throughout history? My gut tells me no. 02/29/2008 09:59 AM by Anonymous.

The problem with this area is that many of those houses are sitting empty and in foreclosure. As a result entire sections of the neighborhood are falling in disrepair and show signs of neglet. It is a sad site and will take years to straighten out. The older original owners are the ones that now can't sell their homes at any price that are taking the brunt of the counties lack of oversight on building these homes. 02/29/2008 12:46 PM by Pat (Realease, INC)

LENN: Thanks for your extensive comment. I agree -- the new homes sell because of the features. I was working with some new home buyers this morning. We'd looked at resales last weekend and new homes today, and the features of the new homes just appealed to them so much more, even though the neighborhoods are not yet established and they are still building and will be for a few years to come. I don't mind the mix of homes either, but until some of the smaller homes disappear, there does remain a somewhat awkward imbalance between neighbors. 03/01/2008 04:15 PM by Brian -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate (RE/MAX Allegiance)

ANONYMOUS: Thanks for your very eloquent comment. I agree with you that historians will likely not look back on the McMansion period as a time of enlightened architecture. Brick front, vinyl siding is certainly not the most attractive look.
03/01/2008 04:16 PM by Brian -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate (RE/MAX Allegiance)

BILL: You are probably right with your advice. Buying the less expensive home in a changing neighborhood can be a great investment. 03/01/2008 04:18 PM by Brian -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate (RE/MAX Allegiance)

PAT: Thanks for your comment. Foreclosures in any neighborhood certainly harm overall property values and don't make for a good market. 03/01/2008 04:20 PM by Brian -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate (RE/MAX Allegiance)

COLLEEN: I know that there are many areas of the country that are experiencing similar things in different neighborhoods. 03/01/2008 04:20 PM by Brian -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate (RE/MAX Allegiance)

Brian, There's a lot of those "McMansions" here in Long Island. Most people thinks they are an eyesore in the neighborhood. I live in a 100 years old Victorian with a front porch and love the architectural details. If McMansions is called progress, I guess we can not stop them. 03/01/2008 04:32 PM by Rosalinda, Broker-Brookville, New York Real Estate (Century 21-Laffey Associates)

ROSALINDA: Thanks for your comment and sharing your experience in Long Island. Obviously there is a demand for McMansions otherwise they would not be built. There's definitely much more interesting architecture out there. 03/01/2008 05:14 PM by Brian -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate (RE/MAX Allegiance)

I am personally with Rosalinda on this one. I live in the crappy house next door - on a large plot of land which is next door to an 8000 sq.ft. McMansion with zero style and no taste whatsoever. Someone said it looked like a tacky Italian nightmare (the guy was Italian - so he could say that.) They stuffed it onto a 0.24 acre lot and wonder why no one wants it. After 18 months on the market, they rented it. If and when I ever sell, I'm laughing all the way to the bank. Even though they made an expensive mistake, it brings up the value of my "crap" - which at least has style and charm. But then I think most new construction is garbage. 03/01/2008 08:52 PM by Ruthmarie (Keller Williams Realty)

RUTHMARIE: Thanks for your comment. I am sure that you will benefit from an increased value on your home. Can you see the sunlight from your windows anymore, or is it blocked by the neighbor's home? 03/02/2008 07:09 AM by Brian -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate (RE/MAX Allegiance) 03/02/2008 08:31 PM by Brian -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate (RE/MAX Allegiance)

Brian - the trouble is they OVER-REACHED! They can't sell the damn thing! They've been trying since 2005 in a city where almost anything sells. The area already has some very, very heavy-duty homes. There are a lot of McMansions along with some very elegant homes from the pre-war period and even the turn of the century. Mostly Colonials and Tudors (some of the Tudors are quite Gothic). I already HAD value from expensive homes surrounding me. But these homes have a reasonable amount of LAND associated with them. The value in my property is also in the land. I bought when land was cheap (1996) and it was on 0.67 acres. There are very few areas that have that much land associated with them in our densely populated area. 0.5 acres seems to be almost a built in maximum - with this area being one of the few exceptions. I didn't need this idiot cramming 8000 sq.ft. on .24 acres! And although I haven't subdivided yet, I probably could and will at some point. The shadows will be on the empty lot should I do that affecting its value - in probably the wrong direction.

