AFFORDABLE Modernist Housing? (Raleigh, Durham, Cary: for sale, chapel, modular homes)

[wsobchak]

I lived in Raleigh before, and noted the delightfully vulgar houses built during the premeditated housing scandal (Cary anyone?).

But I have also read that Raleigh has a lot of modernist housing (I'm guessing MCMs).

Questions:

1. Are there any affordable modern/modernist houses (<150K)?

2. Are they all MCMs, or are there any houses built say within the last 20 years (I like MCMs, but there is an irony associated wth the idea of 50-year-old "modern" houses)?

[PDXmom]

Try Triangle Modernist Houses

[wsobchak]

Thanks. I am well aware of them. They see a niche market and price accordingly.

I am not a neophyte regarding modernist houses - just hoping I missed something.

The operative word was "affordable". Affordability is a sliding scale. For me it's less than 150K.

Thanks for your help, though.

[DanielleNC]

Originally Posted by wsobchak

Thanks. I am well aware of them. They see a niche market and price accordingly.

I am not a neophyte regarding modernist houses - just hoping I missed something.

The operative word was "affordable". Affordability is a sliding scale. For me it's less than 150K.

Thanks for your help, though.

Not in the Triangle area. Even in Durham it's hard to find one under $300,000. Good Luck, you never know!

[lamishra]

You'll be lucky to find just about any decent SFA house, much less modernist, in this area for under 150K.

[imtheone81]

For under $150, you may have to settle for the glorious....Atomic Ranch!

[Kim Wagner]

Modern and affordable are a tough combination to find. If you've ever tried your hand at construction, you'll know that base and crown molding and all the other trim pieces in your house are used to hide a multitude of sins. It takes time and money to design and build houses that look perfect and seamless and have miminimal trim.

Not a large number of people in this area are looking for untraditional housing, another reason why there's not a large stock to be had.

What's your definition of modern?

You might take a look at some of the factory built modular homes that are available right now. The I-house comes to mind. You should be able to stay <150,000 for a 1300-1500 sf house that's modular (including foundation pricing), but then.....there's still the land to buy....

[VaNC]

I wonder, too, what your definition of "modern" and "modernist" are. They are not the same thing, necessarily. If you are looking for a house with modern lines, nice angles, i.e. not a "McM" as you call it, there may be some subdivisions out there that have more modern lines in their new and affordable homes (I am afraid I don't have any help here as I live downtown and the ones here are outside your price range due to location).

There may also be some affordable modernist homes, but they will be older homes and most likely ranch style. Triangle Modernist Homes, if you watch it, has had some very affordable smaller, modernist homes on their "for sale" page in the past. Most have been in Chapel Hill, though.

[VaNC]

You may want to check out NRG's "which neighborhood is this?" thread. There are pictures of a neighborhood in Cary called, "Russell Hills" which have some "modernist" type ranch houses that look like they would be affordable. But they may not fit your idea of "modern" in that they are certainly not new.

[toot68]

Goforth built a bunch of homes in the 1980s in Orange county that might fit the bill. Typically 1200-1600 sq ft, and currently go for under 200K. There's one for sale in Polks Landing in Chatham (27516), to give a sense of what I'm talking about. Great little houses, incredible use of space. Some other subdivisions with Goforth off the top of my head are Greenfield and The Trails. There's numerous houses by them sprinkled around the west side of carrboro as well.