Monday, November 30, 2009

Florida Style House Plans


A Florida style house plan embraces the elements of many styles that allow comfort during the heat of the day.

This one story Florida-style, Mediterranean home, from Aronson & Associates is designed with three bedrooms, two and one-half bathrooms and a two-car garage. There is a huge kitchen and café opening to a family room. The luxurious master suite has a walk-in closet and regal master bath, which opens to a patio. Unique glass block around the spa tub brightens the interior of the master bathroom.

Checkout other home plans from Aronson & Associates.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

House Plans from Aronson Architects

House plans are where the dreams begin! If you are looking at only a small selection of house plans that are available then you may never find the right house for you. Aronson Architects design and give you the selection of house plans that you crave.

Do you love looking at house plans? Some of us love to flick through magazines, dreaming about what it would be like to some day live in 'that' house.

The Internet has been a fabulous way for future homeowners to browse the sea of house plans that are available to them with simple the click of a mouse. Looking for your next dream house has never been easier!

If you do, then the Aronson Architects site is for you! Hundreds of home plans to choose from.

.... so what are you waiting for?

Monday, November 23, 2009

Top 10 Luxury Homes Topping the Market

Here are the top 10 priciest properties for sale in the U.S.



1. Hala Ranch Aspen, Colo., $135 million: Owned by Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, former Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United States, this 95-acre estate boasts a 56,000-square-foot, 15-bedroom, 16-bathroom mansion.

2. Fleur de Lys, Beverly Hills, Calif., $125 million: Suzanne Saperstein's 45,000-square-foot home is modeled after Louis XIV's palace at Versailles.

3. Maison de L'Amitie, Palm Beach, Fla., $125 million: In 2004 Donald Trump bought this property at a bankruptcy auction for $41.25 million. The refurbished version comes complete with a ballroom, conservatory, 100-foot-long ballroom, and 475 feet of ocean-front.

4. Tranquility, Lake Tahoe, Nev., $100 million: On the tax-free Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, this 210-acre property is owned by Joel Horowitz, co-founder of Tommy Hilfiger. The 20,000-square-foot main house is modeled after a northern European mountain home and has a 3,500-bottle wine cellar.

5. Three Ponds, Bridgehampton, N.Y., $75 million: This home on 60 acres features its own USGA-rated Rees Jones golf course. Surrounding the main house are 14 gardens, a 75-foot-long swimming pool, golf pro shop, grass tennis court, and a guest house.

6. The Portabello Estate, Corona del Mar, Calif., $75 million: Built in 2002, this home has eight bedrooms and 10 full baths in nearly 30,000 square feet of ultra-modern space on a triple ocean-front lot along the Pacific Ocean.

7. Malibu, Calif., $75 million: A beach home located on a flat seven-acre lot with two riding stables, a riding ring, swimming pool, tennis court, and private access to the beach.

8. The Pierre Penthouse, New York City, $70 million: This penthouse occupies the top three floors of one of the most posh hotels in New York, located on the edge of Central Park. The balconies and windows have 360-degree views of Manhattan, Central Park, the East River, and the Hudson River.

9. Belvedere, Calif., $65 million: This six-bedroom, 10,000-square-foot home offers breathtaking views of San Francisco, Angel Island, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the bay.

10. San Francisco, $65 million: This limestone mansion’s neighbors on billionaires’ row are the Getty family.

Source: Forbes.com, Matt Woolsey

Monday, November 16, 2009

Spanish style manor offers an enormous amount of living space

house plans
This Spanish style manor house plan offers an enormous amount of living space. Luxurious inside and out. Bonus room provides a cozy retreat to entertain special guests. Paneled double front doors with transom accent the covered entrance. Chef's dream Kitchen with eating bar and Cafe opens to the Family room. Luxurious Master Suite with enormous Walk-In-Closets with regal bath. Three car Garage with spacious work space. Four full bathrooms, two powder rooms and a Cabana. Three Bedrooms, Office and a library. Three Story.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Top 10 Best-Selling Consumer House Plans

These top-selling house plans speak volumes to current home buyer dreams.
By: Boyce Thompson

Builders know from sales history which of their homes buyers prefer. They can access databases to find out which of their competitors’ homes buyers prefer. But that kind of analysis only reveals what buyers may choose from what’s available.

When consumers buy house plans, like Hanley Wood’s 10 best sellers shown on the following pages, they act out a dream. They betray a longing for timeless elevations, informal living, and luxurious master suites. They dream strongly enough that they pay money to buy the plan.

Builder’s parent company, Hanley Wood, is the largest purveyor of house plans in the United States. Each year we examine their best-selling home plans to identify consumer trends. Interestingly, this year’s most popular plans, which average 3075 square feet, are a little larger than the average house plan, 2584 square feet, bought by consumers last year.

These top sellers read much bigger than they actually are. Nearly all of them feature porches, often multiple porches, typically with large windows that provide expansive views out the back of the house. These porches often read like rooms, with fireplaces, garden tubs, and more.