Just so you understand...the side of my house faces a main road. The house itself is on a very high-end street in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the area (if not the most desirable.) Initially, this house was the gatehouse to a very large mansion that has since been torn down. Hence its small size. They guy who built made the fatal error of constructing an enormous amount of square footage in a small space ON THE MAIN ROAD - with the bulk of the house facing the main road. It's practically sitting in the street. That house is like living in a fishbowl - you are there for all to see because the set-back is non-existent - and all the windows facing front mean you will never have any privacy. The other problem is that the home was geared for sheer mass and I suppose "tasteless" is the operative word - actually, I'm being kind. The mother of a friend of mine asked my friend whether the zoning had changed and and whether the new construction was a restaurant! Someone else suggested it had all the grace of a dentist's office! The topography allows for sane building on that road provided there is enough setback for a thing called TREES and landscaping - and perhaps some fencing. He would have made far more money with 3000-4000 sq.ft. home that was well landscaped providing a shield between the street and the home. I fenced in the back yard and allowed the maples to grow in. The result is when I'm outside in the warmer months on my deck or in the yard, the traffic does not intrude. Its almost like a clearing in the woodland. Which is why I didn't subdivide yet. 03/03/2008 12:39 PM by Ruthmarie

And the new point of the day, from the mouth of a realtor:

Hi Brian,

I built a 3100 sf home next to a 1100 sf CMU block house. Many of the homes in my neighborhood were 2 bedroom 1 bath beach cottages. I tore down a 1000 sf house, also made w/ block. We lived in the little home for 4 years but wanted to start a family. It is hard to add on to a concrete block house on a slab and end up with a nice result.

In our neighborhood you can definitely tell the built for profit homes from the built to live in ones.
03/05/2008 07:27 PM by Mark, ABR - Virginia Beach Real Estate (RE/MAX Alliance - REMAX

Is worth a peek.

Architecture Matters

Of the multiple foreclosures shown on this map, three in Anderson Heights area are of the now inescapable, previously rare, river-house form.

They may look fine out near Falls Lake or facing a real waterway, but facing built-neighborhoods with small cricks in their backyards, they may look out of place. Each of them tried to cram 5000 SF on an older small central neighborhood lot for a million and up. They are not selling, perhaps this non-indigenous species will put its design back on the shelf.

Previous entries have covered them here and here and here and here and here.

Fallonia wishes not ill-will on her new neighbors, but looks for the day that consideration returns to the way things are done. Hopefully this is a sign that those market forces are going to take care of things as promised.

Holding Back the Wrecking Ball / NY

NYTimes.com | EDITORIAL
Holding Back the Wrecking Ball

Published: July 1, 2008
The downturn in the real estate market has slowed but by no means halted the number of teardowns. Teardowns is the practice of buying an older home to demolish it and replace it with a house that dwarfs structures nearby and covers most of its own lot. Just this month in Greenwich, Conn., a granite 1886 Richardsonian Romanesque home was razed with nary a peep of protest. In the last three years, Greenwich has lost scores of homes built in the 1800s. The issue is not merely taste. Some “starter castles” irrevocably change the character of established neighborhoods. And while few mourn the passing of a 1965 split-level ranch, razing real architectural gems should not be taken lightly.

In 2002, the National Trust for Historic Preservation identified 100 communities in 20 states where teardowns were taking place in architecturally significant neighborhoods. By 2008 the list had grown to around 500 communities in 40 states — with about a third of those in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. In Dallas, during the last 10 years, as many as 1,000 homes have been torn down in the early-20th-century sections of Highland Park and University Park, and teardowns have proliferated in a dozen historic neighborhoods in Denver.

Communities are properly wary of denying owners the right to build, but circumstances can demand action. Hinsdale, Ill., which has lost one third of its houses to teardowns since the 1980s, restricted the practice when the spread of pavement and patios prevented water from sinking into the soil and increased flooding problems.

The most thoughtful approach increases public awareness and participation. In Westport, Conn., a popular Web site features Teardown of the Day, which publicizes planned demolitions as well as before-and-after pictures. Other towns have imposed mandatory demolition delays for houses older than 60 years to give time for the public to react and offer alternatives. That, at least, gives preservationists a fighting chance.

What Does Sustainable Really Mean?

Community Conversations II was inspiring. Two great things in one:

Being in the transplanted and restored All Saints Chapel.

