Shared from the 10/7/2018 San Antonio Express eEdition

GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDERS ASSOCIATION

Entry-level Homes Making a Comeback

Picture
Picture

Waist size. College tuition. Kidney stones. Many things in life don’t get better as they grow bigger. Often times, the best things comes in small(er) packages.

In recent years, the tiny-home trend has taken that philosophy to the extreme. But it hasn’t quite caught on with mainstream America. The overwhelming majority of home buyers still prefer to own an abode with ample space in which to live, relax and entertain.

The median size of homes built in 2017 was bigger than ever, and the portion of those homes with four or more bedrooms grew to 47 percent. But so far in 2018, the median home size appears to have reached a plateau, leveling off after several years of gradual growth.

In fact, the first half of 2018 saw median square footage of single-family homes decline — ever so slightly — from 2,465 to 2,392. Some might assume that any decline is a negative sign. However, economists know that this is a positive step in the post-recession cycle of economic recovery.

“History has shown us this pattern before when the country was recovering from previous recessions,” says NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “When the recession began, production of larger, high-end homes ramped up because the buyers of those homes typically had fewer credit constraints than the would-be buyers of more modest homes. But this recent decline in home size indicates that smaller homes are increasingly popping up as the economy strengthens and more entry-level buyers return to the market.”

An expanding market of entry-level homes in many areas of the country typically includes increased production of townhomes, which range considerably in size and price but are often times smaller and less expensive than single-family homes. Townhomes make up a relatively small share of the new homes being built in our area today, but what many of them offer — medium-density, “urban village” neighborhoods with conveniently located amenities — is very appealing to a large number of buyers from all age groups.

From large, custom homes to smaller, entry-level homes and everything in between, builders across the greater San Antonio area are creating dream homes for their clients each and every day. In fact, the City of San Antonio included Appendix Q in the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) for Tiny Homes. Tiny Homes are defined as ‘A dwelling that is 400 square feet or less in floor area excluding lofts’.

If you haven’t visited the 2018 Parade of Homes, GSABA’s single site Parade opened yesterday and will run through Sunday, October 14th and features five great Builders to include Casadomaine Custom Homes; Mike Hollaway Custom Homes; Garner Homes; Prestige Homes and Sitterle Homes. The Parade is being held in Miralomas, a master planned community located in Boerne, TX off I-10W and Hwy. 46.

In fact, Casadomaine Custom Homes has a Tiny Home on display, we invite you to come and tour all of the houses, the Parade of Homes is open from noon to 6:00pm today. Discount tickets can be purchased at Home Depot or you can purchase tickets on site. There is more information on the Parade of Homes in this edition of the San Antonio Express News and you can find a wealth of information on the Parade of Homes and directions on GSABA’s website at www.sabuilders.com.

See this article in the e-Edition Here
Edit Privacy