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The only reason you think that house looks... Awkward is because you haven't seen this:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/13808-S-Canyon-Dr-Phoenix-AZ-85048/71596233_zpid/

I've been in many homes that look much like this one. It's pretty standard multi-million Phoenix area. That house is cheap because of the location. You'll find the exact same thing in North Scottsdale for much, much more.

[Guest]

I've been in many homes that look much like this one. It's pretty standard multi-million Phoenix area. That house is cheap because of the location. You'll find the exact same thing in North Scottsdale for much, much more.

Other than some of the weird bathroom light fixtures and the lack of proportion I don't find that one nearly so cold and awkward. I like rustic ranch and aspen styles though.

Edited March 29, 2017 by Arctic Mama

[Liz CA]

Other than some of the weird bathroom light fixtures and the lack of proportion I don't find that one nearly so cold and awkward. I like rustic ranch and aspen styles though.

 

I would prefer this one over the cold mansion in Washington as well. However, I did have to laugh at 4 large windows in the shower area. I'd have to keep my bathing suit on...

[Guest]

I would prefer this one over the cold mansion in Washington as well. However, I did have to laugh at 4 large windows in the shower area. I'd have to keep my bathing suit on...

Oh agreed! If that was frosted or has a privacy glass setting I'd be game, but otherwise it feels a bit... exposed?

[LucyStoner]

Not my style and out of my price range. To be honest, for that money I don't understand why there is no outdoor pool.

 

Because it's in a Seattle suburb where an outdoor pool is unusable most of the year.  

 

The indoor pool is the most sensible thing about that house.  

[LucyStoner]

There's a house like that very near where I live.  No view.  No land of which to speak.  No waterfront.  But GINORMOUS and gaudy AF.  It entire thing is surrounded by a stucco wall.  I wonder who would ever build it there each and every time I drive past it.  To boot, it's in a little neighborhood where all the other houses around it are much older and much smaller, so it looks even more absurd by comparison.  And there's no way they can get the construction cost out of it again because of the location.  Most people with that kind of money to spend would want (and can afford) more land or at least a million dollar view.  

 

I have a thing about round pillars.  I can't stand them inside and could never live with them. Most of the exterior ones I see on new construction are hideous too.  

 

When I see houses like this, I think "idiot with new money" or "drugs."  

Edited March 29, 2017 by LucyStoner

[Mom-ninja.]

These are fun. Post more. 

[AnIslandGirl]

Opulence at it's finest...  http://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sales/caribbean-and-bermuda

[Selkie]

I finally see what they mean by "new money."  There's no way that someone who has had money for a long time would want these hideous houses.  They're so flashy and cold.

 

I want a small colonial house with giant fireplaces and wide plank floors with lots of dings in them.   :)

 

Oh, there are plenty of people with old money and awful taste. Many of the houses in our area are vacation homes for wealthy families, and I see it all the time.

[Bluegoat]

Opulence at it's finest...  http://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sales/caribbean-and-bermuda

 

It's so funny.  I can look at some huge old houses in places like Europe, and they are stunningly beautiful.  They may be very grand and not cozy, but they seem to be in proportion and make sense in the landscape and so on.  Plus they often have some really beautiful details.

 

But a lot of these places, and others, that are newer expensive homes seem like kind of a dog's breakfast.  When I look at them from the outside, my sense is that they are just too big to be an attractive home.  And yet, there are really attractive places built as homes that are that large.

[Jean in Newcastle]

For some of these big opulent houses, there is a cultural component.  I can often tell what country the owner has immigrated from by looking for certain signs - big Chinese lions at the gate for example.  For these cultures, certain features signal having met the "American dream" for them. 

[LucyStoner]

There's a house like this smack dab in the middle of a very modest suburb here and when I inquired about it to a neighbor (I was visiting one street down) they said that a football player had build the place for his mom on the site of his childhood home and the house that had been next to it. It's surrounded by houses that are 800-1500 sf. I can see people not wanting to leave their neighborhoods but I don't think I could do that to my neighbors. Maybe build a nice home but not one that dwarves the rest of the homes and is really out of character for the area.

