Why do people hate new builds?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What babble. Those that like smaller houses like them today and may like them tomorrow. Same goes for larger homes. The preference for less space is generally a niche preference held by those who prefer to engage in other forms of conspicuous consumption and/or what has been aptly described as conspicuous compassion.

Wow, you really had to contort yourself there, didn't you.

[Anonymous]

Their are horrible old homes that have to go. I live around a bunch of them. Everytime my husband and see an old wreck being torn down we do a jig.
We own an older home in the neighborhood and love what it does for our property values.
A few of them aren't so hot, but they are always better than what stood before it.
There have been a few renos of existing homes and those are good too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
All those things could be achieved by upzoning to allow new townhouses. More tax revenues, younger families, greater demand to support retail. Plus you would have more density that could support transit more kids within walking distance, and more housing closer in for middle class people.

That's a different point, and you'd have people in older, smaller homes who also don't welcome new townhouses and greater density. You're just dealing with Venn diagrams of disgruntlement about change.

To a considerable extent that is true. My issue is not with the folks in the older homes venting, but with the reactions of local govts. In the case of the townhomes, the local govts defer to the resistance to change. In the case of the McMansions, they do not. Now to some extent that is because it is more difficult legally, to stop the McMansions, which are usually by right. but I think it is also because of a bias towards the detached single family home. Bottom line, the combination of townhomes being illegal in such neighborhoods, and McMansions being legal, tends to bias the outcome towards much larger houses than a free market would deliver. In that context its hard for me to be unsympathetic to folks complaining about large new builds, especially when the response to them is usually some variant on free market ideology ("you don"t earn enough, so suck it up")

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What babble. Those that like smaller houses like them today and may like them tomorrow. Same goes for larger homes. The preference for less space is generally a niche preference held by those who prefer to engage in other forms of conspicuous consumption and/or what has been aptly described as conspicuous compassion.

Wow, you really had to contort yourself there, didn't you.

Not a bit. PP was making a silly argument that at some future date, "people" will look around and prefer smaller to larger homes because of the extra green space.

Utter bullshit. Some people prefer smaller homes now, and will prefer them in the future. Others prefer larger homes now, and will prefer them in the future.

In general, "people" prefer additional space to living in cramped quarters. Some of those who prefer less space prefer to spend their money on other things like restaurants and travel, and others just like patting themselves on the back 24/7 for "living small." If you don't understand that, that's your problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What babble. Those that like smaller houses like them today and may like them tomorrow. Same goes for larger homes. The preference for less space is generally a niche preference held by those who prefer to engage in other forms of conspicuous consumption and/or what has been aptly described as conspicuous compassion.

Wow, you really had to contort yourself there, didn't you.

+1

What a reach!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What babble. Those that like smaller houses like them today and may like them tomorrow. Same goes for larger homes. The preference for less space is generally a niche preference held by those who prefer to engage in other forms of conspicuous consumption and/or what has been aptly described as conspicuous compassion.

Wow, you really had to contort yourself there, didn't you.

Not a bit. PP was making a silly argument that at some future date, "people" will look around and prefer smaller to larger homes because of the extra green space.

Utter bullshit. Some people prefer smaller homes now, and will prefer them in the future. Others prefer larger homes now, and will prefer them in the future.

In general, "people" prefer additional space to living in cramped quarters. Some of those who prefer less space prefer to spend their money on other things like restaurants and travel, and others just like patting themselves on the back 24/7 for "living small." If you don't understand that, that's your problem.

I do not get the impression that people in large houses do not go out to eat, or travel.

As for people who actually do have a smaller GHG footprint, you can tell yourself its about patting themselves on the back, but unfortunately the future of the planet is actually at issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What babble. Those that like smaller houses like them today and may like them tomorrow. Same goes for larger homes. The preference for less space is generally a niche preference held by those who prefer to engage in other forms of conspicuous consumption and/or what has been aptly described as conspicuous compassion.

Wow, you really had to contort yourself there, didn't you.

Not a bit. PP was making a silly argument that at some future date, "people" will look around and prefer smaller to larger homes because of the extra green space.

Utter bullshit. Some people prefer smaller homes now, and will prefer them in the future. Others prefer larger homes now, and will prefer them in the future.

In general, "people" prefer additional space to living in cramped quarters. Some of those who prefer less space prefer to spend their money on other things like restaurants and travel, and others just like patting themselves on the back 24/7 for "living small." If you don't understand that, that's your problem.

No, my point was that taste will change and it won't matter because these people have lived a full life in the house they built and love. That is priceless.
Besides, their house isn't small didn't the poster say is was like 2500 sq ft?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What babble. Those that like smaller houses like them today and may like them tomorrow. Same goes for larger homes. The preference for less space is generally a niche preference held by those who prefer to engage in other forms of conspicuous consumption and/or what has been aptly described as conspicuous compassion.

Wow, you really had to contort yourself there, didn't you.

Not a bit. PP was making a silly argument that at some future date, "people" will look around and prefer smaller to larger homes because of the extra green space.

Utter bullshit. Some people prefer smaller homes now, and will prefer them in the future. Others prefer larger homes now, and will prefer them in the future.

In general, "people" prefer additional space to living in cramped quarters. Some of those who prefer less space prefer to spend their money on other things like restaurants and travel, and others just like patting themselves on the back 24/7 for "living small." If you don't understand that, that's your problem.

Up to a point. For many, many people the added benefit of additional space diminishes fairly quickly at a point well below what the sizes typical of new build SFH's in close in areas

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They have open floor plans, energy efficient features, and there's nothing to repair. Are "McMansions" all that bad?

Isn't it obvious OP? The jealousy is not obvious to you? It should be.