Hearing Don Rypkema, of PlaceEconomics speak on sustainable development.

Rypkema was the keynote speaker at the 2008 Heritage Conservation conference in Ontario. PlaceEconomics is a Washington D.C. based consulting firm specializing in the economic revitalization of city centers and the development of historic properties. Rypkema is a self confessed provocateur on a mission -- to spur innovative and creative thought that results in solutions that are sustainable -- in every way.

"If you can't write it on a business card then you don't have a clear idea," he says. He summarizes these points early in the presentation:

1. Sustainable development is crucial for economic competitiveness.
   
2. Sustainable development has more elements than just environmental responsibility.
   
3. “Green buildings” and sustainable development are not synonyms.
   
4. Historic preservation is, in and of itself, sustainable development.
   
5. Development without a historic preservation component is not sustainable.
   

You can begin your exploration of his talks here.

Rypkema stated that one of the best examples of sustainable development will be Dubuque Iowa. They are adopting the sustainability model of which he spoke, shown above and here.

To quote:

Sustainability is defined by a community’s ability to meet the environmental, economic, and social equity needs of today without reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Sustainable Dubuque is a holistic approach to making our community sustainable. Our model involves a three-part approach that looks at:

• Environmental and Ecological Integrity
  
• Economic Prosperity
  
• Social and Cultural Vibrancy
  

Each of these pieces is important individually and helps contribute to a sustainable community. Here is how the model works:

When you have policies and programs that address Environmental and Ecological Integrity with Economic Prosperity, you have policies and programs that are viable.

When you have policies and programs that address Environmental and Ecological Integrity with Social/Cultural Vibrancy you have policies and programs that are livable.

When you have policies and programs that address Economic Prosperity with Social/Cultural Vibrancy you have policies and programs that are equitable.

However, when a community creates polices and programs that address all three pieces, such as Sustainable Dubuque, you have a community that is viable, livable and equitable.

It was a welcome message for sore ears.

Where's Waldo

Alert reader submission ... location unknown.

Raleigh: Just 3000 SF Off the Curve

MONEY MAGAZINE Real estate survival guide
The incredible shrinking house
Soaring fuel costs, environmental concerns and aging baby boomers mean the American dream home is a lot smaller than it used to be.

By Stephen Gandel, Money Magazine senior writer
Last Updated: May 14, 2008: 4:21 AM EDT


The post-McMansion McCottage

(Money Magazine) -- Out on the range is the last place you would expect America's long-running obsession with big houses to be laid to rest.

But four years ago Rachel Odom, an Oklahoma City home builder, began constructing an exclusive development where houses average just 1,800 square feet. That's far smaller than the homes of up to 6,000 square feet that her company had been building until then - and nearly 500 square feet smaller than the national average for new construction.

"Our concept was that people would pay up for smaller homes with more architectural character," says Odom. "But since nearly everyone seems to dream of owning a large home, we were taking a huge risk."

That risk may not have been as big as she thought. In Odom's Talavera development, where houses cost as much as $275,000 (or about double the median local home price), she sold 115 homes in the first 18 months and expects to sell as many as 600 in total. These days small houses are, you know, big.

Up until now: Over the years, many a seer has predicted the mass downsizing of the American home. Instead, the average size of newly built houses has continued to rise from just over 1,600 square feet in the late 1970s to nearly 2,300 now.

But a number of trends suggest that this time Americans really might be willing to swap their McMansions for McCottages. For starters, baby boomers, whose eldest members turned 62 this year, are increasingly becoming empty-nesters; with children gone, they need less space.

Families themselves have changed dramatically. Between 1970 and 2000, the percentage of nuclear families - married couples with kids - declined from 40% of households to 24%, according to the Census Bureau. And childless families are expected to increase. For them, the supersize house may no longer be the ideal.

Then too, Generations X and Y seem more intrigued with life downtown where they can enjoy easy access to restaurants and entertainment, a minimal commute and smaller, easier-to-care-for living spaces.

"Ask anyone how many rooms in their house they don't regularly go into and most will admit that they actually live in a small percentage of their home," says Marianne Cusato, an architect who used to design 3,000-square-foot-plus homes but now specializes in cottages.

In a February survey of potential home buyers by the National Association of Home Builders, 60% said they would rather have a smaller house with more amenities than the other way around.

