Please stop building these cheap, ugly “craftsman”

[Anonymous]

I couldn't even get through reading your obnoxious post. Get over yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This market is going to seem a meaningful correction soon. At some point, the math has to work.

What makes you think "the math" doesn't "work"? You finding it shocking or wrong that homes are this expensive in this area doesn't mean anything. Willing buyer/willing seller. Sometimes I think this forum is full of people who still have the 1985 purchasing power of 1M in their heads, who can't accept that 1M isn't what it used to be.

The gap between the income level and pricing level has gotten far too wide. Ultimately, the buy universe gets thinner and thinner and eventually you get a reversion to the mean with a bunch of late buyers caught in the “prices only go up euphoria” holding the bag. Very similar to the dynamics you often see at the tail end of an overbought financial market. At the end of the day, just my humble opinion — I had this same opinion back in late 2006 / early 2007. Time will tell if I’m right or wrong…

Not at all. There is a lot of money floating around DC and little inventory. Have you wandered around Tysons Galleria lately? That's who is buying some of this real estate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This market is going to seem a meaningful correction soon. At some point, the math has to work.

What makes you think "the math" doesn't "work"? You finding it shocking or wrong that homes are this expensive in this area doesn't mean anything. Willing buyer/willing seller. Sometimes I think this forum is full of people who still have the 1985 purchasing power of 1M in their heads, who can't accept that 1M isn't what it used to be.

The gap between the income level and pricing level has gotten far too wide. Ultimately, the buy universe gets thinner and thinner and eventually you get a reversion to the mean with a bunch of late buyers caught in the “prices only go up euphoria” holding the bag. Very similar to the dynamics you often see at the tail end of an overbought financial market. At the end of the day, just my humble opinion — I had this same opinion back in late 2006 / early 2007. Time will tell if I’m right or wrong…

Not at all. There is a lot of money floating around DC and little inventory. Have you wandered around Tysons Galleria lately? That's who is buying some of this real estate.

I’d argue the data seems to indicate the DC metro real estate market is still underpriced relative to HHI and the density of high earners / high NW households. We’re seeing N Arlington crack $4-5M. Vienna $3M+ homes are flying off the shelf. McLean continues to appreciate. There’s a healthy flow of money that’s ready to deploy for the right properties and areas.

[Anonymous]

Sick of the modern farmhouse look as well. It's not a look that belongs in the northeast/midatlantic. Homes like that look like they belong in Utah or Idaho or something. It's bizarre how attached builders are to this look.

Also the boxy "modern" (aka soon to be dated/prison compound look) are a mess too.

A classic brick colonial is just unmatched.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s just the way the market works.

Agree. It's not my taste but these things are mostly determined by the market. The builder wants to sell the house for as much as possible.

There's probably some overlap between new home designs and the colors of new cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s just the way the market works.

Agree. It's not my taste but these things are mostly determined by the market. The builder wants to sell the house for as much as possible.

There's probably some overlap between new home designs and the colors of new cars.

"The market" often does things that individuals hate. For example, in my Bethesda neighborhood, we are in dire need of 3000-40000 sq ft houses. What do we have instead? Either tear-downs or new builds that are 8000 sq ft. I am the owner of a (renovated) tear-down. I want a 3000 sq ft home built with premium materials, that's solar passive and well-insulated. A quality build, not a cheap McMansion built out to the property limits with builder grade materials hastily slapped together.

But the only way I can get that, apparently, is by buying land, razing whatever was on it, even if it's new construction or a pristine reno, and building my own house. That's quite expensive. So year after year, I stay in my small house, grumpily looking at the ridiculously large homes with shoddy layouts and tons of wasted space that "the market", ie, builders, create to turn a massive profit. I bet all the people buying them wanted something a little smaller to begin with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sick of the modern farmhouse look as well. It's not a look that belongs in the northeast/midatlantic. Homes like that look like they belong in Utah or Idaho or something. It's bizarre how attached builders are to this look.

Also the boxy "modern" (aka soon to be dated/prison compound look) are a mess too.

A classic brick colonial is just unmatched.