All of those things are awesome. I'd just rather own an older home that has been updated to have those things.
In my neighborhood people have blown out the back of their older homes- they have space and it looks great from the street.
That however can really break the bank. The new build is the " cheaper" option in most of these scenarios.

I am extremely doubtful it looks better from the street. Who is feeding you this BS? It looks more like a bunch of trailers half wittedly added on to an old house. Trailers beget more trailers.

If you ever have billions, which is doubtful, go ahead and buy whatever you want. No one cares. Really, it is going to be alright.

THIS IS HIDEOUS:

THAT IS HIDEOUS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What babble. Those that like smaller houses like them today and may like them tomorrow. Same goes for larger homes. The preference for less space is generally a niche preference held by those who prefer to engage in other forms of conspicuous consumption and/or what has been aptly described as conspicuous compassion.

Wow, you really had to contort yourself there, didn't you.

Not a bit. PP was making a silly argument that at some future date, "people" will look around and prefer smaller to larger homes because of the extra green space.

Utter bullshit. Some people prefer smaller homes now, and will prefer them in the future. Others prefer larger homes now, and will prefer them in the future.

In general, "people" prefer additional space to living in cramped quarters. Some of those who prefer less space prefer to spend their money on other things like restaurants and travel, and others just like patting themselves on the back 24/7 for "living small." If you don't understand that, that's your problem.

3,500 sq ft is "cramped" for a family of four? Please tell me you hear how that sounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
All those things could be achieved by upzoning to allow new townhouses. More tax revenues, younger families, greater demand to support retail. Plus you would have more density that could support transit more kids within walking distance, and more housing closer in for middle class people.

That's a different point, and you'd have people in older, smaller homes who also don't welcome new townhouses and greater density. You're just dealing with Venn diagrams of disgruntlement about change.

To a considerable extent that is true. My issue is not with the folks in the older homes venting, but with the reactions of local govts. In the case of the townhomes, the local govts defer to the resistance to change. In the case of the McMansions, they do not. Now to some extent that is because it is more difficult legally, to stop the McMansions, which are usually by right. but I think it is also because of a bias towards the detached single family home. Bottom line, the combination of townhomes being illegal in such neighborhoods, and McMansions being legal, tends to bias the outcome towards much larger houses than a free market would deliver. In that context its hard for me to be unsympathetic to folks complaining about large new builds, especially when the response to them is usually some variant on free market ideology ("you don"t earn enough, so suck it up")



So you want an asterisk next to every post defending new builds that indicates that new builds occur within the context of existing zoning laws, which reflect political judgments and restrict certain types of development, and are not the product of an unfettered free market.*

*OK - will this suffice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What babble. Those that like smaller houses like them today and may like them tomorrow. Same goes for larger homes. The preference for less space is generally a niche preference held by those who prefer to engage in other forms of conspicuous consumption and/or what has been aptly described as conspicuous compassion.

Wow, you really had to contort yourself there, didn't you.

Not a bit. PP was making a silly argument that at some future date, "people" will look around and prefer smaller to larger homes because of the extra green space.

Utter bullshit. Some people prefer smaller homes now, and will prefer them in the future. Others prefer larger homes now, and will prefer them in the future.

In general, "people" prefer additional space to living in cramped quarters. Some of those who prefer less space prefer to spend their money on other things like restaurants and travel, and others just like patting themselves on the back 24/7 for "living small." If you don't understand that, that's your problem.

I do not get the impression that people in large houses do not go out to eat, or travel.

As for people who actually do have a smaller GHG footprint, you can tell yourself its about patting themselves on the back, but unfortunately the future of the planet is actually at issue.

+1

Isn't it baffling? The small house people have attempted to pigeon hole those who have more than them. I suppose they could write the story any way they wish, it still would *not* be true! Stop constantly discrediting yourselves, small house people, for your own sake.

According to the small house people: I'm every negative thing they are - and more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I don't like is that all new builds are McMansions or multifamily units. You don't see starter homes being built any longer and that sucks.

I see lots of condos being built

Condos are multifamily homes which I addressed. Starter homes that are HOUSES are no longer built. The best you can find are some from the 80's and most in this region seem to be from the 40's-70's. You can't buy a new small SFH.

You're right. So many developers are buying up older, smaller SFHs that a lot of families would love to live in and then tear them down/replace them with giant mansions for the wealthy. Sure, families can buy starter condos, but when so many people aren't buying until their mid-30s, a condo doesn't seem as attractive. Not to mention, a lot of people still want the ability to buy a small detached home, but are getting pushed farther out to do so. What happens is you end up with a bunch of rich people, renters, and manadated affordable housing in places like N. Arlington. Regular middle class families just aren't buying there anymore and I see other areas in N. Virginia going in that same direction.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What babble. Those that like smaller houses like them today and may like them tomorrow. Same goes for larger homes. The preference for less space is generally a niche preference held by those who prefer to engage in other forms of conspicuous consumption and/or what has been aptly described as conspicuous compassion.

Wow, you really had to contort yourself there, didn't you.

Not a bit. PP was making a silly argument that at some future date, "people" will look around and prefer smaller to larger homes because of the extra green space.

Utter bullshit. Some people prefer smaller homes now, and will prefer them in the future. Others prefer larger homes now, and will prefer them in the future.

In general, "people" prefer additional space to living in cramped quarters. Some of those who prefer less space prefer to spend their money on other things like restaurants and travel, and others just like patting themselves on the back 24/7 for "living small." If you don't understand that, that's your problem.

3,500 sq ft is "cramped" for a family of four? Please tell me you hear how that sounds.

The 12:43 post doesn't refer to 3,500 square feet homes, old or new.

[Anonymous]

.... And thread just got dull