Architecture Coach: Small-Home Living
More buyers are being lured to the simplicity and affordability that small homes bring. Plus, these smaller homes are often situated within walking distance to restaurants, stores, and shops.
By KRISTINE HANSEN | December 2009
After Sarah Susanka published The Not So Big House (The Taunton Press) 11 years ago, a groundswell of interest emerged about small home living. Tiny prefab homes began popping up on urban lots and prairie pastures alike. There was also renewed interest in downsizing the size of one's home for the sake of simplicity. Now, with an economic slowdown and a desire to live very close to jobs and other services, the trend is just as hot now as it was then. "I call it the cappuccino factor. They want the cappuccino to be within walking distance," says BJ Droubi, a Coldwell Banker broker in San Francisco. Homes in Noe Valley—an area she specializes in—are between 900 and 1,100 square feet Read More...
Baby Boomer Demand Boosting 'Universal Design'
By BRODERICK PERKINS
Home builders, taking a cue from aging baby boomers, are rethinking they way they design homes and the principles they are using are also easy to apply to home improvements. Once considered a threat to the value and marketability of homes, home designs for people who are older and designs for people who have disabilities more and more often incorporate "universal design" techniques that appeal to a large cross section of age groups and to those with a range of physical abilities and special needs. Read More...
How to Repair Your Home Without Damaging Your Wallet
By PHOEBE CHONGCHUA
The single most important factor to consider when selling a house is the home price tag: how much your house is worth. You don't want to overprice the house because you will lose the freshness of the home's appeal after the first two to three weeks of showings. After 21 days, demand and interest wane. On the other hand, don't worry about pricing it too low because homes priced below market value often will receive multiple offers, which will then drive up the price to market. Pricing is all about supply and demand. It's part art and part science, and no two agents price property the same way. Read More...