Real Estate Views from St Pete

Rich Jacobsen's blog on responding to comments, as well as the many comments, was timely for my recent post, The Ranch House is Dying. When there are less than a dozen or so comments, I'll generally try to address each one individually. When there are dozens of them, often there are common points, which I responded to by topic. Also, I think the topic hit a nerve among many people, and since most of us don't ask to get copies of all the comments to a post we've commented on, thought they might miss the expanding of ideas.

Now, to the post:

Style preferences are very regional. Sometimes is for topography, small lot sizes, cost, coastal or flood area, or just plain local preference.

I happen to think so much is also dependent on words. Craig Schiller recently wrote a post about choosing the right word, i.e. "invent". To me, ranch house doesn't convey the sense of a ranch and open spaces, it says plain, rectangular box, known in some parts of the country as a rancher. Not nearly as appealing as bungalow, which conveys history and charm. They are both generally one story homes, but convey a very different picture. Many of the bungalows in our area were built "in town" on 40 ft or 50 ft lots, but the term has you imagining nooks, details, covered porches, conversation time.

Here in Florida, we have many one story homes, especially older ones. The old Cracker houses from the 10s and 20s were often single story, and the always popular Craftsman bungalows were most commonly a single story. In the 50s and 60s the "Florida" ranch was generally built in an L shape, with the long L going toward the back of the property. Many people would add a swimming pool and outdoor living area inside the L, perhaps adding a screen enclosure to make the footprint back into a rectangle.  It's interesting that many of the new upscale homes built in the 2000s are also basically an L shape plan - expanded, of course, and with different room functions, more open areas inside, high ceilings, and more glass - but still an L shape, and still a single story. Even the ones with an optional bonus room over the garage often keep the silhouette low. 

For those who can afford to buy or build it, a one story plan really has a lot of plusses. No stairs to climb, or fall down. No problems if you break a leg skiing and can't get up to your bedroom. No issues if a less mobile parent comes to stay.  Easier conversations among the residents. Better connection with the outside - think Frank Lloyd Wright.

With even more land, and even more money, you can branch out into irregular shapes and angles (each corner adds to the cost, and unusual angles add even more), so that each room can have cross ventilation and garden views, and different wings can have different functions - catch different views, varying light.

So I disagree with the conclusion that "The Ranch House is Dying".

• Yes, economics means that with small lots and demand for larger houses, many developments are squeezing in two story (or more) homes on the narrow lots - the ones where someone can borrow a cup of sugar by reaching across from window to window;
  
• Yes, elevators help make the second floor accessible (and I recommend to all my clients who are building that - if THEY don't want to put in an elevator - at least they design the home with an elevator shaft, which can have the doors in and closets on each floor to utilize the space;

but there's still something very convenient about a one story house. Perhaps if someone comes up with a new, desirable name for these one story houses, the style won't die, even if the "ranch house" does. 

Sharon Simms, Real Estate Agent selling homes in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Gulf Beaches and the Tampa Bay area.