Just the other day I mentioned two modern foothills homes, one old, one brand new, both single story and both of a style seldom found in the Catalina Foothills.
And according to this WSJ article modern, simple design is gaining in popularity along with a strong desire to live on one level.
From WSJ.com
The Ranch House, Reinvented
By KATY MCLAUGHLIN
the following are excerpts from the article; JS
Homeowners and architects are reinventing the low-slung ranch house with high ceilings, wide-open spaces and luxury amenities, all on a single floor
When Amy and Matt Ross decided to build their dream home in Scottsdale, Ariz., they wanted modern style, high ceilings, indoor-outdoor integration, energy efficiency and vast family gathering spaces—all on one floor.
The result was a 5,900-square-foot rambler with walls of windows.
“We like a sprawling floor plan and not just a box on top of a box,” said Ms. Ross, a 45-year-old small-business owner.
The Rosses are among a new breed of home buyers who want a single-story house for reasons unrelated to creaky knees. To capture these buyers, architects and builders are reinterpreting one-story living and putting a modern twist on the classic midcentury ranch house.
Luxury single-family homes—the top 5% most expensive houses—are a hot commodity today, according to data examined by realtor.com, a San Jose-based listings site. The median sale price for a luxury single-story last year was $510 a square foot, 18% more expensive than during the peak of the housing bubble in 2006. Multistory luxury homes are selling for a median price of $350 a square foot, realtor.com data show. Transactions of single-story homes are 20% higher than in 2009, while multistory homes are selling 3% more frequently than in 2009.
Not every single-story home buyer wants full-blown modernism. Rick Bell, president of Landmark Custom Homes in Southwest Ranches, Fla., is currently building an 8,600-square-foot, one-story spec home he plans to list for about $3.8 million. The home will have a “rear wall of glass, 20-foot ceilings, and the outside and inside will feel like they are together,” Mr. Bell said, though the look won’t be completely modern or “cubist,” he said. His bet on a contemporary look and single-story construction adds proof to the popular theory in the building community that the Mediterrean-style mansion, once so popular, has jumped the shark.
“They say ‘Med is dead,’ but I think Med is just resting a bit,” said Mr. Bell. Meanwhile, he’s focusing on modern finishes and long, clean lines.
Read all about it - The Ranch House, Reinvented
PS- WSJ is a subscription site, if you can’t get in just Google the article’s title and click that link,
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98.6% of spec homes in the foothills come in three flavors (I made up the 98.6%, but I’ll bet it’s very close); the ubiquitous Southwest contemporary, the over the top Tuscan and, now and then, a Mediterranean.But a simple, modern contemporary, almost never.
A little variety couldn’t hurt, I hope the trend to modern style homes makes its way here. And single story, well, on that, we’re way ahead of the trend.
see TheFoothillsToday.com
to find your very own Catalina Foothills Home