[LucyStoner]

On a number of newish high end resales the listing will say something like "cost 3.9 million to construct in 2003" but the listing price is 1.8 million or something and it's just been sitting.

[Liz CA]

For some of these big opulent houses, there is a cultural component.  I can often tell what country the owner has immigrated from by looking for certain signs - big Chinese lions at the gate for example.  For these cultures, certain features signal having met the "American dream" for them. 

 

Veru true. We live in an area where a lot of Punjabis have immigrated. Their "status house" resembles the English colonial house. Evidently, during British occupation, this style of architecture was seen as representative of wealth and power.

[AMJ]

a house up the street is for sale (we're sort of stupefied at what housing prices are doing), so as we were discussing housing prices in our area, dh wanted to know what was the most expensive.   we came across this

https://www.redfin.com/WA/Bellevue/Undisclosed-address-98005/home/100963512

 

oh my goodness ... the address is undisclosed - but I know *exactly* where it is.  I remember when it was under construction as I was picking something up from someone who lives very close.  we've been at gatherings with college classmates of dds who live near it (have a very nice house) and called it "the orphanage" just based upon it's size.

now - we got a look at the inside. . . :ack2: :ack2: :ack2:  gag. me. with. a. spork!   just goes to show money doesn't mean you have taste.   dd was looking through the pics - and I knew when she came to the first :ohmy:  one.

the only house in this price bracket that had a similar (but severely reduced) reaction  was a beautiful 1910 mansion - that they turned into ultra modern avant garde on the inside.  :svengo: desecration. (I don't have a problem with someone wanting ultra modern - it's what they did to the historic house to get it.)

and just about every other house in this price range has lk wa waterfront or a spectacular view.  this has neither.

 

 

Since they show some cars in the gallery of pictures of the property I will expect them to include the cars as part of the purchase price.  How else can you justify $1000 per square foot?  (Even with the cars that is steep.)

 

I want a kitchen that size in my size house.  And terrazzo floors.  I do like well-done terrazzo floors.

 

Maybe someone can turn it into a killer B&B?

[gardenmom5]

Some of them work out great, but when we were looking at houses a number of years ago (here in the PNW), there were a number of them that had indoor pools and ... well ... it is already damp enough out here without all that humidity added.  Most (not all, but most) of the houses smelled mildewy.  

 

I have friends who have one of those swim - in - place lap pools and that is small enough that it doesn't seem to make the rest of the house dank.  It's in a sun-porch kind of area.  They are renting; the owners put this in for lap swimming to help with a disability.

inadequate ventilation systems will cause that.   much as I love the pool I took dudeling for swim lessons, there were people who wouldn't go there because of the inadequate ventilation.   you choose between warm water and steam - or colder water and no steam . . . .   or make sure you have a really good ventilation system.

 

There's a house like this smack dab in the middle of a very modest suburb here and when I inquired about it to a neighbor (I was visiting one street down) they said that a football player had build the place for his mom on the site of his childhood home and the house that had been next to it. It's surrounded by houses that are 800-1500 sf. I can see people not wanting to leave their neighborhoods but I don't think I could do that to my neighbors. Maybe build a nice home but not one that dwarves the rest of the homes and is really out of character for the area.

 

have you been through ballard lately?  my sister hasn't done much with her house - but many of their neighbors have torn down houses and built as big as will fit on the lot.  they have people coming to the door to see if they want to sell.

 

so does a neighbor on my street.  he's in his 90s, and reportedly answered the door with a shotgun in his hand the last time someone approached him to buy his land.   (some people just won't take 'no' for an answer.)

 

Since they show some cars in the gallery of pictures of the property I will expect them to include the cars as part of the purchase price.  How else can you justify $1000 per square foot?  (Even with the cars that is steep.)

