By Carole Hawkins, [email protected]
Today’s top-selling homes will one day be replaced by tomorrow’s new ideas.
In July, more than 3,600 building professionals were working to stay ahead of the curve.
The Florida Home Builders Association wrapped up a successful Southeast Building Conference, this year bumping attendance 50 percent. Held in Orlando, the annual conference aims to connect building professionals with the industry’s top thinkers.
This year sales and marketing got a boost, with a half-dozen seminars geared toward sales teams.
Luxury and second-home buyers
Twenty-four percent of luxury buyers say they will relocate in the coming year, and Florida ranks No. 2, after Texas, for where they are moving to.
That’s according to a Wall Street Journal survey of readers.
The South overall is dominating other markets for relocation and buyers are drawn by weather and waterfront, said Damon Salerno, who covers Florida real estate for the Journal.
In Florida, they’re moving from overseas and from the Northeast. In Jacksonville, though, the draw is a little closer to home, mainly from Atlanta and Charlotte, Salerno said.
The South also grabs 38 percent of national buyers who are looking to buy a second home. That exceeds second home sales in the Northeast and in the Midwest.
Fifty-nine percent of U.S. buyers list waterfront access as their top wish in a second home. Other leading wants are ski resort/mountain homes and gated communities.
Elderly
Wanda Gozdz had a client whose elderly father kept dropping things off the kitchen counter. So, she asked her what kind of lights were in the kitchen.
Regular incandescent bulbs was the answer.
That’s a problem. As people age, the lenses on their eyes yellow, and incandescent bulbs throw yellow light. For an elderly person, incandescent bulbs make everything disappear.
The client swapped out the incandescent bulbs for blue or white light bulbs. Problem solved.
An interior designer and certified Aging in Place specialist, Gozdz spoke on interior design strategies for the elderly at the Southeast Building Conference in Orlando.
She came to the specialty for very personal reasons. Gozdz’s aging mother refused to enter assisted living in her latter years.
Ten thousand people a day are turning 65 and Florida is the third largest state where they move to.
Aging in place means modifying the home so a person can live where they love as long as possible. It addresses needs for improved accessibility, visibility and ease of use.
Solutions to make a home more:
• Accessible. Pick up the rugs to avoid tripping. Use slip resistant flooring. Eliminate steps and uneven thresholds where possible. Reinforce railings on stairways — people sometimes use them to pull themselves forward. Add grab bars in bathrooms, eliminate barriers to the shower stall and use wand showerhead that can be reached by everyone. Today’s “wet rooms” are perfect for aging in place.
• Visible. Add more light to the home. Use natural, indirect and task lighting. Eliminate yellow light bulbs. Add border designs at the edges of objects, such as stairs, to show transition. Paint walls a contrasting color so they don’t “blend” into the doorways and floors.
• Easy to use. Install motion-activated or lever faucets. Install doorknobs with lever handles. Move microwaves from above the stove to the counter. Also, there are now microwaves and ovens that can be installed under the counter. Add pull-out shelves inside cabinets.
Modifying a home to age in place can add another 10 years to how long a person may live there independently, Gozdz said.
Millenials
Millenials are the largest generation this country has ever had. At 80 million, they outnumber Baby Boomers by 10 million.
That means their buying power can’t be ignored, said Doug Van Dyke of Leadership Simplified, a management coaching/consulting company.
Millenials value community and creativity, are close to their parents, and are driven by intrinsic rewards like green homes.
They are the best-educated generation, 47 percent have a college degree. Conversely, they are under-employed and will feel the effects of the recession for years to come.
They are less likely to become homeowners and have moved into urban areas at a faster pace than their less-educated peers.
Some of their wants in a home are driven by economics. Others surprise.
They are more likely to buy and fix up a home than buy a new one.
They like a location close to work. Fifteen minutes is a long commute.
They favor split floor plans of 2,000 square feet or less and their maximum price is somewhere in the $200,000s. Mention $300,000 or higher and their eyes glaze over.
Wealthy retirees
Affluent homebuyers 50 years and older are not who you think they are, said Dave Robertson of Real Estate Community Advisor in Boca Raton.
Three-quarters of them do not want to live in an age-restricted community.
They do like technology — Baby Boomers are the largest age group buying iPhones. They spend far more time online than people 18 to 49.
So, what do they want?
Universal homes where they can age in place, with lever doorknobs and comfort-height toilets.
Great kitchens and bathrooms still matter. But Boomers also want a great looking entryway and outdoor space. Wine rooms and powder rooms are gaining traction.
In a sales pitch, 50-plus buyers expect a good consumer experience. Eighty-seven percent of new homes sold in Florida were sold through Realtors, not as direct sales from builders. Having an advocate who has their trust and confidence is primary.