Category Archives: Homes

Housing Innovations: ICON Builds First Permitted 3D-Printed Homes In Austin, TX

From an Austin.Curbed.com online article:

ICON 3D Printed Homes InteriorICON, which uses robotics, software, and advanced materials (including its proprietary “Lavacrete”) to remove numerous barriers in the contemporary building industry, debuted its first 3D printer and the country’s first permitted, 3D-printed home in at SXSW 2018 in Austin.

Community First Village, run by Mobile Loaves and Fishes to provide permanent, personal housing and services for homeless people in Austin, had quite the breakthrough day Monday. Partnering with Austin-based Icon and and Cielo property group, it opened the second phase of its development with a 3D-printed prototype house that will serve as a welcome center for the community. The 500-square-foot building took a total of 27 hours to print.

To read more: https://austin.curbed.com/2019/9/10/20858924/austin-homeless-tiny-house-3d-printing

Future Of Housing: “Abodu” Backyard Homes Pre-Approved For Installation In San Jose, CA (In Two Weeks)

From a HousingWire.com online release:

Abodu Backyard Homes interiorHaving gained this pre-approval status, Abodu said one of its units can be installed in a backyard in as little as two weeks.

“Abodu is proud to enter the Bay Area market and provide a new, cost-effective alternative for those seeking more space or looking to monetize their backyard via rental income,” said John Geary, co-founder at Abodu.  “Whether a buyer is installing an Abodu backyard home for a family member or as an additional source of income, this is a great and easy way to increase the value and functionality of a home.”

In 2017, the state of California passed several laws that gave cities more flexibility for allowing homeowners to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Most recently, at the beginning of this year, the state approved legislation that gave homeowners with ADUs constructed without a permit the ability to be inspected and approved under the standards that were in place the year the structure was built.

To read more: https://www.housingwire.com/articles/50113-bay-area-company-combats-housing-crunch-with-backyard-home-offering?utm_campaign=Newsletter%20-%20HousingWire%20Daily&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=76675682&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-93dN4nTMs2PA2T2vda9Fl_yxtwTimIec6gC5lps_L28CvH39n6jpIudt4UhedfW7zpQXXOPD2jHGmjulumHC2_Zkpe6g&_hsmi=76675682

Future Of Housing: “Tera” Sustainable Eco-Home From AI SpaceFactory

From a DesignBoom.com online review:

Tera Airspacefactory Sustainable home layoutAI spacefactory — the architects behind the NASAaward-winning mars habitat — is now launching ‘TERA’, a space-tech habitat designed for off-grid living on earth. designed to be a ‘B&B unlike any other’, ‘TERA’ will be a high-tech, luxe eco-home nestled in the woods of upstate new york with sweeping views of the hudson river. ‘we realized the materials and technology we developed for long-term missions on mars had the potential to be leaps and bounds more sustainable than conventional construction on earth,’ said david malott, AI spacefactory’s CEO and chief architect. ‘TERA will challenge everything we know about architecture and construction. it could transform the way we build on earth – maybe even save our planet.’

Tera Airspacefactory Sustainable home exteriordeveloped from the same designs and 3D printing technologies behind the AI spacefactory’s NASA-award-winning ‘MARSHA’ mars habitat, ‘TERA’ is designed to be minimally invasive to its surrounding environment. it can be broken down, recycled and re-printed elsewhere, without leaving any trace. the ‘multi-planetary architectural and technology design agency’ hopes to curb the massive footprint of conventional building practices that rely on energy-and waste-intensive materials. in its realization,

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/tera-experience-the-future-of-living#/

To read more: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/ai-spacefactory-rentable-mars-habitat-tera-09-02-2019/?utm_source=designboom+daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=AI%C2%A0spacefactory+reveals+rentable

Top Mobile Houses: Land Ark RV’s “Draper” Is Optimally Functional, Sophisticated Travel

From LandArkRV.com website:

Land Ark RV Draper InteriorOptimized for an individual or a couple, this mid-century modern design delivers a functional layout in a sophisticated package. The mud room entry features a 7 ft.+ width wardrobe, a separate W/D utility closet and a nook with a bench and cubbies. Connecting this space to the rest of the interior is a gallery with recessed lighting and clerestory windows. From the gallery, ascend up the custom designed oak ladder into the sleeping loft enclosed with large windows. A compact, yet surprisingly luxurious bathroom features a vanity, wall-hung toilet and a full size, walk-in shower with recessed lighting and a window. Flooded with natural light, the main living area opens up to a large galley kitchen and a convertible U-sofa that transforms into a queen bed for the occasional guest. Living extends outside through the sliding patio door onto a large hardwood deck that can be raised and closed for transport.

Website: https://landarkrv.com/models/draper/

Future Of Home Buying: ZeroDown Buys The Home, You Pay Monthly To Complete Purchase Later

From a HousingWire.com online article:

ZeroDown Home Purchase Website how it worksReal estate startup ZeroDown, which launched earlier this year, boasts a unique business model. Aiming to help more people become homeowners in the pricey San Francisco Bay Area, the company removes several of the largest hurdles from the homebuying process, namely the down payment and mortgage, and buys homes for its customers outright.

