Does your home fit your age stereotype?

[eks6426]

According to this article http://realestate.msn.com/improve/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=836228&GT1=8587 Baby boomers, Gen X and Gen Y have different priorities on the things they wanted in houses.

Do these stereotypes fit you?

 

[SoonIHope]

I''m closest to Gen X even though I''m like 3 years too young for it. But I really want a workroom and a porch! Man, I just want a house, I''m so sick of living in an apartment!!

Right now I''d just settle for a dining room table!

 

[KristyDarling]

I'm a GenXer and the only "dream home" features that we have are the fireplace and (slowly withering) garden.

I feel lucky to own a home in San Francisco, PERIOD, let alone think about luxuries like a whirlpool, swimming pool, and walk-in closet! I totally agree with the top priority of state of the art kitchen....that would be incredible although not a realistic expectation in my lifetime if we're gonna stay in the Bay Area!

Interesting article though, especially how GenXers and Baby Boomers are converging with regard to real estate priorities. Makes sense!

 

[decodelighted]

I''m "Generation X" but the "Generation Y" stuff is more my "dream house" I guess. I really, really, really want a whirlpool bath - or hot tub!! That would be #1 on my new house wish list ... as our current house has one bathtub and it''s seriously too tiny & shallow to do much more than bathe the dog. (And my dog is less than 10 lbs)!!!!

I''d *like* a nice kitchen - but it doesn''t have to be "state of the art" ... ours is *retro grungy* now

... just "retro" would be a big improvement!

The big, walk-in closet thing ... I dunno. I tend to think the HUGE houses with GIANT closets just encourage wanton consumption. I love the streamlined mid-century houses with minimal clutter and big glass window walls.

Of course I *have* the opposite of that. Cluttered, quirky cottage with teensy windows and NO closets.

We just drove down the Eastern Shore this past weekend and must have seen 20 "Mc. Mansions" communities that have just sprouted out of nowhere. GINORMOUS HOUSES. But packed together so they almost touch! I will NEVER understand this. WHO need that much room? People aren''t having six kids anymore??? Are they? And would you really rather have so much INTERIOR room, but be ON TOP of your neighbors?? With no trees or lawns, or BREATHING ROOM??

 

[kcoursolle]

hmmm, I can''t really say any of them fit me. I''m a gen y, but I would really like a nice kitchen and big closets. But, I want color, color, and more color which is similar to gen y. Also, I''ll probably have a child in a few years, so things have to be somewhat casual and not too breakable. My fi is definitely a gen y though. He loves his entertainment center...

 

[sumbride]

I''m an X/Y, right on the cusp, but I think I''m leaning more Y on this. We had to have space for an office, we''ve painted almost every room (white=BORING) and entertaining space is important to us. I do love my kitchen, even though it isn''t state of the art, and I claimed the walk-in closet in our master, leaving my FI with the tiny little reach-in closet, but was impressed we had 2! My FI desperately wants a roof-top deck but I''m content with our patio/container garden. One of the first things we did was put in shelves over our "serving area" to create a bar. I adore my soaking tub but wasn''t lucky enough to end up with a jacuzzi tub. We also have a wireless network.

We live in a tall and narrow restored row-house in the city, no suburban McMansion for us! I wouldn''t hear of it! Faux-colonial makes me gag!

 

[Mara]

i'm technically a gen X but i'm kind of between X and Y in terms of 'requirements' for what we wanted in our house.

when we bought 3 years ago, the big requirements/things we loved for us in our existing townhouse was #1 we wanted a fab kitchen. my old place had a tiny little kitchen that not even two of us could fit in. we never cooked together and it was hard to converse in the kitchen. it's not state of the art necessarily but it's got granite and it's big and has an island with a bar for seating so it's very 'workable' and nice looking. #2 requirement was a family room that connected to the kitchen so we could talk and chat while entertaining and the kitchen/family room was kind of a combo thing where it made it feel more 'homey'. #3 for us was the dual walk in closets in the master bedroom, your own walk in closet? heaven! and #4 was our huge whirlpool bath which we love to use in the winter. #5 and #6 kind of tied together was the walk in wine closet and the walk in pantry in the kitchen. those are two things we are totally spoiled with now. we have wireless as well and our house is wired for sound speakers if we wanted to put them in. oh and AC was a perk that we have gotten used to now too. but i don't know that it's required out here in N. CA. it's not humid and rarely THAT hot. i'm a gardener and i have a big 14x30ish patio where i container garden. i'd love a real dirt yard garden but the container works fine...i've container gardened for years so it was not a 'requirement' that i have a yard, but it was a requirement that we had a large patio for entertaining, gardening, grilling etc.

anyway moving from where we are now will be tough because we HAVE gotten used to these amenities...and if we go buy an older house in a nice area here, we won't have all of the above. we may have 3 out of the 6 things. so it's pick and choose.

 

[Sparkster]

I''m a Gen Xer and live in a gorgeous 1930s art deco home with lots of original features - stained glass windows, ceiling roses, picture rails. Unfortunately it also has the original bathroom which means that the basin has a hot water faucet and a separate cold water faucet. The kitchen was renovated by the previous owners in the seventies and has orange bench tops with lime green splash back tiles - nice! Can''t wait to renovate so that we can have an ensuite bathroom and a brand spanking new kitchen - those are our priorities.

