Homebuilding up again in Dallas close-in neighborhoods (Spring: real estate, zoning)

[HockDad]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

Even on half an acre, those houses look silly.

Two thoughts that you might want to consider when slamming the McMansions. First, the safety of the kids. My kids stay at home far more than we did when we were their age. My friends and I grew up in much smaller homes and we would literally roam the neighborhood for hours (no cell phone, no way for parents to really reach us quickly). Usually we were hanging out a house and the mom would get tired of us and tell us to "go play outside for a few hours."

This is a different world. Parents usually want their kids closer. I doubt many 5th graders just cruise around the neighborhood on the bikes. Parents are concerned about safety. The kids are inside more. Thus, a larger house with a separate TV room or gameroom makes sense.

Second, there is a good ecoomic reason to build the McMansion. If the lot costs 400k, and you want a 3000 square foot house, and it costs $150.00 per foot to build, you are going to have 850k into your house when completed. In order to break even, and if you have to sell, the PPF needs to be around 300. That is way above market, and quite frankly, a bank will probably not loan you money to build the house.

However, if you double the size of your house, the extra square footage may only cost $100.00 per foot (bonus rooms, extra bedrooms, etc are cheaper to build). Thus, you can probably have new construction at 6000 feet that cost you $1,150,000.00. The PPF falls below $200.00 and your house will have a far easier time selling or appraising.

[Bypass13]

I hate wooden fences & don't see need of hanging yards of fabric on windows. I have shutters on bed and bath windows but that's it. I don't need privacy in other areas and love to be able to look at front & back yards instead of feeling of residential confinement. Well, luckily I live on a lot at the end of a quite culdesac backing to a green belt and blessed with decent neighbors.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by HockDad

Two thoughts that you might want to consider when slamming the McMansions. First, the safety of the kids. My kids stay at home far more than we did when we were their age. My friends and I grew up in much smaller homes and we would literally roam the neighborhood for hours (no cell phone, no way for parents to really reach us quickly). Usually we were hanging out a house and the mom would get tired of us and tell us to "go play outside for a few hours."

This is a different world. Parents usually want their kids closer. I doubt many 5th graders just cruise around the neighborhood on the bikes. Parents are concerned about safety. The kids are inside more. Thus, a larger house with a separate TV room or gameroom makes sense.

Second, there is a good ecoomic reason to build the McMansion. If the lot costs 400k, and you want a 3000 square foot house, and it costs $150.00 per foot to build, you are going to have 850k into your house when completed. In order to break even, and if you have to sell, the PPF needs to be around 300. That is way above market, and quite frankly, a bank will probably not loan you money to build the house.

However, if you double the size of your house, the extra square footage may only cost $100.00 per foot (bonus rooms, extra bedrooms, etc are cheaper to build). Thus, you can probably have new construction at 6000 feet that cost you $1,150,000.00. The PPF falls below $200.00 and your house will have a far easier time selling or appraising.

With all due respect Hockdad, you know economic reality makes no difference to many. It interferes with a good gripe.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by Bypass13

I hate wooden fences & don't see need of hanging yards of fabric on windows. I have shutters on bed and bath windows but that's it. I don't need privacy in other areas and love to be able to look at front & back yards instead of feeling of residential confinement. Well, luckily I live on a lot at the end of a quite culdesac backing to a green belt and blessed with decent neighbors.

Window coverings are both a privacy and an environmental concern. You can't really gripe about high summer electric bills if you insist on greenhousing much of your home.

[Bypass13]

I guess that is a price I'm ready to pay and use other ways to stay energy efficient. I would feel boderline claustrophobia if I lived in a 'veiled' house.

[debtex]

Originally Posted by HockDad

Two thoughts that you might want to consider when slamming the McMansions. First, the safety of the kids.

...

Second, there is a good ecoomic reason to build the McMansion.

...

Both of your points are pragmatic, but I still plan to bag on McMansions for other equally pragmatic reasons

First, more kids need to be outside playing rather than constantly in scheduled activities or zoning out in front of the myriad machines available to them because they are exhausted from their hectic schedules.

Second, an enormous home may have a low psft price but that doesn't make it nice, just big.

[Dr. Jake Oil]

Originally Posted by EDS_

With all due respect Hockdad, you know economic reality makes no difference to many. It interferes with a good gripe.

People hating on "McMansions" crack me up, especially when they hate on $1M+ houses as "McMansions" ... the whole definition of McMansion is a cheap house thrown up to look expensive. These ARE expensive.

It's nothing but people being haters, pure and simple.

[HockDad]

"First, more kids need to be outside playing rather than constantly in scheduled activities or zoning out in front of the myriad machines available to them because they are exhausted from their hectic schedules."

Everyone agrees with you. The problem is that the parents don't feel it is safe to have the kids roaming the neighborhood outside unsupervised. Do you have kids? Do you let your 10 year old ride around the neighborhood by herself and tell you that she will be back in 45 minutes (or 2 hours)? I did it all the time as a kid, but I would be horrified if it was one of my daughters.

I can't imagine a playdate with a bunch of my son's ten year old friends at our house and explaining to the parents that the boys just decided to walk up to Baskin Robins to get ice cream. We did it all of the time- it just does not happen anymore and the other parents would be horrified if you allowed it to happen on your watch.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by HockDad

Two thoughts that you might want to consider when slamming the McMansions. First, the safety of the kids. My kids stay at home far more than we did when we were their age. My friends and I grew up in much smaller homes and we would literally roam the neighborhood for hours (no cell phone, no way for parents to really reach us quickly). Usually we were hanging out a house and the mom would get tired of us and tell us to "go play outside for a few hours."

This is a different world. Parents usually want their kids closer. I doubt many 5th graders just cruise around the neighborhood on the bikes. Parents are concerned about safety. The kids are inside more. Thus, a larger house with a separate TV room or gameroom makes sense.

Kids are sedentary because their parents allow them to be and because they're raised to be lazy. Statistically speaking the people most likely to do harm to children are their own parents, and most accidents/incidents/assaults against children occur in the home. So, statistically, you're putting them in more danger by keeping them at home.

Also:

Crimes Against Children Research Center

So...I don't buy the 'different world today' argument. Not at all.

Second, there is a good ecoomic reason to build the McMansion. If the lot costs 400k, and you want a 3000 square foot house, and it costs $150.00 per foot to build, you are going to have 850k into your house when completed. In order to break even, and if you have to sell, the PPF needs to be around 300. That is way above market, and quite frankly, a bank will probably not loan you money to build the house.

However, if you double the size of your house, the extra square footage may only cost $100.00 per foot (bonus rooms, extra bedrooms, etc are cheaper to build). Thus, you can probably have new construction at 6000 feet that cost you $1,150,000.00. The PPF falls below $200.00 and your house will have a far easier time selling or appraising.

McMansions per se are not the problem. I don't like them because they A.) are built on lots that are too small for them, and B.) ruin the aesthetics of an existing, established neighborhood with perfectly sound housing stock. Take Melshire Estates, for example. The homes being torn down are not dilapidated or ready to be condemned. They are solidly-built 50-60 year-old ranch homes on pier and beam foundations, and most of them have had extensive renovations done to them already to expand them or to open the floor plans. Take a spin in that neighborhood and see what those houses are being replaced with. Tacky and tasteless.

Moderator cut: see comment

[PlanoGirl]

Originally Posted by debtex

I also know they are what the masses want right now. Along with skinny jeans, so let's just consider that for quiet moment.

Best part of this thread!