Frustration

Frustration is just part of 21st Century life.  Some people just sluff it off and don't seem to give a s__t, while others whip out guns and start blasting away if they're so much as cut off on the inside lane.  In my old age I've realized frustration is often self-induced, and much of it can be avoided.

To many, cars are no longer just a means of transportation, but are a status symbol.  Certain nameplates will get you a knowing nod at "the club", while others will get you a parking spot out in the weeds.  But with that status comes much frustration.  Fancy cars are "needy" and costly to keep running.  (One of my friends has even named his high-end luxury Range Rover off-road vehicle "Twenty Five Hundred Dollars" because that's how much it cost him every time he passed the dealer.)  How much crap you're willing to put up with says a lot about your frustration tolerance.

Fancy watches:  Tag's, Omega's, Rolex's, Patek Philippe's, etc....eye-turners sure to impress, but they all have one dark little secret.  They don't keep very good time.  Some classic models still need winding, others need battery changing, all need to be manually adjusted after Daylight Savings Time changes, and they don't automatically adjust dates on leap years.  And after all the TLC you throw at them,  they still gain or lose a couple of minutes a month.  Grrr!

But there are some cheap ($100+/-) models (from Casio or similar brands) that get their power from sunlight and are re-calibrated daily by magic radio waves sent out by an atomic clock somewhere in Colorado.  Time changes / date changes are automatic.  Your call....frustration and status, or cheap and bulletproof.

McMansions:  It's still the American dream to own a BIG house, the bigger the better.  But more square footage also comes with higher insurance premiums, higher tax bills, higher utility bills, and they require A LOT more maintenance.  And the bigger the house, the more stuff you need to buy to fill it up.  You're just a rat on a wheel, running as hard as you can to keep up.  I just don't get McMansions.....unless I'm your builder, then it would be criminal NOT to max out your credit and buy as BIG as you can possibly afford.  *wink*  Again, your call, status with the frustration that comes with it, or simple and a snub from the In Crowd.

Travel:  Monday's and Friday's are the busiest air travel days of the week.  DON'T fly then.  The more bags you check, the greater the chance one will get lost.  Most of us pack clothes to cover every situation from a blizzard to a heat wave.  Too much to drag around, too much to go wrong.  DON'T!

Appliances:  Fancier = bigger headaches to keep running.  Brand new models = bugs to work out, and you're the guinea pig.  DON'T!  Do your homework, or suffer quietly.  We don't want to hear your whining.

Tech:  Computers, printers, tablets, smart phones, etc....some brands and models are more reliable than others.  Don't buy on price, then bitch because you're constantly on the phone to India for tech support.  Remember, "It doesn't cost any more to go First Class.  You just can't afford to go quite as often."

You get my point.  If you want to impress, knock yourself out, but don't blow a frustration gasket when keeping everything up and running becomes an all encompassing, highly frustrating effort.

Full disclosure:  I can speak first hand on this topic as I've been guilty of all these things in my earlier years, but with age comes....umm....I forgot what I was going to say.  :)

  As for myself, I think Jack had it about right.  *snort*

S

The end of the McMansion?

I read an interesting story today that said in many parts of the country "McMansions", those 3,000-5,000+/- square foot homes that have been all the rage for the past several decades, are losing their appeal.

The report went on to say that many buyers in their prime home-buying years are opting for new, smaller homes or older homes with "character".  It said that today McMansions are often looked at as large-but-poorly-built examples of excess consumption, paid for with debt that owners can't afford.  (This in contrast to those families of actual means who can afford nice quality large homes.)  They say in many locations (but not here in Dallas) McMansion prices are stagnant or even falling vs year ago values, while less expensive homes are seeing nice appreciation.

What they're finding is that many of those large, relatively inexpensive homes (based on the price-per-square-foot) will begin falling apart long before they should.  Yes, eventually all homes need maintenance, but it shouldn't be as soon as the warranty expires.  Does anyone ever stop and wonder how they can sell those large homes for that cheap of a price?  Do people actually think they're getting a Bentley for the price of a Chevy? 

