Move-In Day for a Modernist House

Move-in Day!

After a full 24 months construction period (programming and permits not included), last weekend my clients finally moved into their truly modernist Fort Lauderdale home.

Stats:

2-story single family home
5,511 sf (496 m2) under air
17,400 sf (1,566 m2) waterfront lot
5 BRs, 4.5 baths, pool, gym, theatre, dog room, house fully connected
Construction period: pilings began Aug 2013, completion date August 2015
Construction budget: withheld

Here are some shots from the end of what was a very long move-in day:

The house is stricking when you approach it, especially at the dusky light I took these photos (with a Sony Xperia phone, mind you).

But even having worked as an owner's representative and consultant on this project from the start, and having been on site regularly for nearly three years, it remains fascinating.

Case in point: how the Lautner edge of the pool visually vanishes into the Intracoastal Waterway is fantastic. If you look closely, you only can differentiate pool and Intracoastal by the difference in the water surface.

Interested in building or buying a home like this? I can help; just ask.
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(All photos except aerial ©tckaiser – use or copying prohibited.)

Three Modern Homes by Duckham and Singer in Fort Lauderdale's Garden Tour

Last Saturday, the Fort Lauderdale Garden Club in it's "Secret Gardens" tour featured five homes – or gardens and exteriors to be precise, since the homes themselves were not available to the public – three of which were modern homes by beloved local architects, Dan Duckham and Donald Singer.

If viewing only the gardens and none of the interiors sounds a bit like a consolation price, it is. But in the choice between a consolation price or no price at all, it was an easy choice.

The homes, all of which are located in the aptly named Shady Banks neighbourhood and are hardly visible from the street:

Uchin residence, 3/3.5, 5,071 sf on a 48,300 sf waterfront lot, architect Donald Singer, 1977.

Uchin residence by architect Donald Singer, 1977.

Singer residence, 2/2, 2,631 sf on a 14,300 sf lot, architect Donald Singer, 1976.

Singer residence by Donald Singer, 1976.

Allen residence, orig. 2/3 single story, later expanded to 4,377 sf, lot 24,200 sf, architect Dan Duckham,1963

Allen residence by Dan Duckham,1963

Allen residence by Dan Duckham,1963

If you were on the tour or are familiar with these homes, I'd love to hear your impressions!

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Photos ©tckaiser

Chance Encounters with Modern Architecture (3)

"Chance Encounters with Modern Architecture" is meant as a postcard of sorts, of unexpected finds of modern architecture – or perhaps art – which caught my eye.


Today: Townhouse Development in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

What is it: A 14-unit townhouse complex, arranged in two blocks of seven units, with an alleyway on the longitudinal axis for garage access. Built in 2007, architect unknown.

Each townhouse is three stories, has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, approx. 2,300 sf (205 sm) under air and comes with a garage as well as small front yard.

The rectangular site of approx. 205 x 147 feet is located just south of downtown Fort Lauderdale, two lots off Federal Highway, a major north-south road, and a short distance from the Fort Lauderdale harbour and airport.

Last recorded selling prices for the townhomes hover around $70/sf, a substantial drop from their peak asking prices of ca. $240/sf.

Why did it catch my eye: The façade has an interesting, slightly nautical motif and clearly defines the individual units, with a glass-enclosed entryway between two units. Unfortunately, on closer inspection not all details seem really thought through, even for a layperson, and the exterior at least has suffered visibly in the five years since construction.

I came across this development by leaving the parking lot of an adjacent McDonalds through the side exit, otherwise I would driven by it again as I did hundreds of times before. 

Where is it: 701-729 SE 16 Court, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Location map

Photos ©tckaiser

The South Florida Housing Market in February

"Use your mentality, wake up to reality..."

Lyrics from Cole Porter's famous "I've got you under my skin", written in 1936, came to my mind this month. I admit that I have Nicole Henry's lovely version of that song constantly in my ears and on iTunes. To me, uptempo–and perhaps the great American Songbook–just seems to be her forte.

So, is Nicole singing to or even for home buyers?

I doubt it. But the February numbers for single family homes (condos, coops and townhouses not included) should get prospective buyers thinking of Cole Porter:

In essence, more or less stable asking prices and (year-over-year) slightly soft selling prices created a very very active market in February–with dramatically falling inventory (may I say "dramatically" when it's 50 percent or more?) and a hefty spike in the number of sold houses.