If by "unmatched" you mean unmatched in being dated and laid out in a way that is not at all how people live today...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sick of the modern farmhouse look as well. It's not a look that belongs in the northeast/midatlantic. Homes like that look like they belong in Utah or Idaho or something. It's bizarre how attached builders are to this look.

Also the boxy "modern" (aka soon to be dated/prison compound look) are a mess too.

A classic brick colonial is just unmatched.

If by "unmatched" you mean unmatched in being dated and laid out in a way that is not at all how people live today...

Oh please. Visit Europe sometime. Somehow modern families manage to live in 500-year-old houses. Stop watching so much HGTV. Houses are basically for sleeping, f**king, eating, and shi!ting. Been the same way for a while now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s just the way the market works.

Agree. It's not my taste but these things are mostly determined by the market. The builder wants to sell the house for as much as possible.

There's probably some overlap between new home designs and the colors of new cars.

"The market" often does things that individuals hate. For example, in my Bethesda neighborhood, we are in dire need of 3000-40000 sq ft houses. What do we have instead? Either tear-downs or new builds that are 8000 sq ft. I am the owner of a (renovated) tear-down. I want a 3000 sq ft home built with premium materials, that's solar passive and well-insulated. A quality build, not a cheap McMansion built out to the property limits with builder grade materials hastily slapped together.

But the only way I can get that, apparently, is by buying land, razing whatever was on it, even if it's new construction or a pristine reno, and building my own house. That's quite expensive. So year after year, I stay in my small house, grumpily looking at the ridiculously large homes with shoddy layouts and tons of wasted space that "the market", ie, builders, create to turn a massive profit. I bet all the people buying them wanted something a little smaller to begin with.

Yes, it's expensive. That is why you aren't seeing it. The developers need to maximize profit. They do that by building and selling 8k sq ft homes with builder grade materials. Could they build a a beautiful, well constructed home of 4k sq feet with nicer finishes? Sure. Would they make as much? As you appear to admit -- no. The builders aren't going to build what people want, they are going to build what they can sell at the highest profit. When you have low inventory in desirable areas where people have a lot of money ... it makes sense to do exactly what they are doing. Late stage capitalism in an area where real estate is in demand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sick of the modern farmhouse look as well. It's not a look that belongs in the northeast/midatlantic. Homes like that look like they belong in Utah or Idaho or something. It's bizarre how attached builders are to this look.

Also the boxy "modern" (aka soon to be dated/prison compound look) are a mess too.

A classic brick colonial is just unmatched.

If by "unmatched" you mean unmatched in being dated and laid out in a way that is not at all how people live today...

Oh please. Visit Europe sometime. Somehow modern families manage to live in 500-year-old houses. Stop watching so much HGTV. Houses are basically for sleeping, f**king, eating, and shi!ting. Been the same way for a while now.

What does visiting Europe and families there living in 500 year old houses have to do with it? Just because there are a lot of 4-on-4 colonials in the DMV with a formal dining room and living room that no one will ever use and people can live in them, doesn't mean they want to. It's a bunch of wasted space in the context of how families live now. The colonial as "unmatched" is just ridiculous; as a form it is beyond outdated -- families today do not want those small boxy formal dining rooms and living rooms and kitchens that you can't eat in.

And I've never watched HGTV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s just the way the market works.

Agree. It's not my taste but these things are mostly determined by the market. The builder wants to sell the house for as much as possible.

There's probably some overlap between new home designs and the colors of new cars.

"The market" often does things that individuals hate. For example, in my Bethesda neighborhood, we are in dire need of 3000-40000 sq ft houses. What do we have instead? Either tear-downs or new builds that are 8000 sq ft. I am the owner of a (renovated) tear-down. I want a 3000 sq ft home built with premium materials, that's solar passive and well-insulated. A quality build, not a cheap McMansion built out to the property limits with builder grade materials hastily slapped together.

But the only way I can get that, apparently, is by buying land, razing whatever was on it, even if it's new construction or a pristine reno, and building my own house. That's quite expensive. So year after year, I stay in my small house, grumpily looking at the ridiculously large homes with shoddy layouts and tons of wasted space that "the market", ie, builders, create to turn a massive profit. I bet all the people buying them wanted something a little smaller to begin with.