Here's a dirty little homebuilder secret for you:   Building codes generally aren't that tough.  In fact, the purpose of building codes is to set a baseline "minimum property standard", key word there being MINIMUM. 

At the exact opposite end of the housing spectrum from McMansions are these "tiny houses".  They're becoming so popular they now even have their own tiny house show on HGTV.  They're usually about 150 square feet and built on a trailer "foundation", which explains the wheels.  

They're meant to be somewhat mobile, which I guess has appeal to some people, and because of their mobility they are not subject to even the minimum building codes mentioned above.  There is usually only one door, and the windows don't meet the minimum size required for exit in case of fire.  The bed is usually in a low loft over the kitchen and requires a vertical ladder to get up to it.  

If you have a habit of getting up in the night to visit the loo, you'd better make damn sure you're awake before you try and navigate that ladder!  The bathroom usually consists of a toilet seat on top of a glorified bucket, and to shower you stand in a slightly bigger bucket with a shower spray overhead.  The kitchen can accommodate a microwave and a plate, glass, knife, fork, and spoon (one each) and not much else, and the closet is usually about the size of a gym locker.  While I was an early proponent of downsizing, this is even too extreme for me.

Not too big...not too small...but juuuust right!  And the view isn't too shabby, either. 

My personal preference would be to live in a small house....not too much to keep up or clean, just perfect for my lazy side.  But unfortunately most towns (around here anyway) have zoned out building small houses.   They only want those big 'ol McMansions.  Why?  Tax revenue for them, screw what we want.  Yet another example of the tail wagging the dog.

Maybe in another few years when some of those early McMansions have completely disintegrated they'll let me bulldoze one and build what I want.  I just wish they'd hurry up and see things my way.  I'm not getting any younger, you know.  :)

S

My current mantra: "Everything you need, nothing you don't"

I often catch grief as a homebuilder who lives in an apartment. "Isn't that almost a sacrilege" they ask? "Why wouldn't you want to build yourself a big beautiful home?  What about the American Dream?"  Well, the American Dream is alive and well, and for many families it's what they live their lives for....working hard to buy a bigger house to contain all their "stuff".  There's nothing at all wrong with that, but for some of us we see all that stuff as owning you vs you owning it.

There was a time in my life when I had nice, fairly large homes.  With a wife and three children (and a dog), we needed lots of bedrooms and bathrooms and living areas and a big yard, too.  It was right for us at the time, and I don't regret it.  But for me today, when I realized I was paying utilities and insurance and taxes and maintenance on space that I wasn't using even half of for just two people, a little light bulb came on in my head.  Enough!

Today something like this would be my dream house.

I would love to find a postage-stamp-size lot in a decent neighborhood and build about a 1,000 square foot single story home.  A Great Room (kitchen/family room), two modest bedrooms at most, a bath and a half, small utility room, and a garage is all I/we need.  Can you imagine how little there would be to maintain?  Sweet!

Trouble is, no city around here will let you build a home that small.  It's all about the money.  Cities love McMansions because they generate a lot of tax dollars for them.  They can provide city services (parks, water, sewer, streets, police and fire protection, etc) to a small family in a very modest home, or to a small family living in a home four times as large, generating four times the tax revenue.  It's all about them, not the residents they serve.  The tail is wagging he dog!

I could go 20 miles further out of town and buy land in an unincorporated area and build pretty much whatever I wanted, but who wants to mow acreage?  It sorta defeats the idea of a "maintenance-free" lifestyle.  And who wants to drive half an hour to go to the store for some last minute supplies for the night's cookout?

I could buy an early post-WWII home....they were commonly around the size I would like....but most of those neighborhoods are today pretty....umm, "run down".  I like the sights and sounds of birds chirping and people walking their dogs, not random gunfire and crime scene tape. 