As always, the table is accompanied by a lovely graphic:

Coming back to Nicole Henry and her Cole Porter interpretation: time for buyers to wake up. True, not every buyer is flexible in his or her plans, but to those who are I'd advice to get off the bench. Now.


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Table: Single family home data per month’s end for Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade (Florida) counties. Chart: Single family home data Mar 2011 to Feb 2012. Red: median list price, green: median selling price, blue: inventory in months. – Data compiled from SEF-MLS

Fort Lauderdale leads Inventory Decline

Housing inventories declined month-to-month

The streak of declining inventories of homes listed for sale nationwide continues into its eighth month. Inventories in January fell 6.6 percent to 1.77 million last month from December 2011, the Wall Street Journal reported from a Realtor.com tally.

The largest year-over-year decline occurred in Fort Lauderdale, Fla, in January. Compared with one year earlier, listings were down by a whopping 55%.

Other cities which saw large annual declines were Miami, Phoenix, and Bakersfield, Calif., where the number of listings fell by nearly half. Both New York and Philadelphia ranked among cities with the smallest declines: 1.7 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

Month-over-month, four Florida-based markets saw increases between December 2011 and last month. On the other hand, both San Francisco and Boston showed respective 16 and 10 percent declines since December.

The Wall Street Journal said that low housing inventories are a normal part of any housing recovery. But it remains to be seen whether these figures show true signs of improvement in the market. [WSJ]

Florida Real Estate Markets dominate Top-10 Turnaround Report

Miami was the top "turnaround town" in the country in the third quarter, according to a report from Realtor.com. The rankings look at median price appreciation, reductions in age of inventory and inventory counts, along with unemployment rates.

Miami has one foreclosure for every 407 homes, an improvement over the national rate of one out of every 213. Condo sales have also increased 79 percent in the first five months of the year.

Six Florida markets were included on the list, with Fort Lauderdale ranked fourth.

Read on at Realtor.com (via theRealDeal.com)

Property Values: What you pay for New Modern Construction

“A man, who every morning gets five slaps in the face from his grumpy wife, one day gets smacked only twice. For him, it’s a relatively good day.” – my dad, explaining the word “relative” to us when we were kids.

I often get inquiries for brand-new modernist homes, with a budget of, say $300,000 to $550,000. Good time for a reality check.

First off, let’s agree that new is relative and often means newish – say 2007 and younger. It also hints upwards of not-so-new: per square foot, 57% more than the median for all modern homes on the market. You may want to dig a bit deeper in the folds of your sofa if you look at median asking: $3.5m versus $1.3m; more stats below.

Aiming for a teeny tiny house-lette won’t get your wallet off the hook, but you'll have lots of room to roam. New homes are spacious: 5,425 sf or 499 sqm under air (median size; too many outliers to use average. – For new modern townhomes, see this previous post.)

Some of the new modern homes are simply spectacular – thank goodness, it’s all a matter of taste. If you are in the market for a newish modern home, here is a peek at what to expect.

At the upper end: 

Miami Beach waterfront, with 10 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, 20,000 sf (1,840 sqm), pool, 5-car garage, built in 2008. On 260' of water, two docks, lap pool and spa, elevated guest house/cabana, oversized rooftop terrace, double high-end kitchen appliances, staff house, generator. Asking $19,500,000 ($975/sf).

At the lower end:

Southwest Miami, 4/2 with 2,220 sf (204 sqm), built in 2008. New home on corner lot, by award-winning builder, never lived in. Features high ceilings, porcelain bathrooms, European cabinetry, alarm- and surround sound pre-wired, recessed lighting, stone counter tops, stainless steel appliances, washer & dryer, California closets, wood wall paneling, 8 ft. tall doors, well-ready, has natural gas. Asking $390,000 ($176/sf).

Typical median-priced:

Fort Lauderdale waterfront, 5/6, built in 2009. Located in a cul-de-sac on 206' of water, with top-of-the-line appliances, pool, hot pool, high ceilings, marble and wood floors, audio/visual wiring throughout. All window and doors are commercial grade with impact glass. Asking 3,750,000 ($571/sf).                                                                                                           
Statistics: Modernist Single Family Homes ≤2007

Currently available: 41
Asking prices: $390,000 - $24,000,000, median $3,500,000
Asking per sf: $167 - $2,191, median $658
Size under air: 2,220 sf - 20,000 sf, median 5,425 sf
BR/BA: 3/2.5 - 10/12 with 3 guest bathrooms

Source: own data, compiled from SEF-MLS

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A quick reminder to all prospective buyers: 

HOME BUYERS TAX BREAKS EXPIRE APRIL 30TH

$8,000 First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit, means if you did not own a home in the past three years. And up to $6,500 for existing homeowners looking to buy a different primary residence. Details are here.