But it doesn’t give the properties away. Rather, the company buys the house with its own funds, without requiring its customers to put down a down payment or assume a mortgage, then leases the property to the customer for a period of as long as five years.

https://www.zerodown.com/

To read more click on the following link: https://www.housingwire.com/articles/49937-real-estate-startup-zerodown-secures-100-million-to-buy-san-francisco-homes-for-its-customers?utm_campaign=Newsletter%20-%20HousingWire%20Daily&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=76098861&_hsenc=p2ANqtz–haCZ6Ij9bSwQwBZTqEGO12hhm6HCNa4G5lr3AeeJRbRjpsAJPIMAF8Ko0NPhdW_Nn8Vmg3s35rhQhmcODtqhIch-f1A&_hsmi=76098861

Future Of Homebuilding: Off-Grid Eco House For Summer Trips From Fresh Prince Design In Australia

From a DesignBoom.com article:

Tiny Off Grid Eco House From Fresh Prince Australia bedroomthe lightweight timber structure is built on a wheeled chassis and clad in matte black weathertex, a locally sourced material made from forest thinnings and other industry by-products in the production process. the off-grid cabin features built-in joinery that blends seamlessly with the interior lining and cathedral ceiling so that this sense of openness is preserved.

sydney-based architecture firm fresh prince has designed a compact off-grid cabin in australia that offers a sustainable dwelling for summer getaways. located in new south wales, the 150-square-foot ‘barrington tops’ cabin is perched on the banks of a highland river, surrounded by dense woodland.

Tiny Off Grid Eco House From Fresh Prince Australia kitchen

http://www.freshprince.com.au/

To read more click on the following link: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/fresh-prince-sustainable-off-grid-cabin-08-26-2019/?utm_source=designboom+daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=fresh+prince+designs

Trends In Housing: Boomers’ Downsizing Leaves “Trail Of Luxury Ranches” In Colorado

From a Wall Street Journal article by Katherine Clark:

Tom Bradbury, a Denver real-estate developer, and his family are listing South Comanche Ranch for $22 million. PHOTO REBECCA STUMPF FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL“If you look back in the day to the ’70s and ’80s, there were these guys…raised with this mythology of the West,” said Ken Mirr, a local ranch broker. “It was attachment to something Hollywood produced. Their children aren’t necessarily always as interested in operating the properties. Sometimes the kids just see cows and think ‘What should I do with this?’”

Operating costs vary dramatically, depending on how much infrastructure ranchers have on their land and the level of agricultural activity but can often be millions a year.

Decades ago, a generation of America’s wealthiest, raised on television shows like “Howdy Doody” and “The Lone Ranger,” headed west with dreams of owning some of the country’s most prestigious ranches. Now, as those John Wayne- loving baby boomers age out of the lifestyle or die, they or their children are looking to sell those trophy properties.

To read more click on following link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/baby-boomers-are-leaving-behind-a-trail-of-luxury-ranches-11566487531?mod=hp_listc_pos3

Future Of Smaller Homes: “Bumblebee Spaces” Stores Bed, Wardrobe On Ceiling Freeing Up Small Rooms

From an 1843.com online article:

Bumblebee Spaces website home space savingsA startup called Bumblebee Spaces is trying to make micro apartments more appealing by adding movable furniture. Beds, wardrobe and drawers are stored up on the ceiling, to be lowered quietly on white suspension cords at the touch of a tablet, like a scene change on a theatre stage. In theory this frees up floor space. Once he’s raised his bed in the morning, Dabdoub sometimes does yoga and meditation. In the evening, he can sit on the couch and project Netflix onto a blank wall, which would otherwise be occupied by the bed’s headboard.Bumblebee Spaces website home space savings bed

Bumblebee is putting a new twist on the Murphy bed, a mattress that folds down from the wall. That bed was named after another inventor in San Francisco, William Lawrence Murphy, who was living in a tiny one-room apartment in the early 1900s. According to lore, he was trying to woo an opera singer who refused to come to his bedroom. So he devised a way to fold up his mattress into the wall and convert the bedroom into a lounge. Lust fuelled innovation.

https://www.bumblebeespaces.com/

To read more click on the following link: https://www.1843magazine.com/upfront/postcard-from-silicon-valley/how-robotic-furniture-will-improve-our-lives

Housing Market: Top Ten Destinations For Moving Companies In 2nd Quarter

From a Housing Wire online article:

top-destinations-for-movers-in-u.s..jpg…of the top ten most desired locations to move to, the share of out-of-state searches on realtor.com ranges from 48% to 59.8%.

Charleston, South Carolina, the No. 1 city on the list, was searched by homebuyers who live in Charlotte, New York and Atlanta. Second on the list was Boise, Idaho, which was sought out by Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Sacramento residents. 

“Home prices have risen for seven consecutive years, far outpacing salary growth. Although interest rates are the lowest they have been in three years, cost has become a deal breaker for many buyers, especially in pricey West Coast metros,” said realtor.com Senior Economist, George Ratiu. “But instead of giving up on the American Dream, many buyers have decided to look for a home in medium-sized metros outside their state that offer price relief, and a similar lifestyle.”

To read more click on the following link: https://www.housingwire.com/articles/49903-here-are-the-top-destinations-for-movers-in-the-us?utm_campaign=Newsletter%20-%20HousingWire%20Daily&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=75991104&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Dfy_tm0uUztBU-DX0yqQviGtal9Xe-xPeemrbFQeZ0nm5hWNDE0jb1Xak27NkRD_cBHwS9VBlcwV9QTb_21LqkPDQHw&_hsmi=75991104

Future Of Homebuilding: Crowdfunding Site “Small Change” Helped Raise Equity To Build Modular Home In Pittsburgh

From a SmallChange.com project listing:

Small Change Micro Funding SiteSmall Change raised $82,000 in equity to help construct Plattform at 930 Mellon, a Passive, highly energy efficient and modular house which replenishes a long vacant lot in the Highland Park neighborhood of Pittsburgh. 

With the help of a successful crowdfunding raise on Small Change, Plattform at 930 Mellon will be the first of three houses to be built on three vacant lot in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood.. Designed to Passivhaus standards by Laura Nettleton of Thoughtful Balance, the modular house will be prefabricated and 85% complete before ever reaching the site.

To read more click on the following link: https://learn.smallchange.com/plattform-at-930-mellon/