 

I want a kitchen that size in my size house.  And terrazzo floors.  I do like well-done terrazzo floors.

 

Maybe someone can turn it into a killer B&B?

 

well - considering how much some of those cars cost . . . could be close to $1M worth of car there.  and there is an ultra luxury sports car dearlership. . . . (some of those cars are really ugly too.  orange?   who wants an orange sports car?  who would pay upwards of $200,000+ for an orange sports car? - i've seen it around town.)

 

I'm partial to wood and stone floors.

[Guest]

 

have you been through ballard lately?  my sister hasn't done much with her house - but many of their neighbors have torn down houses and built as big as will fit on the lot.  they have people coming to the door to see if they want to sell.

 

Bellevue finally cracked down on this, especially in North Bellevue.

Tract mansions.  McMansions. 

 

The street on which we bought our first house here when we moved 28 years ago is completely unrecognizable.  Used to be "cottages by the sea."  Now it is PostModernFlatRoof-Built-to-the-setback City.  The neighborhood complains because they don't know their neighbors...no one ever goes out and works in their yard.  

 

WHAT YARD???????

 

No one ever comes outside.  They go park in their garages and never come outside.  All the outside work is done by hired help, that's why.  

 

It's sad.

[LucyStoner]

have you been through ballard lately? my sister hasn't done much with her house - but many of their neighbors have torn down houses and built as big as will fit on the lot. they have people coming to the door to see if they want to sell.

 

so does a neighbor on my street. he's in his 90s, and reportedly answered the door with a shotgun in his hand the last time someone approached him to buy his land. (some people just won't take 'no' for an answer.)

.

I'm over there a fair bit.

 

There's a difference between those houses and the ones I'm thinking off. The zero lot line cookie cutter houses and townhouses are bigger and taller than the houses next door but they aren't much larger than at least something else on the block. I'm not thinking of neighborhoods that are being rebuilt with 3000+sf houses, I'm thinking of those random places that that some one with A LOT of money has smacked a single super gigantic (often middling quality) gaudy mansion into the middle of a modest street where it will likely always stick out. I lived in Ballard from 2002-2006 and the fill the entire lot houses were popping up then. They are no longer able to be considered out of step with the neighborhood.

 

I will admit to wincing when I saw a townhouse we considered buying back then for $225K on the market for $450k and it sold for well over asking. 😂 We didn't pick our first home location so well. We also passed on a small house on Ballard because we didn't like that it faced the alley. Foolish us!

Edited March 30, 2017 by LucyStoner

[gardenmom5]

Bellevue finally cracked down on this, especially in North Bellevue.

Tract mansions.  McMansions. 

 

The street on which we bought our first house here when we moved 28 years ago is completely unrecognizable.  Used to be "cottages by the sea."  Now it is PostModernFlatRoof-Built-to-the-setback City.  The neighborhood complains because they don't know their neighbors...no one ever goes out and works in their yard.  

 

WHAT YARD???????

 

No one ever comes outside.  They go park in their garages and never come outside.  All the outside work is done by hired help, that's why.  

 

It's sad.

 

so, where exactly are you referring?  you can pm if  you'd prefer.  the areas that come to mind aren't really bellevue. (clyde hill, medina, hunts point.  median passed revisions to their zoning laws after bill bought four adjacent lots, bulldozed the houses, and built his "future home of the bellevue art museum".   at least it blends into the hillside.)

parts of bridle trails.  used to be so much horse pasture is now nothing but multiple houses.  still have a 50 acre park with nothing but horse trails . . .

 

I'm over there a fair bit.

 

There's a difference between those houses and the ones I'm thinking off. The zero lot line cookie cutter houses and townhouses are bigger and taller than the houses next door but they aren't much larger than at least something else on the block. I'm not thinking of neighborhoods that are being rebuilt with 3000+sf houses, I'm thinking of those random places that that some one with A LOT of money has smacked a single super gigantic (often middling quality) gaudy mansion into the middle of a modest street where it will likely always stick out. I lived in Ballard from 2002-2006 and the fill the entire lot houses were popping up then. They are no longer able to be considered out of step with the neighborhood.

