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Popularity contest

According to the report, remodeling was the biggest source of business for architects during the second quarter, with additions and alterations and kitchen/bath projects leading the way.

The tastes of Americans continued to evolve, changing the popularity of specific home features. Residences are getting less formal and the Institute reported a marked decline in the kind of upscale entryways and foyers that had been much in demand in years past.

Less popular too, despite growing auto ownership nationwide are giant garages with bays for three or more cars.

Home offices led the list of amenities that have grown in popularity. The difference between the percentage of architects reporting increased demand for this kind of room minus those reporting decreased demand came to 47 percentage points.

Hobby/game rooms (30 percent difference); mud rooms (26 percent); and media rooms (24 percent) also showed increased popularity.

Another major home feature more Americans want is living space dedicated to other household members; 38 percent of architects cited increased demand for this feature with about 15 percent cited lower demand.

More and more, entire wings or suites, including separate kitchens and baths, are being incorporated in home design or added to existing houses. These may be used by aging parents or live-in child-care workers.

According to a survey of architects, here's what Americans are most interested in adding to their houses.

Feature Popularity
Home office 47%
Game room 30%
Mud room 26%
Home theater 24%
Guest wing 23%
In-law suite 22%
Laundry room 18%
Fitness center 13%


Source: American Institute of Architects

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Architects' survey reports on the amenities most sought by homeowners.

Favorite home features

The strength of the housing market has not just driven an increase in the number of homes being built and renovated, it is also influencing the design and appearance of those homes.

According to a new survey from the American Institute of Architects, the second quarter of this year remained a strong one for most of its members. More than 39 percent reported improved billings compared with the first quarter, with only 9 percent reporting lower billings.

And the future looks as bright: 42 percent of the respondents have experienced a rise in inquiries for new work during the corner and only 10 percent said they had seen fewer potential new customers.

The average architectural firm had a work backlog of 5.4 months during the first quarter, up from 5.2 months the quarter earlier.

Regionally, architects in the South report the strongest business conditions with 52 percent of architects there having more work in quarter two. Weakest was the Northeast where only 27 percent reported increased billings. to be continued....

Great article over at NAHB:

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No. And, home prices nationally have never declined.

According to a study released in May 2005 by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), most local market price booms in the past were followed by periods of price appreciation slowdowns that allowed other economic factors ñ including household income and housing supply ñ to catch up.

Further, the limited number of FDIC-documented price "busts" occurred in markets where the local economy was under considerable stress and job losses were heavy, such as in the mid-1980s in Houston and other oil patch markets when oil prices collapsed.

Virtually all local economies are now moving ahead, and the national economyís forward momentum is likely to continue for years.

Update from the National Association of Homebuilders:

July 27, 2005 - Sales of newly built single-family homes surged to an all-time seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.374 million units in June, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Commerce Department. The rate was 4.0 percent higher than the upwardly revised sales pace set in May, and 14.0 percent above the June sales pace of a year ago.

ìBuilders expected June numbers to be very strong,î said David Wilson president of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a custom home builder from Ketchum, Idaho. ìWe survey single-family builders regularly, and they indicated that they were solidly optimistic about July.î

ìThe housing market turned in another solid performance throughout the second quarter, showing the strength of demand,î said NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders. ìA strong economy and favorable market fundamentals, including a low and stable mortgage rate structure, growing employment and increases in household income, are driving the market.î

All four regions across the country posted a higher home sales pace in June from the month before. The Northeast posted a 7.2 percent increase, sales in the Midwest were up 2.1 percent, sales in the South increased 5.1 percent, and sales in the West nudged up 2.8 percent.

The median price for new homes sold in June was $214,800, down from $227,400 in May. ìThis probably reflects a change in the regional and market segment sales mix,î Seiders said.

The inventory of new homes for sale was 454,000, a 4.0 monthsí supply at the June sales pace. ìThe inventory situation remains very manageable. More than 56 percent of the homes included in the inventory are under construction and a record 22.3 percent have not been started yet,î Seiders said. ìBecause of the limited amount of land available for building in many areas and in anticipation of increased mortgage rates in the coming months, buildersí inventories are very lean.î

Part II of the "Why buy stock house plans vs. custom" article has been posted on the site here....

New article has been added to the site here....

Part II of the article can be found here ...

Remember to always email us if a particular homeplan package is shown as being "Not Available" on the site....

Most house plan designers offer a variety of plan "packages" to better fit our customer's specific needs.

There are packages specifically meant to provide additional information, for review purposes only.....there are packages that allow you to obtain CAD file sets which can then be modified by a designer in your area, to exactly fit your specific needs....and there are many other "packages" that allow you to purchase the type that best fits your needs..

As such, we have developed a short article to better explain the different types of floorplan packages, and when to use each.....

Part I can be found here

We've finished the third portion of the "Most Popular Homeplan Features" article , and you can view here

If you have ideas for other articles that you'd like to see, drop us an email at webmaster@houseplancentral.com

I wanted to let everyone know that we've just completed Part II of our article series on the "Most Popular Homeplan Features" . Be sure to check it out, as several of the items may be helpful as you look for features that you would like in your new home plan...

You can view it here

Stay tuned for part III....

One of the most popular questions, by far, that we receive from our customers is "What are the most popular houseplan features?"

This is a very difficult question to answer, since the most popular features vary so greatly between demographic groups....between different parts of the country...etc, etc...

In any case, we thought it appropriate to develop a series of articles devoted to this topic, and here is part one of the "Most popular house plan features" series.

Stay tuned for part II and III....

Over the coming months, our team will be developing a series of educational articles focused on providing you with the information that you need...quickly and concisely.

As such, if there are any particular topics that you would like to see addressed, send us an email at webmaster@houseplancentral.com.

Thanks....