 

[koko]

Boomer here and adhere to the Sarah Susanka "Not So Big House" philosophy.....quality over quantity (or in this case size). Would love a home with lots of character, perhaps older or new built to look old. Would prefer lots of "built-ins" (book cases, china cabinet, wall units), must have a screened in porch and a fireplace either in the master bedroom or kitchen. Lots of crown moulding, a little stained glass & loads of light filled spaces. Oh, and a big front porch.

 

[Sundial]

Another Boomer. I seem to have most of the stuff boomers covet for their dream homes except for the swimming pool. I have avoided that one on purpose!!! Interesting reading.

 

[fire&ice]

Gee, I''m a boomer and so not into a house for show. All I need is a functioning kitchen, a closet that has shelves & comfortable crib spaces (fireplace a plus!). I do not like a big house. A swiming pool would be high on my list. We have thought about it - but would have to clear too many trees & the up keep is too much work. Patio & Garden is higher on my list.

 

[codex57]

Hey, I''m a Gen-Xer according to that article''s definition. I never knew for sure cuz I was born in a year that is right btw Gen-X and Gen-Y depending on who you ask.

I have no desire for a fireplace tho. It''s just more to clean. My furnace is more efficient in warming me too. I really wouldn''t mind if they took the fake fireplace out of my house. It would mean more place for entertainment equipment.

Large walk-in close it also high priority for us. My wife immediately placed dibs on the larger closet (we have two adjoining walk in closets) and had the builder put the structured wiring box into "my" closet instead of "hers" where it was originally.

Interesting to see that a kitchen is so high up on the list. I just broke down over Labor Day weekend and gave in to my wife''s desire for a $2500 fridge. I wanted a cheaper one cuz, well, it''s just a freaking fridge. Ended up with a $1500 washer too instead of the $1200 one I was shooting for. Oh well. It is pretty high tech so that does appeal to me.

 

[KimberlyH]

I''m a member of Generation X and my home requirements are quite simple. The only things I really wanted in the house itself when we were looking for our home (purchased in June) was a kitchen that worked well for cooking, a flowing layout and highest on my list were double ovens. I got all of these things and more. Our house is a rather spacious one story, with our bedroom and the family room on opposite ends, which is great because I can go to our room and read and he can watch TV and I can''t hear it.

I favor craftsman homes, but those that are available where we live are not in neighborhoods that have a friendly feel to them, and I wanted to live somewhere where I could get to know people. We have what is considered a huge lot for the metro area we live in, so we aren''t close to other houses, but we do have friends down the street.

Hubby is at the beginning of Gen X, but his requirements which were much more specific than mine, fall into the baby boomers category, minus the pool. His reasons weren''t for entertaining though, he revels in privacy and loves to garden, especially fruits and veggies, and we have many avacado trees on our lot to keep him busy. He also has plans to grow lemons, limes, tomatoes, etc.

 

[lost on 5th]

hmmm.. im sort of mixed (and dont agree with part of the gen Y picks)

give me bright colors, a great kitchen, outdoor and indoor space to entertain, and a place to make a mess

 

[hoorray]

I''m a boomer, and I care about a house for comfort, design and entertaining. I don''t care about size or whilrpool baths. I only care about a pool because our primary home is in the desert, and we wouldn''t survive without it. Anywhere cooler, I don''t want a pool. (They are a pain). I want a great kitchen (doesn''t have to be super high tech -- just open, functional and a great place to hang out.) I want larger open rooms, rather than more smaller rooms, lots of light, views, privacy, and a great yard. I had the grand home, and have now downsized. It''s easy to get sucked into the big showcase homes, but having done that, they are a lot of work. I like a happy medium.

Many of our older friends (retired people probably just pre-boomers or early boomers) are building/buying larger showcase homes. They want more bedrooms now than when their kids were at home, but I think that''s because the kids and their families now come visit, and they want a great family gathering place. Some of them might want the "I''ve made it " house, but I think of that more when you are in the corporate ladder climbing phase of life than the settled down and comfortable with yourself life. (post corporate ladder climing)

 

[flutterby]

We are both generation x, and those suit us nearly perfectly. Minus the fireplace, even in our townhouse in Chicago, we didnt use the fireplace. Now that we are living in an apartment in LA as our new townhouse is being built, we want the same things we had. Large kitchen with island, attached dining space, lots of windows, built in stainless appliances. Hardwood floors and large closets. I am so excited to have my own huge walkin closet with california closets! Cant it be done already.

Ohhhh.. I just thought of another thing. I dont really like whirlpool/jacuzzi baths. We will have one in our master bath, but will again probably not use it. We will utilize the built in surroundsound and keyless entry!

 

[ellybelly]

How do people who live in California, Seattle, or New York afford to even buy a house with the real estate so expensive? Would I have to make more than $300,000 a year to be able to move out of Texas where housing is much cheaper?

 

[koko]

Date: 9/7/2006 8:52:58 PM
Author: ellybelly
How do people who live in California, Seattle, or New York afford to even buy a house with the real estate so expensive? Would I have to make more than $300,000 a year to be able to move out of Texas where housing is much cheaper?

I''ve wondered the same thing living in Georgia......We inherited a house in Miami from MIL in 2001. We immediately sold it (had a wedding to pay for and some debt to pay off).....how I wish we''d held on to it.....A lot of people here in the Atlanta area who are in the $.5 mil. and up houses have relocated here from one of the above mentioned places, or Miami or Chicago.