Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think the word "product" perfectly describes the home building industry these days. Rather than craftsmanship and a home that you would renovate as it ages, homes today are disposable like an old LCD screen tv or Toyota Camry. You use it for a while, and then when it is outdated and the luster is lost you dump it for a new place that has all the new bells and whistles. You get the new "product" before your current house is REALLY outdated and tough to sell.
Then at the dinner party with the neighbors, residents can talk about how they "customized" the commodity home that was built in a couple weeks with the exact same floorplan as 50 other homes in the neighborhood, talk about they got crown molding installed as an upgrade, and splurged for the Samsung Smart Fridge (and thus their version of the 50 homes that are the exact same is better). Eventually everybody gets bored going to dinner parties in houses that look the exact same and gradually aging, so you shake things up and move into a new neighborhood.
Yes... you read my usage of "product" exactly as intended. I agree with you.
__________________
When in doubt, check it out: FAQ
Regardless - other than all the people on this forum who only like custom homes, nobody else seems to care that much in the real world. Houses with boring and same floor plans are selling just fine, as everyone just wants a new house, or just live in west Cary or just live in the Triangle in general for those who are moving here from more expensive areas. There are even people who like the "big names" in house building and not smaller local builders. There are all kinds of buyers out there and companies know how to market.
And.... McDonald's makes the best burgers, 'cuz they do the most.
Regardless - other than all the people on this forum who only like custom homes, nobody else seems to care that much in the real world. Houses with boring and same floor plans are selling just fine, as everyone just wants a new house, or just live in west Cary or just live in the Triangle in general for those who are moving here from more expensive areas. There are even people who like the "big names" in house building and not smaller local builders. There are all kinds of buyers out there and companies know how to market.
I admit that we do like our new D.R. Horton home. This house and neighborhood met all of our needs. After two years, no surprises yet. All my neighbors seem happy as well.
I think the word "product" perfectly describes the home building industry these days. Rather than craftsmanship and a home that you would renovate as it ages, homes today are disposable like an old LCD screen tv or Toyota Camry. You use it for a while, and then when it is outdated and the luster is lost you dump it for a new place that has all the new bells and whistles. You get the new "product" before your current house is REALLY outdated and tough to sell.
Then at the dinner party with the neighbors, residents can talk about how they "customized" the commodity home that was built in a couple weeks with the exact same floorplan as 50 other homes in the neighborhood, talk about they got crown molding installed as an upgrade, and splurged for the Samsung Smart Fridge (and thus their version of the 50 homes that are the exact same is better). Eventually everybody gets bored going to dinner parties in houses that look the exact same and gradually aging, so you shake things up and move into a new neighborhood.
Nailed it! Slam dunk!
Throw away society based on a culture of "gotta get mine"; spurred on by HGTV and the "need" for "perfect" facebook/instagram posts. It is the antithesis of investing, not only in one's home of course, but in the local community as well. Sprawl baby sprawl! Kind of sad.
Compare this to the great cities of the world where location, convenience, culture, and community are valued more than "new" and "bells and whistles". Older parts of metros, near city centers, are kept up and remain extremely desirable over time.....not left to deteriorate (go down hill) while people flee farther and farther out. Places that are hundreds of years old are routinely updated and handed down for generations.
Note, we moved from the homogeneous SW Wake sprawl into a unique older house in a super central convenient location in an established neighborhood smack-dab between Raleigh and RTP. Have splits, ranchers, colonials, craftsmans, and bungalows in the neighborhood. People/demographics are just as diverse. Larger lots and mature trees.....shade! Did all new windows, siding, AC. Already "newer" roof (10 yrs). Still cheaper than comparatively sized new builds further out.
I'll add, sometimes feels like we are outliers though. Many people we know have moved even further out, than they (and we) were before, into even newer/new housing.
Last edited by ncrunner77; 12-12-2018 at 03:01 PM..
Reason: I'll add
I love those too, but that's about where the menu ends for me at Micky D's.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