– Have a great Superbowl-weekend!

Property Values: What you get in Modern Townhomes

The second installment of the series examining current market values will have a look at available modern townhomes in Southeast Florida. Because of the relatively small number, this post includes all price ranges.

Historically, the term townhouse was coined in the UK, a “house in town” for aristocracy and wealthy country peers. In the US, it used to describe an attached multistory building with a small footprint, including servant’s quarters, located in an urban environment. Owning a townhouse in a metropolitan area such as New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Toronto or San Francisco was a sign of wealth.

Today in Florida, a townhouse in a strict sense means an attached multistory building with no neighbours above or below, often with a small garden and community amenities such as a pool or tennis courts. Legally, one differentiates between fee simple (exclusively owned, including the land) and condominium townhouses, where the occupant owns the interior only and part of the common areas.

Forget mid-century modern. In Southeast Florida, there is no such thing as a mid-century modern townhouse (elsewhere?). At least I have never seen or even heard of one in 20 years of practice. The available modern townhouses I know of were constructed 2003 or later, confirming that the first builders became aware of an increasing interest in modern architecture somewhere between 2000 and 2002. 

(Interesting side-note: in 2000, a German architect and I were planning a joint venture to build modern townhomes with dockage in Fort Lauderdale. There was no such property available then, and we were certain we had found an interesting niche. Due to serious health problems my then-partner sadly developed, the project never materialized.)

Given the confines of designing interesting and sellable multifamily structures on sometimes smallish lots, expect a bit of stylistic conformity. The starting point is the sleek white box, often three stories, with a vaguely nautical look, befitting the surroundings. 

Within variations mostly due to the price points, standard are kitchens combining stainless steel with warm woods, lots of glass, as well as open floorplans, often orientated around open interior staircases. If you head uptown, tile floors are replaced by marble or hardwood, private rooftop decks pop up, and period quotes such as eyebrows and corner windows appear.


Geographically, the 55 available modernist townhomes I know of are all over the map between Key Biscayne and South Palm Beach county. The highest concentration however is in Miami, Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Sizes vary from 1256 sf under air  to 6100 sf, with a median size of 3365 sf.

As varied as the size are the prices: from $299,000 to $5,495,000, median $977,000, though the sweet spot seems to be between $590,000 and $900,000. 

What then do you get for your money?

$299,000: Miami, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, ca. 1,800 sf under air (ca. 165 sqm), built 2009. On Miami's Upper East Side, with open floor plan and two story ceilings in the entrance.

$425,000: Fort Lauderdale, 3/3.5, ca. 3230 sf (297 sqm), 2-car garage, built 2007. Two story glass atrium overlooking private garden and pool, 2nd and 3rd floor loft areas, rooftop terrace.

$668,788: Pompano Beach, 3/3.5, ca. 2958 sf (272 sqm), 2-car garage, deepwater dockage, built in  2007. Professionally decorated, below market bank pricing, located not far from the Hillsboro Inlet. 

$799,000: Miami Beach, 3/3.5, ca. 2360 sf (217 sqm), 2-car garage, built in 2006. 4-story townhouse on the Bay, garden rooftop terrace, heated pool and direct water views.

$999,000: Miami Beach, 4/5.5, ca. 3730 sf (343 sqm), 2-car garage, built in 2005. On gated 8.5 acre-island with own fitness center, spa, heated pools, children's play center, conference room etc. 
$1,950,000: Miami Beach, 4/5, ca. 3730 sf (343 sqm), 2-car garage, private 40 foot boat-slip, built in 2005. Same location as above, but with a deepwater (read: no fixed bridges to the ocean) boat-slip.

$5,250,000: Highland Beach, 5/7.5, ca. 6100 sf (561 sqm), oceanfront, 3-car garage, built in 2009. End unit/corner on 200 feet of private beach, completely reinforced concrete exterior walls, floor to ceiling hurricane impact/resistant doors and windows.

Eying the trophy, you will have to decide what is most important to you. 