"In the past, people would say 'Give me space and I'll add the features later,' " says Gopal Ahluwalia, the NAHB's vice president of research.

The next evolution: How will Americans cope with shrinking space? Cusato believes that newly built houses will have layouts that can "live bigger" than their square footage would suggest. Rooms can do double duty. For example, a den can be dressed up as a formal living room when needed (which Cusato contends is not that often).

Also slated for possible demolition: the formal dining room. Families can satisfy all their dining and entertaining needs by slightly expanding the breakfast nook. The great room could also become a relic. "Open spaces are great, but people don't know how to use undefined rooms," says Cusato. "So they don't."

Sarah Susanka, author of The Not So Big House, agrees. "The majority of your guests want to be in rooms you live in, not have their socks knocked off by a three-story foyer." She says storage can swallow a lot of a small house as well. So she designs homes with as much built-in storage as possible.

If the trend toward smaller homes does take root, it could trigger a seismic shift in home values. A recent study by online house-pricing service Zillow.com found that less expensive houses appreciate more than costlier and presumably larger homes. If that continues, the ubiquitous McMansion may turn out to be the real estate bubble's biggest booby prize.

In the News

There is plenty of news from different areas about teardowns.

Fallonia is swooning from the heat, so she will defer to you to click the little links in your air conditioned comfort.

Vinings home sales hot in frigid market
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA
With acreage so valuable, tear-downs are occurring all over Vinings. The pace of development is "a huge, big deal in Vinings," Bolt said. ...
http://www.ajc.com/homefinder/content/homefinder/stories/2008/06/06/vinings_home_sales.html

West U property values near $4 billion
Deer Park Progress - Houston,TX,USA
In the last decade, only a few small bungalows — known in real estate parlance as “tear-downs” — remain. New homes being built in West U are in the $1 ...
http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19752871&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=635498&rfi=6

Home for sale in Lawn Meadow - 479K - Totally redone
By Naperville Real Estate - Ann deVane - CNC,...(Naperville Real Estate - Ann deVane - CNC,...)
This beauty sits nestled between to completed teardowns so you don't have to worry about construction next door. Wonderful open floor plan. Real hardwood floors, new stainless steel appliances, granite, maple soft close cabinetry, ...
http://activerain.com/blogsview/540374/Home-for-sale-in

The Density God Reappears
Nuther clip-n-save quote from QC officialdom on our land-use goals. The topic is tear-downs and “McMansion” infill development in close-in neighborhoods like Plaza Midwood and...
http://www.yourstreet.com/3469821/the-density-god-reappears

Tear Down Watch at 6666 Drexel Avenue
By B+S
It is on a block of Drexel that has not yet had any tear downs. This house is one block east of these two listings:. http://www.redfin.com/CA/LOS-ANGELES/6706-DREXEL-Ave-90048/home/12477637. and previously discussed much liked and still ...
http://blackburnandsweetzer.com/2008/06/06/tear-down-watch-at-6666-drexel-avenue

A Fine Reason to Go to Oakwood Tonight

Preservation Calendar
Raleigh -- Community Conversations Series With Adrian Fine
TALKS

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 @ 07:00 PM

Community Conversations Series
Adrian Fine, National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust's teardown guru discusses how lessons from around the country can be applied to Raleigh.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008, 7:00-9:00 pm,
St. Augustine's College Chapel, 1315 Oakwood Avenue, Raleigh
Free and open to the public
Sponsored by the Raleigh Historic Districts Commission and Preservation NC

If you have not noticed, the momentum is gathering around the issue of what is good infill and what is a problem. Tonight Raleigh has a rare opportunity to hear -- from the National Trust for Historic Preservation -- what they have learned around the country. Yes, this is not just a local problem, and by bringing in a larger perspective, Raleigh has a chance to learn how to balance growth and preservation – before it is too late.

Announcing "Community Conversations"

Community Conversations

Please join us for the first event in the Community Conversations series.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008 

7:00-9:00 PM

Adrian Scott Fine, National Trust for Historic Preservation

Teardowns: Finding the Right Balance

Cities and towns across the country are wrestling with finding the appropriate response to infill issues. Hear about how the market is affecting the debate, the responses from communities, new tools to address the issue, and its role in the larger sustainability challenge.

St. Augustine’s College Chapel

1315 Oakwood Ave, Raleigh

Stay after the lecture to continue the conversation with your friends and neighbors.