The Crystal Ball of Future Homes

Hi Everyone,
   Hope you had a nice Fall Weekend, wherever your travels took you.

   Have you ever wondered to yourself what homes will look like in the future? If you were in the 1970's wondering what homes would look like in 40-50 years, you would have probably thought about homes in outer space with all robotic features, or as Erika Riggs of Zillow puts it, "something akin to The Jetsons’ home complete with Rosie the Robot and other space-age appliances that dressed and fed the family", as she discusses in her story, "A Look Ahead at New Homes of 2015", featured on Yahoo! Real Estate.

   Home Size...This might surprise you!

   Rather than space-age technology, says Riggs, "the biggest thing that is expected to change in future single-family homes is the size", and “Homes will get smaller,” adds Stephen Melman, Director of Economic Services at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in Washington D.C..

   The NAHB asked builders, says Melman, "what do you anticipate the new home size would be by 2015?", and the average reply was 2,150 square feet, which is a decrease from the current single family home average of 2,400 square feet. Is this recession-related? Yes, but as Riggs adds, "many believe that the real estate changes will stick around even after the economy and home values get back on solid ground". “Although affordability is driving these decisions, smaller homes are a positive for builders,” says Melman, and adds that it is an opportunity to deliver a better home", allowing for "more creative design, more amenities, better flow".

   What else will change? The living room is expected to merge with other spaces such as the family room and become a "Great Room". Riggs says that 30 percent believe that it will vanish completely to save on square footage. Riggs says to expect spacious laundry rooms, master suite walk-in closets, porches, eat-in kitchens, two-car garages, and ceiling fans. She says to expect to see less of mudrooms, formal dining rooms, four bedrooms or more, media or hobby rooms, and skylights.

   "Going Green" is driving a lot of these changes, says Riggs, which lead to energy efficient windows, etc. Additionally, with the aging Baby Boomer population, says Melman, "they’re empty nesters, so they don’t need five bedrooms".

   What do you think about homes of the future?
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Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes Blog: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com

TAGS: #singlefamilyhomes #HomeBuilder #NAHB #squarefeet #recession #greatroom #babyboomer #zillow

Why Should Baby Boomers Move To Your Town?

Hi Everyone,

   We're glad you're here with us today.

   OK, so our goal was to open the floor and have you give us some top reasons why Baby Boomers should move to your town. The response that we received via multiple channels was great, however, we received a large amount of people just pitching their areas, along with some international recommendations, but the focus was on Baby Boomers. With that being said, we bring to you the input that was actually of use for this post.

   "Baby boomers want to buy in Los Angeles because they have a choice of city or suburb", says Chantay Bridges, a Senior Real Estate Specialist with Clear Choice Realty & Associates. Bridges says that there are "tremendous deals", "bang for your buck, tons of inventory, and more "choices for you and your family." She states that, "Even multi-million dollar properties are on sale in LA. A few years back certain neighborhoods were unattainable, not anymore."

   Another city in California that was mentioned is Petaluma. Martha O'Hayer, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker, says that she loves Petaluma, and she has, "relocated several 'retired' folks" there. O'Hayers says that they go there to "be close to their kids without being in the hustle (or the expense) of Marin County."

   O'Hayer says that they, "just don't stay retired very long. There's tons to do and the pace of this incredibly beautiful area gets creative juices flowing again.", and she gives the following examples: "One client wrote her 2nd book, another retired client is so involved in his bike club he's gone many hours each day. Another retiree is a docent for the 3rd grade outdoor wetlands program."

   O' Hayer points to the fact that "Compared to Marin county and San Francisco county, your home dollars will go much further in Sonoma County and Petaluma specifically.", and says, "Travel and Leisure Magazine named Petaluma "one of the Nation's Top Ten Getaways near a major city, and that, "Sunset Magazine just named Petaluma "perfect small town". She adds that Petaluma has, "music, arts, Michelin rated restaurants", and that it is, "less than an hour from San Francisco." In terms of confidence in their respective areas, Bridges says that, "LA has the resources for everyone's hobbies, clubs and activities, including yours.".

   Did we miss your town? Is your town, "Baby-Boomer" friendly? Thing of the demographic and then think of the weather, proximity to stores, etc. What do you think?

Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes Blog http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Website http://www.lease2buy.com