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?

Look around, OP. Have you ever (ever) seen someone who lives in a new house criticize another new house? No. Because that is not what successful people do. It is not at all difficult to see.

People live in new builds BECAUSE THEY CAN. But go ahead, claim you are the "millionaire next door". We all believe you, no really, we do - it's going to be alright, just breathe.

The guy next door has more than you, it's going to be alright.

LOL. Says the person with shit taste who spends 3 hours commuting every day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In many areas, it is illegal to tear down an existing single family home (or group of homes) and replace it with new townhomes or multifamily, to "preserve the neighborhood character" However it is perfectly legal to tear down an existing home and replace it with a new and vastly larger home. In areas with high land values, and demand for sq feet, this creates a massive bias towards lots of very large SFH's. Since such homes also change the character of the neighborhood, it is essentially a loophole, and one might even argue a hidden subsidy for large new SFHs.

It is interesting how many people claim a free market ideology, but have no problem with the zoning laws that ban TH's and multifamily, even in places close to metro stations.

Exactly.

I also don't understand why people don't MYOB. If you want a new build, save your money and buy on. If you don't, dont. Stop trying to meddle in other families lives.

Humans are social animals, and naturally vie for status. Some people buy big things to get status. Others with less money but with better education subvert that by expressing their tastes. This has been going on since the time of the great gatsby, and is illuminated in the writings of Veblen.

Are you assuming that people will less money buy smaller things? The people who buy big houses in our neighborhood are very well educated. It may just be others with less money and less education trying to subvert status by trying to conflate "taste" and raw resentment.

Anonymous wrote:People are threatened by new builds, OP. Especially when new builds become the majority in the neighborhood.

You know new builds raise property taxes, right?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In many areas, it is illegal to tear down an existing single family home (or group of homes) and replace it with new townhomes or multifamily, to "preserve the neighborhood character" However it is perfectly legal to tear down an existing home and replace it with a new and vastly larger home. In areas with high land values, and demand for sq feet, this creates a massive bias towards lots of very large SFH's. Since such homes also change the character of the neighborhood, it is essentially a loophole, and one might even argue a hidden subsidy for large new SFHs.

It is interesting how many people claim a free market ideology, but have no problem with the zoning laws that ban TH's and multifamily, even in places close to metro stations.

That's kind of logic soup.

But, conceding that, based on current zoning, the demand for square feet is typically greater than the demand for old houses with "charm" is potentially a start towards some measure of self-awareness.

Anonymous wrote:I would not say I hate new construction. New construction is fabulous. But I'm not a fan of new builds because of the architecture. Is all the same and very uninspired. It looks like the plans were downloaded from a website and plopped anywhere. No consideration for terrain, where the sun rises and sets or privacy in relationship to neighbors.

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In many areas, it is illegal to tear down an existing single family home (or group of homes) and replace it with new townhomes or multifamily, to "preserve the neighborhood character" However it is perfectly legal to tear down an existing home and replace it with a new and vastly larger home. In areas with high land values, and demand for sq feet, this creates a massive bias towards lots of very large SFH's. Since such homes also change the character of the neighborhood, it is essentially a loophole, and one might even argue a hidden subsidy for large new SFHs.

It is interesting how many people claim a free market ideology, but have no problem with the zoning laws that ban TH's and multifamily, even in places close to metro stations.

Exactly.

I also don't understand why people don't MYOB. If you want a new build, save your money and buy on. If you don't, dont. Stop trying to meddle in other families lives.

Humans are social animals, and naturally vie for status. Some people buy big things to get status. Others with less money but with better education subvert that by expressing their tastes. This has been going on since the time of the great gatsby, and is illuminated in the writings of Veblen.

Anonymous wrote:Yes. They are generally made of hideous siding, are painted beige inside and out, have out-of-date granite countertops, and are made like cardboard boxes. You can hear everything from every other room. They are cheap.

Anonymous wrote:In many areas, it is illegal to tear down an existing single family home (or group of homes) and replace it with new townhomes or multifamily, to "preserve the neighborhood character" However it is perfectly legal to tear down an existing home and replace it with a new and vastly larger home. In areas with high land values, and demand for sq feet, this creates a massive bias towards lots of very large SFH's. Since such homes also change the character of the neighborhood, it is essentially a loophole, and one might even argue a hidden subsidy for large new SFHs.

It is interesting how many people claim a free market ideology, but have no problem with the zoning laws that ban TH's and multifamily, even in places close to metro stations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In many areas, it is illegal to tear down an existing single family home (or group of homes) and replace it with new townhomes or multifamily, to "preserve the neighborhood character" However it is perfectly legal to tear down an existing home and replace it with a new and vastly larger home. In areas with high land values, and demand for sq feet, this creates a massive bias towards lots of very large SFH's. Since such homes also change the character of the neighborhood, it is essentially a loophole, and one might even argue a hidden subsidy for large new SFHs.

It is interesting how many people claim a free market ideology, but have no problem with the zoning laws that ban TH's and multifamily, even in places close to metro stations.

Exactly.

I also don't understand why people don't MYOB. If you want a new build, save your money and buy on. If you don't, dont. Stop trying to meddle in other families lives.

Anonymous wrote:In many areas, it is illegal to tear down an existing single family home (or group of homes) and replace it with new townhomes or multifamily, to "preserve the neighborhood character" However it is perfectly legal to tear down an existing home and replace it with a new and vastly larger home. In areas with high land values, and demand for sq feet, this creates a massive bias towards lots of very large SFH's. Since such homes also change the character of the neighborhood, it is essentially a loophole, and one might even argue a hidden subsidy for large new SFHs.

It is interesting how many people claim a free market ideology, but have no problem with the zoning laws that ban TH's and multifamily, even in places close to metro stations.