Townhomes are a possibility, but most are fairly new and currently in high demand.  To buy one and then gut it in order to build it back to my standards would be impractical....it would be so "over-improved" I could never get my money back if I ever wanted/needed to sell it. 

Which brings me to apartment living.  Small, new and clean, with nice grounds and tons of popular amenities, and maintenance-free to boot.  I often have to take a deep breath and shake my head when I look at the cabinets, appliances, and such, but did I mention it's maintenance-free?  *happy dance*

I think my point of view is gaining acceptance.  Many empty nesters these days are choosing "lock and leave" apartments where they can travel for months at a time and use their apartment for a base when they're in town.   

HGTV now even has an entire series built around tiny houses.  Most are built on wheels and are just a couple of hundred square feet, which is even too small for me, and besides, I've sorta grown accustomed to indoor plumbing. *wink*

Whenever I need to have my inspiration renewed I just think of my friend in St. Petersburg, FL  who lives on a vintage 35-foot cabin cruiser, or look again at this video of a guy in Bordeaux, France who converted a garage into a killer residence.  It's small, compact, and utilizes every square inch of space.  Everything has a place.  "Everything you need, nothing you don't."

 

While the neighborhood looks rather shabby by our standards here (it's in a historic district), they say it's in a highly desirable area there.  It's really a cool watch, but don't bother with the sound unless you speak French.

Now I'll wish you a happy Fourth of July.  I hope you have a wonderful day.  I'll defer my celebration for another couple of days....we're moving into a new, cool, smaller space this long weekend.  

'Merica!  :)

S  

Bigger is better....truth or myth?

Wonder who it was that first came up with the slogan "bigger is better"?  I will agree that in a few very specific circumstances bigger might indeed be better, but generally speaking bigger just means "bigger headaches".

I read in the paper yesterday that now that the US economy is recovering, the size of newly built homes is growing again.  It said that new homes now average over 2200 square feet, but I can tell you that around here (Dallas), that's a relatively modest starter house.  The vast majority seem to be well in excess of 3000 feet.  For families with kids this might make sense, but not for empty nesters (and there are a lot of us).

Build 'em big.  Build a lot of 'em.  

I haven't built a home smaller than 5500 square feet in years.  Right now I'm adding on to a 6300 square footer I built 2 years ago ^ , bringing it up to around 9000 feet.  I can't imagine living in a house that large.  It just isn't my thing.  (But of course, if they're intent on giving their hard earned money to a builder, it might as well be me. ;)

I had a large(-ish) home myself a few years ago, but with the recession of '08 approaching I knew that its value was only going to drop, so I bailed when I could and did fairly well.  

The main reason I bailed, however, was because I was tired of paying all the property taxes, the insurance, the utilities, the maintenance, the yard upkeep, the cleaning, etc.  I was getting no satisfaction from ownership, and in fact it was an albatross around my neck.

I began thinking about it and realized we actually only used about 1300 square feet, the rest just being space that was never used.  All that hassle wasn't worth it to my teeny ego.  Or maybe I'm just lazy? (Full disclosure.)

We rented a 2 bed-2 bath apartment* in a nice area and found it to be plenty big enough....after getting rid of everything we knew we were never going to use again.  Before long we realized even that was too much (the spare bedroom became a catch-all junk room) so we downsized again to a one bedroom apartment.  The peace of mind knowing that I have virtually no chores to do around the house/apt is very liberating.

This would do just fine.

But now here's the crazy part:  I sometimes think it would be nice to build another home for K and me.  I could make it state-of-the-art, energy efficient, super durable, etc, but I would want absolutely no more than 1,000 square feet, and there's the rub.  No city around here will allow a home to be built that small.

Why, you ask?  (Go ahead, ask.)  Because the cities like all the property tax $$$$ big houses bring in.  Screw what the people want, this is what the cities want.  The tail is wagging the dog.  

