We are seeing some modest improvement in the housing economy, at least from our perspective. Not necessarily large scale, but that could improve, too. What we are seeing happen are more frequent phone calls and e-mails than in previous months (prior to July and August, 2010), and more actual commissioned projects under contract.

That is a good thing, by anyone’s yardstick. We have heard that the Nation’s economy is improving and from the activity we are beginning to see, that sounds right to us.   We tend to be conservative about the implications of certain activity.   However, good solid design work on our part for individual couples wanting nice retirement houses and for speculative builders pre-selling our designs on lots bodes well for the housing construction industry.  You have to have a design before you can build it and sell it live in it. (more…)

Along with the occasional mansion, I am seeing a shift to more compact houses of reasonably upper-mid-range quality. People seem to want simpler lives and overall, smaller footprints.

Housing in the 2,500 hsf (heated square feet) to 3,500 hsf seem to be the demand more often these days.  In the mid-decade (2003-2008) 4,500 hsf was the average, with more houses in the 6,000 hsf range and bigger.  Recently, I have had two different clients from different places in the USA, moving to the Carolinas, and wanting 2,800 hsf to 3,000 hsf or so.  This appears to be a trend.  Another client is having us modify their 6,000 hsf previous design direction to become more like 2,500 hsf. (more…)