Yes, it's expensive. That is why you aren't seeing it. The developers need to maximize profit. They do that by building and selling 8k sq ft homes with builder grade materials. Could they build a a beautiful, well constructed home of 4k sq feet with nicer finishes? Sure. Would they make as much? As you appear to admit -- no. The builders aren't going to build what people want, they are going to build what they can sell at the highest profit. When you have low inventory in desirable areas where people have a lot of money ... it makes sense to do exactly what they are doing. Late stage capitalism in an area where real estate is in demand.

As you imply, it's all based on the appraisal-LTV-bank game. Appraising is truly the most circle-jerking occupation ever to tarnish the face of the earth, and is the major driver as to why you can't finance an extraordinarily well built 4k sf house, but you CAN finance a shoddily built 8k sf house for the same money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sick of the modern farmhouse look as well. It's not a look that belongs in the northeast/midatlantic. Homes like that look like they belong in Utah or Idaho or something. It's bizarre how attached builders are to this look.

Also the boxy "modern" (aka soon to be dated/prison compound look) are a mess too.

A classic brick colonial is just unmatched.

If by "unmatched" you mean unmatched in being dated and laid out in a way that is not at all how people live today...

Oh please. Visit Europe sometime. Somehow modern families manage to live in 500-year-old houses. Stop watching so much HGTV. Houses are basically for sleeping, f**king, eating, and shi!ting. Been the same way for a while now.

What does visiting Europe and families there living in 500 year old houses have to do with it? Just because there are a lot of 4-on-4 colonials in the DMV with a formal dining room and living room that no one will ever use and people can live in them, doesn't mean they want to. It's a bunch of wasted space in the context of how families live now. The colonial as "unmatched" is just ridiculous; as a form it is beyond outdated -- families today do not want those small boxy formal dining rooms and living rooms and kitchens that you can't eat in.

And I've never watched HGTV.

Sounds like you are the tract housing builder's target audience. You deserve what you get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sick of the modern farmhouse look as well. It's not a look that belongs in the northeast/midatlantic. Homes like that look like they belong in Utah or Idaho or something. It's bizarre how attached builders are to this look.

Also the boxy "modern" (aka soon to be dated/prison compound look) are a mess too.

A classic brick colonial is just unmatched.

Yawn. So many dull colonials in this area already. Glad they are tearing down some of the boring brick houses that scream "I'm a GS 13" in Arlington and Bethesda

[Anonymous]

I’m with you OP. There is a monstrosity going up in my neighborhood right now. Our town has restrictions on how much a structure can take up on your lot and it is clear that they are maxing it out because there’s virtually no yard and the poor neighbors have to look directly at the back of the house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is this every house that has been build in Chevy Chase, Bethesda, or NWDC in the last 5 years? https://redf.in/R8HOoQ

This ridiculous choppy-roofed “farmhouse in the suburbs” eyesore is polluting every street in every neighborhood in the DMV. Do people here have zero taste?

I get that it’s cheap to build. Its inelegant and impractical floor plan maximizes profit margin for the builders. But isn’t it soul crushing to keeping building these identical pieces of cheaply-made garbage over and over and over again? I guess late stage capitalism has decimated any inkling of aesthetic sensibility or pride in one’s creation?

In this particular $3.2 million listing, the builder couldn’t even spring for actual brick? Just brick veneer and only in the front. Because that’s the only part of the house that matters? Pretend brick for a pretend house Yuck. Although I guess that’s better than the disgusting vinyl-sided versions of this house that are routinely excreted onto the market at $2.6 million. Do you really want a house made out of plastic instead of brick or wood? Talk about low expectations.

How are these ugly boxes even selling at $2.6- $3.2 million? We are the market for a house in that range but every new build in the area is this same small-windowed off-brand version of the house on Walton’s Mountain.

Demand better, DMV.

Agreed! And anybody who criticizes you probably has cheap taste.