These top sellers are also long on first-floor, bedroom suites with sitting areas, a feature that builders may find expensive to provide in land-constrained markets.  An aging population looking to avoid stairs partly explains this preference as well, along with the fact that many house plans are built in Sunbelt states.  Morning kitchens and large master bathrooms were also recurring features.

10. Luxury Living on a Single Level


With its stately stone exteriors, this buttoned-down, one-story country manor would look at home in nearly any market, which may account for its popularity. An impressive, though not oversized, timber-framed entrance makes a strong first impression. It leads into a gallery flanked by a formal dining room and a great room with a window wall overlooking the rear patio. A huge master bedroom includes a sitting area and a walk-in closet that’s as large as the master bathroom. The gallery leads to a three-bedroom wing. The plan features an attached two-car garage, and a detached garage and workshop accessed through a covered breezeway.

9. Graceful Details


Here’s a classic design from Frank Betz Associates, a firm that understands the needs of production builders as well as dream home buyers. The plan packs a lot of features into 2246 square feet, including four potential bedrooms, an oversized master suite, and an optional bonus room on the second floor over the garage. The home’s otherwise geometric building footprint is punctuated by a bayed turret that houses a sunny master suite with tray ceilings and a canted bay sitting area. The plan features a vaulted great room that spills into a large, light-filled kitchen area with nook. As with many Betz plans, interior walls are kept to a minimum.


8. European Charm, American Functionality


The biggest among the top 10 best-sellers, this home would be right at home in an upscale subdivision of new California homes. A series of distinctive stone archways lead first to a garden courtyard then to the front door, with views through the back of the home. A big portion of the four-bedroom plan is devoted to family living space in the back—with a family room, kitchen, and breakfast room that function as one big space. It would be great for parties as well. If the home draws inspiration from European styles, it includes the latest American accoutrements as well--a game room, a planning center, a chef’s kitchen, and an oversized utility room.

7. Farmhouse for the Ages


There’s a timeless appeal to this 2090-square-foot farmhouse, with a porch that wraps all the way around the house. The garage almost looks like an attached barn. The classic rural elevation gives way to a modern floor plan, with a kitchen that flows into to a great room, and a large master bedroom wing complete with sitting area. A sun terrace and spa are located off the master bedroom. The formal dining room in this relatively open plan is defined by a low wall and by graceful archways set off by decorative columns. The kitchen includes a central island counter and a snack bar; it adjoins a laundry area.

6. The Eastern Shore Cottage


Who doesn’t dream of vacations enjoyed by the beach in a home like this one from legendary house plan designer William E. Poole? The Eastern Shore experience in this classic three-bedroom cottage home begins with a large screened front porch that leads to a foyer, with views through a vaulted great room to the backyard beyond. A more traditional, enclosed kitchen connects to a breakfast area that in turn opens to a great room. The plan keeps a formal dining room. The second floor features a recreation room with an additional bedroom and lots of storage space under the eaves.

5. Old World Charmer


The epicenter of this European one-story home is an imposing great room with a central fireplace on a raised stone hearth. It is flanked by a U-shaped island kitchen and a breakfast nook. The home’s old world charm extends into the master suite, which features a sitting area, built-in bookshelves, a whirlpool tub, a separate shower, a dual-sink vanity, a compartmented toilet, and a walk-in closet. Two additional family bedrooms share a full bath. A three-car garage completes the plan.

4. The Outdoor Connection


This plan accentuates connections between indoor and outdoor living. The master bedroom has private access to a small rear porch. A study connects via French doors to the front porch. Living and keeping rooms in the back of the plan both spill out to a screened rear porch. There’s even a private rear porch off the breakfast nook. The plan is ideal for a family that wants spaces to congregate and for privacy. Inside, the kitchen—equipped with plenty of counter space and storage—flows into a charming hearth-warmed keeping room with French doors.  Three upstairs bedrooms have their own baths; two enjoy walk-in closets.

3. Loads of Luxury


This stately, 4376-square-foot plan features a two-story foyer, a columned dining room, and a personal library complete with built-in desks. The main-level master suite is the real showstopper: it includes an L-shaped walk-in closet, a garden tub, a sitting area, and a morning kitchen. Three family bedrooms upstairs each have a full bath and ample closet space. In addition to the bedrooms, the option of a game room/billiards room provides plenty of space for casual entertainment. A three-car garage completes this plan.

2. Big Value Proposition


This classic one-story, great-room plan from Don Gardner packs a ton of living space into a mere 2097 square feet. A Craftsman elevation with stone and wood siding provides rustic curb appeal. The home features an impressive view from the front door, through a vaulted great room, to a screened porch in the rear. Cathedral ceilings grace the great room, breakfast room, and study. Interior columns announce the great room, with a fireplace and surrounding built-ins. Two bedrooms share a full bath. The master bedroom includes two, full walk-in closets. The plan includes a breakfast nook, a study that could also serve as a fourth bedroom, and a formal dining room.