So the next time you hear some bureaucrat from the Department of Overpaid Gubment Employment preach that we need to preserve water and power, use less everything, recycle more, live smarter and such, remind them of this hypocrisy.

S

* Sometime I should write about my downsizing experience.

It's all about appearances....and money

Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

This small house is in San Francisco, a locale where real estate is in short supply.  They're used to creative designs like this being plopped onto postage-stamp sized sites.  Except for the fact there doesn't seem to be any provision for car parking, I'd love this.  But here in Dallas, Texas when you say you want a small house this is what people think you're talking about:

This one actually appears very neat and lovingly maintained, but it isn't the sort of place that will turn heads when you're standing at the building permit desk asking if a zoning square footage  exception can be made.  That isn't actually the process, of course, but you say "small" and they just seem to automatically think this and reach for their "DENIED" rubber stamp.  McMansions bring in lots of property taxes; these don't.  That's as far as they can think.

Maybe I need to think more creatively:  I could present a front view that looks like the Palace of Versailles, but have it propped up with 2 x 6's like one of those movie-set facades.  Then behind that could be my little 1000 square foot house.  Think they'd catch on?

And here's how I'll pay for it:

Anyone remember the 'ol Swear Jar?  (Did anyone besides me NEED a swear jar?)

The idea was when you catch someone swearing they have to put a coin in the jar.  When the jar was full the money went to something fun or to a charity, whatever.  

OK, so here's my idea to pay for my new house:  I'll put "Lie Jars" all over Washington, DC.  When a politician tells a lie they'll put a quarter in my jar, and wah-lah....free house!  'Course I can't use little jars.  I'll need 55 gallon barrels.  Lots of 'em.  And with the money left over I'd be very philanthropic....I'd pay off the national debt or something.  Shoot, I'll have $16 trillion dollars by Easter.  What do you think?

S

It feels like I'm living in a warehouse

My study has become little more than a depository for storage boxes as we aggressively pack things away for our move in a little over three weeks.  I seem to be obsessed with my friend Don's living arrangements onboard his boat as my roll model for lean, uncluttered living.  Actually, the way he lives is so spartan I think he's out-spartaned Sparta.  I'm not prepared to go quite that far.


Don lives on a 35-foot vintage Chris Craft boat he keeps in a boathouse in Tampa, FL.  He takes it out fishing on occasion, but it usually stays tied up in the boathouse he rents.   As best as I can recall it looks something like this:

He told me at one time he calculated that he's actually living in a little over 300 square feet.  Everything is ultra-compact.  His "library" is one small shelf over his bed.  His kitchen has a 2-burner stove and a mini-fridge, and is so small you can't turn around without bumping into yourself.  Bake a cake?  Ha!  A cupcake, maybe.  

It looks rather quaint, but that wears off in about 30 minutes.  Then it's just small.  He has a hibachi grill rigged up to hang over the stern of his boat.  If he wants a steak and a glass of wine he brings home one steak and one bottle of wine and cooks it and eats/drinks it all right then.  No leftovers.  And his bathroom....yikes!  Not a place you want to be if you're claustrophobic, for sure.  There's not even enough room in there to turn the page.  *wink*

I know I'll never match Don's level of compact living, nor do I really want to.  Still, it's fun (not sure what K thinks of all this) to look at every thing you have and decide whether it's worth keeping or not.  I've come to realize if something has been in storage or in the back of a closet for years, and has never been missed, never even crossed your mind, it's probably time for it to go.  Easier said than done, though.  

Someday I may break down and build us another home, but something small and easily maintained.  Trouble is, around here most cities don't allow building new, small homes.  They zone for McMansions, no doubt because they bring in lots of property tax revenue.  I'll admit it's a bit awkward talking to clients about building them a new 5,000 or 6,000 sq ft home and they ask, "Where do you live?" and I reply, "in a very modest apartment".  They look at me like I just arrived on planet Earth.

Hmmm....wonder what Planning and Zoning would think of a yert?

  

S