I know, the Greater Los Angeles Area (mostly West side and South Ventura County) is probably the best location in terms of the total number of high-end single-family residential.
But, per capita, what is the best city to practice? Could it be Portland, Oregon? Seattle? D.C.?
You'll want to go to a city that's actually growing, in population and economics. Atlanta, Charlotte, San Antonio, Dallas... LA may have a lot of high end single family residential today but it's not going to be building any more in the future.
I agree with le bossman. Also, places like North Adams/Western Mass, various coastal towns in Maine, a few places in Colorado.. wherever wealthy people have estates and ranches.
Santa Barbara/Mid-Coast as far north as San Luis Obispo, Marin County and points north all the way up to mendocino, east bay hills, maybe garlic country, Gilroy and points south, but things are pretty weak there now.
the beaches? really? florida is virtually shut down to new construction for a long time (unless it's for the truly affluent who don't have financing worries).
atlanta, phoenix, vegas - all those places are going to be dead for a while given the overbuilding and consequential de-valuing of the home stock there.
the reality is, nothing above a $1 to $1.5 million dollars is financeable anywhere these days at above 50%, as far as single family detached product goes... which means, you're building just for those few who can pay cash. This isn't much of a market.
This is why new home sizes are falling monthly, nationally.
The places named above refer to the future, not anytime in the next few years. Your best bet may le Bossman's suggestion - go to Wyoming and build for the super rich.
FYI, the mayors of the cities of LA and San Diego have both committed not to zone any more single family detached at all - as in zero - beyond that which is already zoned but not yet developed. Portland hasn't come out to say so, but that's pretty much already the policy there.
There is that hot place in China... but you have to have an Ivy League Degree and fall under the right star. You might get one or two houses if you stay long enough.
seriously, I look at all the high end stuff on the market and go wow...then I get a call today from a former client who tells me he has just repurchased a property he bought and sold a couple of years ago for less than he bought it the first time after a substantial amount of renovation had been done by the previous owner. The estimated work exceed 5 zeros. Damn if he isn't looking to flip it again.
snook, so the guy calls you just to brag? Or, maybe you guys are chummy.
I've been looking at the Southern Marin County area, which is pretty bare to multi-family. It's basically a bedroom area, so there's no aversion to single-family. But, the neighbors care too much about what you're designing. And, just about any property is primarily the value of land, so there's a steep up front cost to any potential owner. For instance, land costs 800K, and people can't sit on an 800K land and pay property tax and loans fot 2 years. Not only that, but, often, land sellers are very used to the waiting game, so they don't lower their prices as much as desperate home owners. The end result is that undeveloped land costs as much as similar plats with a house on it.
So, like Urbanist said, this means only the cash rich who don't care about loan interests and who really want a custom house is building. Very slim pickings when every architect and home builder is trying to get the same commission.
Sometimes, I think I should build on my own, live in it, and sell it later to someone who falls in love with it....
taxi...actually I have done a number of projects for this client, just don't have one in the mix at the moment. I do advise him from time to time but I don't call those projects.
I dunno why, but I can't stand neo-colonial houses. If I'm ever forced to design a traditional style house, I actually don't mind Victorian.
I'm trying to find a place a start a firm, and I want to start a life there, so I'm looking at this from all angles. Maybe South Bay (in Northern Cal). Apple's making a killing, and if anything will come back to revive this industry, I think tech is the industry to watch.
Best city for high end residential, per capita
I know, the Greater Los Angeles Area (mostly West side and South Ventura County) is probably the best location in terms of the total number of high-end single-family residential.
But, per capita, what is the best city to practice? Could it be Portland, Oregon? Seattle? D.C.?
for high end single family detached homes?
You'll want to go to a city that's actually growing, in population and economics. Atlanta, Charlotte, San Antonio, Dallas... LA may have a lot of high end single family residential today but it's not going to be building any more in the future.
i'd say jackson hole, wyoming. average home price is around 1.2 mil. lot's of great sf homes and residential architects.
I agree with le bossman. Also, places like North Adams/Western Mass, various coastal towns in Maine, a few places in Colorado.. wherever wealthy people have estates and ranches.
ski towns, beach towns.
Ok, sorry, should clarify. Detached, yes. Metropolitan, yes. West coastal preferred, yes.
LA is shrinking, but I think people will always migrate in.
Seattle is suffering from continual decline in military & B*eing presence. Plus, there's less high class taste there.
Any thing good along the west coast? Bay area?
As for places like Wyoming, though I love it out there, practicing there's not my sort of thing.
taxidriver,
Santa Barbara/Mid-Coast as far north as San Luis Obispo, Marin County and points north all the way up to mendocino, east bay hills, maybe garlic country, Gilroy and points south, but things are pretty weak there now.
the beaches? really? florida is virtually shut down to new construction for a long time (unless it's for the truly affluent who don't have financing worries).
atlanta, phoenix, vegas - all those places are going to be dead for a while given the overbuilding and consequential de-valuing of the home stock there.
the reality is, nothing above a $1 to $1.5 million dollars is financeable anywhere these days at above 50%, as far as single family detached product goes... which means, you're building just for those few who can pay cash. This isn't much of a market.
This is why new home sizes are falling monthly, nationally.
The places named above refer to the future, not anytime in the next few years. Your best bet may le Bossman's suggestion - go to Wyoming and build for the super rich.
FYI, the mayors of the cities of LA and San Diego have both committed not to zone any more single family detached at all - as in zero - beyond that which is already zoned but not yet developed. Portland hasn't come out to say so, but that's pretty much already the policy there.
There is that hot place in China... but you have to have an Ivy League Degree and fall under the right star. You might get one or two houses if you stay long enough.
seriously, I look at all the high end stuff on the market and go wow...then I get a call today from a former client who tells me he has just repurchased a property he bought and sold a couple of years ago for less than he bought it the first time after a substantial amount of renovation had been done by the previous owner. The estimated work exceed 5 zeros. Damn if he isn't looking to flip it again.
snook, so the guy calls you just to brag? Or, maybe you guys are chummy.
I've been looking at the Southern Marin County area, which is pretty bare to multi-family. It's basically a bedroom area, so there's no aversion to single-family. But, the neighbors care too much about what you're designing. And, just about any property is primarily the value of land, so there's a steep up front cost to any potential owner. For instance, land costs 800K, and people can't sit on an 800K land and pay property tax and loans fot 2 years. Not only that, but, often, land sellers are very used to the waiting game, so they don't lower their prices as much as desperate home owners. The end result is that undeveloped land costs as much as similar plats with a house on it.
So, like Urbanist said, this means only the cash rich who don't care about loan interests and who really want a custom house is building. Very slim pickings when every architect and home builder is trying to get the same commission.
Sometimes, I think I should build on my own, live in it, and sell it later to someone who falls in love with it....
taxi...actually I have done a number of projects for this client, just don't have one in the mix at the moment. I do advise him from time to time but I don't call those projects.
how about potomac, chave chase and georgetown MD/DC area?
but in Potomac/Chevy Chase/Georgetown you'll get to design the same neo-colonial over and over again!
I dunno why, but I can't stand neo-colonial houses. If I'm ever forced to design a traditional style house, I actually don't mind Victorian.
I'm trying to find a place a start a firm, and I want to start a life there, so I'm looking at this from all angles. Maybe South Bay (in Northern Cal). Apple's making a killing, and if anything will come back to revive this industry, I think tech is the industry to watch.
I saw this on msnbc: millionaire vacay homes
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37454847/ns/business-real_estate/
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