[quote=CA renter][quote=AN][quote=CA renter]I’d agree with BG’s definitions. A true “custom” home is one that’s uniquely built from the ground-up. It is not a “modified” tract, which some builders try to classify as “custom”.
I desperately wish we could go back to the days when families could buy their own lots and build their own, custom homes, however funky they may be. I HATE the big developers who’ve sucked up all of our land inventory, only to parcel it out and sell crappy, boxy, stucco boxes on tiny lots — with HOAs and Mello-Roos to boot. Yuck!!!![/quote]
I thought BG’s definition is a “custom” home can’t even be in a sea of tract home, even if it was uniquely built from the ground up? Example would be those houses in Scripps that were burnt and got rebuilt. The area are full of tract houses, but the houses that were rebuilt got rebuilt uniquely from the ground up.
Like you, I would love to go back to the days where families could buy their own lots and build their own custom homes. Unfortunately, custom lots these days are all HUGE and in far flung places. Too bad big developers have been putting up tract houses in all the places I want to live in for the last 40-50 years and I don’t see the trend reversing. My only real option is to modify one of the tract house and “customize” it to my want/needs. To me, customizing a custom home and customizing a tract home will be the same result, which is a custom home to fit my needs/wants.[/quote]. . . I think BG would define those burned-down/newly rebuilt homes as “custom” homes as well, as long as they aren’t the same plans used by the builders of that tract. If it’s uniquely designed and built from the ground-up, it’s custom.
Yes, like you, we’ve had to face facts about buildable lots in desirable areas, so we’re probably going to buy an existing home and remodel/customize it ourselves. The problem is trying to find a broken-down fixer (which is the only thing that makes sense) that isn’t swarmed by the flippers I so loathe. ;)[/quote]
Yes, the rebuilt houses of those destroyed by fire are “custom” even though some of the (tract) houses surrounding them may have been untouched by fire. A good example of “eclectic” customs are those homes built on the Normal Heights Rim (92116) on E/W Mtn View Dr, Cromwell Ct and Hawley Blvd after the 1985 fire there. These houses look NOTHING like the WWII boxes/early 50’s “ranchettes” that they replaced. The architects who designed the rebuilds took full advantage of the often spacious lots and expansive views. After being cleared by the City, 90% of these burned out lots were resold to buyers with deeper pockets due to the (mostly senior) homeowner-victims owning outright who were uninsured or vastly underinsured. (This fire occurred before “replacement value” HO policies came into being.)
As to the Scripps Ranch fire, I believe one developer built >30 homes there, offering deals to underinsured homeowners if they would choose one of five plans. Even though these particular fire-victims have houses which are like others in the subdivision, they are still “custom” because they were built from the ground up and are not the same floor plans as the neighboring untouched-by-fire houses were. And some homeowners who had replacement value insurance kicked more $$ in and overbuilt for the neighborhood. These are also customs.
I believe the only way one can get a nice buildable lot in a desirable convenient area in SD County is to buy a teardown fixer at the absolute lowest price you can get it. Then tear it down to the studs and rebuild, using all or part of the foundation, if still good. In Pt. Loma, for instance, other things to preserve for the rebuild would be original picture windows (esp curved glass), stained glass windows, porches and entrances, doorbells and mail slots (perhaps all or part of the front of the home left standing). Your new home will still be a “remodel” because you will leave the studs, all or part of the foundation and utility meters. Doing it this way saves about $30K in permitting costs. Do this ONLY in an area where there is at least a $350K difference (preferably more) in the price you paid for the lot and the median recent “sold comp.” If you pay too much for the teardown, you will likely end up having too much $$ invested in the neighborhood after your construction is done.
AN, Mira Mesa is not a good choice for a teardown/custom rebuild because the fundamentals are not in place there to make it worth your while. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe MM to be entirely on tract.