 

I will admit to wincing when I saw a townhouse we considered buying back then for $225K on the market for $450k and it sold for well over asking. 😂 We didn't pick our first home location so well. We also passed on a small house on Ballard because we didn't like that it faced the alley. Foolish us!

 

I've seen those neighborhoods too.  normal houses - big gargantuan monstrosities - normal house . . .

[Mergath]

I've seen those neighborhoods too.  normal houses - big gargantuan monstrosities - normal house . . .

 

We have a few neighborhoods like that around here on some of the more desirable lakefront property. Tiny lot, huge, gaudy McMansion built riiiiight up to the edge of what's allowed. I always wonder if the homeowners know how ridiculous it looks, especially when you compare it to the occasional older and more tasteful house in the neighborhood.

 

[Guest]

so, where exactly are you referring?  you can pm if  you'd prefer.  the areas that come to mind aren't really bellevue. (clyde hill, medina, hunts point.  median passed revisions to their zoning laws after bill bought four adjacent lots, bulldozed the houses, and built his "future home of the bellevue art museum".   at least it blends into the hillside.)

parts of bridle trails.  used to be so much horse pasture is now nothing but multiple houses.  still have a 50 acre park with nothing but horse trails . . .

 

 

I've seen those neighborhoods too.  normal houses - big gargantuan monstrosities - normal house . . .

 

The area north of BelSquare, west of Bellevue Way in particular.  Our first neighborhood was West of Market Kirkland.  HA.  We sold way too early.  

 

Medina, Clyde Hill and all really got mad after Bill's house, which looks like 4 houses from the outside.  I can't remember which MS VP it was that turned everyone off to the endless CRANES in the neighborhood.  So they did get a little tougher...but now...whooooeeee, they are tearing down perfectly lovely, well built, well appointed, big (4000sf+) houses that selll for $2M and putting up tarted up tract mansions that meet all the zoning criteria but are in the $5-7M range.  It's unbelievable.  

 

I used to live in that neck of the woods and ... I don't know.  I don't belong there.  I'm much happier in our more vanilla neighborhood with my wonderful neighbors and a still shockingly high real estate market.  I had really sweet neighbors and a beautiful (and realistic) house that was so *welcoming* for purposes of hospitality.  

 

But now...it's new money with new values.  New money with old values still can work things out.  But ... it's HGTV and no aesthetic sense.  Or maybe I've changed.  

 

The best neighbors we ever had were half the value of our house, and they died a year after we moved, so I'm glad I'm gone.  

[EMS83]

Why are all these huge homes on teeny tiny lots???   I'd rather put money into land--put a well-built 2,500 square foot custom home smack in the middle of 100 or so acres.  ;) 

[Bluegoat]

 

 

 

I've seen those neighborhoods too.  normal houses - big gargantuan monstrosities - normal house . . .

 

This happened across the street from my aunt.  She lives in an area that was always nice, as it runs off of the street with the larger, older homes of the city - where rick people built in the Victorian period.  And it's close to the best park.  Her street was smaller homes, but very  well made, lots of detail.  Tiny yards in front, but lots behind and backing on a green space.  They are also all on one side of the road, because the other was a line of trees that backed on a rail cut - a rock cliff at least 50 feet deep.

 

Well, as the area has become more strendy, they knocked down the trees and built these huge houses that back on the rail cut - they all have to have their back yards (tiny) surrounded by iron fences.  they also have no yards in front to speak of.  But they are twice as high as the houses on the other side, with big garages right in the house.  (The ones on the other side have cute little detached carriage house style garages behind the houses, if they have them at all.)  And the new ones look expensive, but not quite nice, if you know what I mean - all identical and generic, with fake stone on the outside and pebble driveways, but no detail or real evidence of individual craftsmanship.