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my first apartment was like 600 sq feet, small bedroom to sleep, small living room to watch tv, small kitchen to cook a dinner, it was great, took about 15 minute to clean and the rest was my time. I wish I had a house that small. not no tiny house on a trailer but a small one bedroom
You get it. I am currently living in a space that is 300 hundred square feet and I love it. I know. I feel like a loser because a woman of my age should not be living in a space this small. Easy breezy.
^^^ My first house was that small... just over 600 square feet 1910 cottage on a 25x100 city lot... still have it all these years later and only two renters since I moved...
I wanted to own so bad that I bought the least expensive single family home on the Oakland MLS at the time... and made it mine to shock of many... best single financial decision ever. just 22 and a home owner...
Still want that loft or warehouse and probably always will... the 600 square feet living area will always be enough just add 5,000 square feet of warehouse!
If the middle-age, single people buying homes are smart, they will buy a home that married people with children will want to buy when it comes time to sell. Otherwise, the demographic for single, middle-age people buying/selling homes for only the same, is so narrow, they will likely be stuck in a home they cannot resell.
I heartily disagree. Although many realtors will disagree with me based only on their personal experience dealing mostly with clients consisting of an intact family with school age children, that exact demographic actually represents only about 20-25% in most markets. Specific newer tract neighborhoods that cater almost exclusively to that demographic notwithstanding there are plenty of DINKS, empty nesters, retired folks, singles, mixed and blended families that together make up far more of the market.
Personally as a member of that far larger if more stratified market, middle-aged DINKS, we would absolutely avoid buying a house designed for a family with kids or in a neighborhood designed for only that demographic. I hate houses with a bunch of tiny bedrooms off a narrow closed off hallway and an oversized master. We would much rather have a layout that consisted of two, nice but not excessively large bedrooms, such as two junior master suites, another room that functions great as a library or study that is convertible into a temporary guest suite and a more formal layout with defined but open to eachother rooms in about 2000 sf. Minimize the garage space, maximize the garden layout as in defined and designed, not large and not a stupid square of grass enclosed by a cheap fence for kids to play in.
We happen to be lucky enough to have house that roughly matches that description. Even though it is a 90 y.o. house that we bought from a family that raised a family of five kids in it, it is not by any means a house that most families with kids would find particularly attractive for its layout. As far as resale we are not worried. Houses like ours in this neighborhood are snapped up in days if not hours in a bidding war. There are plenty more folks like us then that narrow but safe demographic of a family with school age kids to constrain the design of a house and neighborhood type to force yourself to fit into.
I heartily disagree. Although many realtors will disagree with me based only on their personal experience dealing mostly with clients consisting of an intact family with school age children, that exact demographic actually represents only about 20-25% in most markets. Specific newer tract neighborhoods that cater almost exclusively to that demographic notwithstanding there are plenty of DINKS, empty nesters, retired folks, singles, mixed and blended families that together make up far more of the market.
Personally as a member of that far larger if more stratified market, middle-aged DINKS, we would absolutely avoid buying a house designed for a family with kids or in a neighborhood designed for only that demographic. I hate houses with a bunch of tiny bedrooms off a narrow closed off hallway and an oversized master. We would much rather have a layout that consisted of two, nice but not excessively large bedrooms, such as two junior master suites, another room that functions great as a library or study that is convertible into a temporary guest suite and a more formal layout with defined but open to eachother rooms in about 2000 sf. Minimize the garage space, maximize the garden layout as in defined and designed, not large and not a stupid square of grass enclosed by a cheap fence for kids to play in.
We happen to be lucky enough to have house that roughly matches that description. Even though it is a 90 y.o. house that we bought from a family that raised a family of five kids in it, it is not by any means a house that most families with kids would find particularly attractive for its layout. As far as resale we are not worried. Houses like ours in this neighborhood are snapped up in days if not hours in a bidding war. There are plenty more folks like us then that narrow but safe demographic of a family with school age kids to constrain the design of a house and neighborhood type to force yourself to fit into.
Let me add, My parents bought a brand new tract home in 2003. It was a 3 bedroom home with a den. I think the home is maybe 1,600 square feet. They did not need the three bedrooms. Since two of the bedrooms are next to each other my dad took the wall out and had it moved creating one large bedroom with a walk in closet. It is a guest room now. My parents don't care about people that will buy the home when they don't need it anymore. When that time comes they won't even care how much they can get for it. The money will not be relevant to them. Let's say that they had to sell someday.
Let me add, My parents bought a brand new tract home in 2003. It was a 3 bedroom home with a den. I think the home is maybe 1,600 square feet. They did not need the three bedrooms. Since two of the bedrooms are next to each other my dad took the wall out and had it moved creating one large bedroom with a walk in closet. It is a guest room now. My parents don't care about people that will buy the home when they don't need it anymore. When that time comes they won't even care how much they can get for it. The money will not be relevant to them. Let's say that they had to sell someday.
If the middle-age, single people buying homes are smart, they will buy a home that married people with children will want to buy when it comes time to sell. Otherwise, the demographic for single, middle-age people buying/selling homes for only the same, is so narrow, they will likely be stuck in a home they cannot resell.
I disagree. Nearly all kids grow up and move out, half of married couples people get divorced, and voila--there's plenty of single, middle-aged people who need housing. Many of us don't need or want the overhead of a housed designed for four or five people.
My house is typical for the neighborhood and it's in a growing city with rising real estate values. I don't anticipate having any trouble selling it someday.
I disagree. Nearly all kids grow up and move out, half of married couples people get divorced, and voila--there's plenty of single, middle-aged people who need housing. Many of us don't need or want the overhead of a housed designed for four or five people.
My house is typical for the neighborhood and it's in a growing city with rising real estate values. I don't anticipate having any trouble selling it someday.
"Condominiums" were introduced into our area circa 1961. The word was abbreviated to "condom" for years; 35 years later, "condo." Important to note that kids weren't introduced to wrapping a cucumber in those days. It wasn't considered a necessary part of K-12 education, I guess. And (btw), in the 1950's, those "things" were called "cumdums" ("Frenchies" if you were in the European theater during WW 2) as I recall. You could tell who was a veteran, and where, by that alone.
I want a home with as few stairs as possible. Independence in case of injury, surgery etc. This is huge for me.
Maybe others aren't the think ahead, think of contingencies type but.....
I hide all tri-levels on zillow as a matter of course. Kitchen and bathroom aren't on the same floor! You can't even camp out on the couch with a broken leg, feed yourself and go to the bathroom without going up and down stairs. What a stupid plan.
Bi-levels are almost as bad. Usually lots of steps up to the front doot and then more steps to main living. At least once you are up there you can manage but still.
Ranches highly preferred, no slab (so hard on your joints). A two story with main floor living available is ok.
After that its all the same as for other people. Sure I would prefer a short commute but there might a trade off for the perfect lot farther away etc.
This is going to be my forever home. I worry about being able to manage it when I get older. I actually think a small 2 bedroom ranch would be ideal. I saw one that I liked. It is quaint with a nice layout. I would rather live in a neighborhood as opposed to a planned development. If I do, I do not want to see houses that look the same all over the place. I do not want to pay a maintenance fee. I do not want to be an older woman negotiating steps.(Thinking out loud)
I ended up buying a ranch in a PUD. The houses do not look the same. The HOA is low.
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