Track homes why so popular?

Very Popular here in calgary..everyday a new area goes up it sells out in a day or two. Then the next area is 40k dollars more. Its pretty stupid.

 

Just to mix it up a bit

Here's the anti-tract home thread from a couple months back...

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95232

 

I went out of my way to find a nice sized lot surrounded by horse farms and pastures only 2 years ago. No more. Most developed now. Pisses me off.

 

The secret is to find communities which have specific goals in mind. There are a certain communities in which the typical lot size is 2 acres+, home design is very strongly controlled, and they are very much against the anti-tract mentality.

It doesn't come cheap to live in such communities, but they do exist.

 

My neighborhood in orlando required a minimum lot of > 1 acre. All homes are custom. no semi-custom. no 2 homes are alike. must get all plans approved by Home owners assoc. architectural comittee. but like audihenry said... It doesn't come cheap. one of the last available lots, approx 1.15 acre, sold for $640K. this is not waterfront/waterview or anything.

Thus the appeal of tract homes. maximize the home on minimum land cost. most bang for the buck. sort of the "Mustang 5.0 GT" of homes. if your budget is limited it can be your best option. IMO beats apts/condos. it's still a stand alone home.

 

$640K? Sounds like a bargain! That's the price you'd pay here for a 6000 sq ft suburban lot atop which stands a post-war 1200 sq ft house, rotting inside and out, in an area you don't even want to drive through, let alone in a Ferrari! :-O

 

Just making sure were clear, the $640K is for undeveloped land. not cleared. no house.

I know it'd be more than that in LA, but $640K is a lot for a little dirt...

 

I realize that!

It's so over-developed here that such a land in a good place would be worth millions, if not more. My prevous post relates to what most people end up doing: they buy a rotting house and put up a McMansion in its place, unless they have the money to get a nice lot in a nice place, which is beyond the reach of most people.

What's the average starter home in your area going for?

 

Not sure what you mean by my area. my neighborhood is 1.5M-4.5M. starter homes in orlando are all over the map depending on area. I would say new starter tract housing in average areas goes for 300-350K. plenty of new neighborhoods going in with houses over $1M though.

 

Most people would love to live in a neighborhood like that. But for them (and me), a $1mm house is not feasible. Therefore, they either rent or buy in tract neighborhoods. It's not like people love living on top of their neighbors, believe me.

 

I agree completely. Remember, my last few sentences were....

"if your budget is limited it can be your best option. IMO beats apts/condos. it's still a stand alone home."

In no way am I putting down a tract home, nor am i putting down a mustang 5.0. it's getting the most for your money, like I said. nothing wrong with that. most, me included, have to live within a budget.

 

Lots of these in Norther VA/ Washington D.C. as well. It is a nice compromise due to population density, but you dont have to hear your neighboors banging the door down the hallway of your condo floor. Obviously not perfect but if you want to live in a highly populated area, there has to be some compromise.

 

A friend of mine, a few months ago purchased 32 acres mostly on top of a hill, a 5100 sq ft house on the side of the hill. 10 minutes from the city. For 750k. That was on the growing side of San Antonio.