If it absolutely, positively has to be a newer (year 2000 and up) modernist single family house, prepare to budget at least ca. $780,000 (with exceptions, but not many). A newer modernist townhome – most likely built after 2003 – is a viable alternative and can be found from ca. $300,000 and up. And if that still does not appeal to you, take your pick from the considerably larger selection of mid-century modern homes on the market.

Property Values: What to expect for $250,000 to $350,000

In this new series of posts, I will explore how much modern home per Dollar you currently can expect in SE Florida. With asking prices as of yesterday ranging from $179,000 to $42,000,000, expectations from a modern home at $75 per square foot surely differ greatly from one for $2,100 per sf.

In the first installment today, I will look at modern homes listed between $250,000 and $350,000.

In this price bracket, over half of the listings offer three or more bedrooms, but the houses are certainly not huge. Square feet under air – assuming that you want to live in air-conditioned space or don’t count your car port as living space – range from 1,020 to 2,274, with one lonely outlier of (unverified) 3,542 sf. The average lies somewhere around 1,800 sf.

Half of the homes in this price range have a pool, 55% have a garage. What you do not find in this group is new construction: the majority was built between 1950 and 1970, the youngest house in this group is still 21 years old.

But the homes are often in good to very good upkeep. Updates are quite common, but not always in the spirit of modern architecture: Mexican or some funky tile on top of terrazzo, lead-glass front-doors, country cherry kitchens with stainless-steel appliances and granite counter-tops or bow/bay windows are quite typical.

So either a remodeling budget or willingness to live with a stylistic mismatch for a while are helpful. Occasionally I see homes in original condition, often even well-kept: those are much easier and more fun to update in period style than a house that needs to be de-renovated.

From the houses on my for-sale list (remember that there is no “modern”-specific search in the SE Florida MLS) between $250,000 and $350,000, I chose six examples typical for this range:

Fort Lauderdale: 2/1 with room to expand, ca. 1020 sf, pool, carport, short-sale listed at $249,000. Notice the original corral wall and clerestory windows.

Boca Raton: 3/2, 1896 sf, remodeled, keystone entry, fireplace, marble floors, cabana bath, pool. $298,000.

North Bay Village: 4/3, 2577 sf, remodeled, pool, $349,000. Note the kitchen renovation: corner window meets cherry cabinets.

Lake Worth: 2/2, 1162 sf, garage, completely renovated, $249,000. Noticeable: crown- and door-moldings in a modernist home.

Delray Beach: 2/2, 1740 sf, PGT windows, sunken living room, diamond-brite pool, large lot, carport, $349,000.

Fort Lauderdale: 2/2, 1102 sf, waterfront with ocean access, move-in condition, new kitchen (with Mexican tile), fireplace, room for pool, short sale listed at $269,000.

In summary: between $250,000 and $350,000, you certainly can find interesting mid-century modernist properties. It helps tremendously if you are not in a hurry or if you are geographically flexible, as the houses shown here are over 40 miles apart.

Interested in more examples, questions regarding any of these properties, or would you like a specialist for modern architecture – that would be me – help you find the right home? Then do let me know. I look forward to hearing from you.

The Need to De-Renovate

As I also mentioned on http://www.modernsouthflorida.com, a lot of local mid-century modern homes are messed up and in need of de-renovation. They suffer from what could also be called a cob-job: like kernels on a cob, everybody subtracts, changes or adds piece by piece, without concept or longterm vision.

Botched renovations with wrong colors, wrong materials, wrong shapes, wrong dimensions... the list for possibilities to go astray is long. And people invent new ones all the time.

A typical example is this midcentury-modernist 2/2 in Pompano Beach:




Do you see the problem I have with the front door?

Another good example is a listing in the Victoria Park section of Fort Lauderdale, a 2/1 design by John Crowell on a corner lot with room to expand. It has good details, including clerestory windows and a real coral wall, but did someone ever ruin the appearance of that house! It used to be pale yellow, not quite convincing but not totally offensive either, if you overlooked the front door. But at some point during the long and fruitless listing period with several Realtors over several years, someone decided that dark-brown would be a much better color to match that red front door with the fake lead-glass insert. And so they painted away. Now it looks like a sorry pile of... of... I don’t know.

It needs a buyer with a vision. Or someone with enough taste to buy it and hire someone with a vision, so it can be brought back to modernist life.

Any takers?