1. Outdoor Living to the Max


With numerous sprawling porches, an outdoor fireplace, and a breezeway, this 3126-square-foot, one-story home is all about outdoor living. The open floor plan with wrapping porches provides many opportunities to enjoy calming views. Off the back of the house, a large covered porch with an outdoor fireplace provides a comfortable way to enjoy the outdoors. An open and airy kitchen leads onto a screened porch. Picture windows, a light-infused breakfast nook, and a vaulted lodge room continue the pastoral theme throughout the interior. The house features a vaulted foyer and dramatic dining room, which leads into the lodge room, complete with a stone fireplace and a vaulted ceiling.

From: BUILDER 2009

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Florida Builders Generate Sales With Perfect Balance of Price and Product

Stock Development has found surprisingly safe “passage” through Fort Myers, Fla., which during the recession has held the dubious distinction of being one of the worst housing markets in the United States.
Stock, a developer and builder based in Naples, Fla., through early April had sold 259 of its 279 flats, townhouses, casitas, and single-family homes in the first phase of Paseo (which means “passage” in Spanish), its stylish neighborhood located in South Fort Myers. Since the beginning of this year more than 2,000 prospects have visited Paseo, and in the past 15 months alone Stock has sold more than 140 units there, according to Tim Clark, the community’s vice president of sales.

Claudine Leger-Wetzel, Stock’s vice president of sales and marketing, attributes Paseo’s success to her company’s philosophy “to continuously market and brand itself and its products.” At a time when other builders were tripping over each other to get out of Fort Myers, Stock Development was offering “a very lifestyle-oriented” community with all of its amenities delivered, including a 5,000-square-foot fitness center, pool, and restaurants.

Wetzel says Paseo, whose first phase features 18 model homes, has been drawing between 125 and 150 registered prospects per week. Stock stoked interest in this community by hosting a Parade of Homes there, as well as monthly music festivals (which it does at its two other communities as well.) Paseo also offers breathtaking vistas of nearly lakes and the Six Mile Cypress Slough.

But Paseo’s main attraction, Wetzel freely admits, is the community’s “aggressive” pricing: Prices for flats and townhomes, which range from 1,227 square feet to 2,084 square feet, start at $169,000. The neighborhood offers two-story and courtyard-style single family homes as large as 3,000 square feet. One such house—its Montessa model, at 2,293 square feet with three bathrooms—fetched $444,990 in a recent sale.

“We’re not making a ton of margin at Paseo, but we are selling product,” says Wetzel. Stock has released several models for Phase II of Paseo, where it plans to build 172 units.

Further evidence that Florida’s housing market is coming out of its coma are found at Neal Communities, a Lakewood Ranch, Fla.-based developer and builder that, through the first three months of this year, sold 109 homes, its best quarter in three years, confirms Leisa Weintraub, its vice president of marketing.

“We’ve definitely seen an uptick,” Weintraub tells BUILDER, which she attributes to several factors. First and foremost, “the prices are right.” Its 182-unit River Sound, a gated community with lots of amenities in Bradenton, Fla., that Neal opened on February 21, has made hay with a series of detached two- and three-bedroom cottages—ranging from 947 square feet to 1,648 square feet, alley loaded, and 20-feet wide on 27-foot-wide lots—that start at $109,600. “That [price] brought a lot of people in the door,” says Weintraub, a good number of whom were first-time buyers who didn’t have to worry about selling their existing houses.

At River Sound, Neal has a lender on site to prequalify borrowers. “We’re seeing a lot of people who are willing to buy to-be-builts as opposed to specs, which we see as a positive sign,” says Weintraub.
Neal Communities promoted River Sound with the tagline: “Everyone’s talking about change. We’re doing it.” It also did a lot of public relations, including a press conference that local dignitaries attended and three TV stations covered. The company reached out to local realtors, who are a focus of Neal’s marketing strategy. (Weintraub says that nearly half of the company’s sales this year have been through real estate agents, which is actually low by historical measures because there have been so many walk-ins at River Sound.)
Both Stock and Neal are optimistic about their future growth, based on the activity they’re seeing at other communities.

Through mid April Stock has sold more houses at Vivante, its waterfront community in Punta Gordo, Fla., than it did in that community all of last year. The listed prices for homes there range from $149,900 to $400,000, and have been “heavily discounted,” says Weintraub, who notes that the vast majority of buyers are paying in cash. Stock’s largest community—the 3,000-acre Lely Resort in Naples—sold 50 homes in March alone, at prices ranging from $180,000 to $1 million.

Neal is currently selling from 10 communities that include country-club and golf-course neighborhoods. It is currently building an 800-unit community, to be called Central Park, which Weintraub says should be ready for sale in early 2011.

John Caulfield is senior editor at BUILDER magazine.