Multi-Family Originations to Hit All-Time High in 2020

Building upon a great year, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is predicting the multi-family sector of the housing market will only get bigger and better in 2020.

A “great year” in 2019 translates into multi-family mortgage originations rising +24% in Q3 2019 compared with Q3 2018 and +9% from Q2 2019. A “bigger and better year in 2020” translates into an “all-time high in multi-family mortgage originations.

Jamie Woodwell, vice president of commercial real estate research with the MBA, said, “There’s been a lot of attention paid to what might be ahead for commercial real estate and commercial real estate finance markets, given the uncertainty in the global economy. Throughout the industry, borrowers, lenders and others are working through whether to take today’s market as it is, or to plan for interest rates, property values and loan performance that may be markedly different.”

Woodwell believes five factors will fuel the multi-family market in 2020. Take a look:

• Job Growth
• The long, steady job growth has been a boon to the commercial office market.
• The MBA is predicting that job gains will remain steady though steady at a slower pace. Demand for space will follow that steady, slower pace.
• Rising Household Formation
• “Here come the Millennials.” The demographic shifts happening concurrent with the Millennial push is predicted to positively impact the demand for housing, goods and services as well as the ways in which those products will be purchased and consumed.
• Health of the Consumer
• Currently, the MBA see household balance sheets as being “healthy” with record lows of financial obligations and debt service payments. Student loan debt is the outlier stickler here.
• The MBA cautions, however, that consumer confidence sentiments could change with global and political variations.
• Consumer confidence sentiments, if and when changed, could impact housing demand within all splinter sectors.
• Low Interest Rates
• The MBA believes “lower for longer” appears to be the most likely path for interest rates.
• Search for Yield
• Property values are growing faster in secondary and tertiary markets and investors are following, if not gobbling up, those values.
• The credit curve for CMS bonds have been falling and flattening…that translates into investors being more willing to take on more risk.

Wodell concluded, “No one has the answers here…but the market’s focus on (these above factors) is changing the complexion of what is being done and how different players are acting.”

https://www.infabode.com/hubs/us-real-estate-companies/hub_posts/146263

Squatters’ Rights: Guide to State Law & How-To Evict

Property owners around the globe have been paying close attention to squatting— a topic that boomed in recent years thanks to the establishment of organized groups like Take Back the Land.

Many residential and commercial property owners are now apprehensive about leaving their buildings unoccupied— concerned that onlookers may view their realty as a squatting opportunity.

Even landlords seeking tenants must be exceptionally vigilant when it comes to screening potential renters, as some may pay their rent for a short period of time before deciding to occupy the space unlawfully.

But what, exactly, are the legalities surrounding squatting? And how should landlords who are being affected by this phenomenon go about addressing it?

These are the questions we’ll be answering in today’s post.

But first, let’s cover the basics.

What is a squatter?

A squatter is any individual who decides to inhabit a piece of land or a building in which they have no legal right to occupy. The squatter lives in the building or on the property they select without paying rent and without lawful documentation stating they own the property, are a law-abiding tenant, or that they have permission to use or access the area.

What are squatters’ rights?

Squatters rights refers to laws which allow a squatter to use or inhabit another person’s property in the event that the lawful owner does not evict or take action against the squatter.

Typically, squatters rights laws only apply if an individual has been illegitimately occupying a space for a specific period of time. In New York, for example, a squatter can be awarded “adverse possession” under state law if they have been living in a property for 10 years or more.’

It’s important to note, however, that each state has their own laws surrounding this topic. Thus, how squatting is approached and dealt with varies greatly depending on where it occurs.

Which states have squatters rights?

Squatters rights, also known as “adverse possession” laws, exist in all 50 states. However, how these laws are enforced, and when they are enforced, differ greatly from state-to-state.

The below states have a squatters law which requires the individual to have lived on the property in question for 20 years or more:

Delaware Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Louisiana (30 years) Maine Maryland

Massachusetts New Jersey (30 years) North Carolina North Dakota Ohio (21 years) Pennsylvania (21 years) South Dakota Wisconsin

The below states have a squatters law which requires the individual to have lived on the property in question for 19 years or less:

Alabama (10 years) Alaska (10 years) Arizona (10 years) Arkansas (7 years) California (5 years) Colorado (18 years) Connecticut (15 years) Florida (7 years) Indiana (10 years) Iowa (10 years) Kansas (15 years) Kentucky (15 years) Michigan (15 years) Minnesota (15 years) Mississippi (10 years) Missouri (10 years) Montana (5 years)

Nebraska (10 years) Nevada (15 years) New Mexico (10 years) New York (10 years) Oklahoma (15 years) Oregan (10 years) Rhode Island (10 years) South Carolina (10 years) Tennessee (7 years) Texas (10 years) Utah (7 years) Vermont (15 years) Virginia (15 years) Washington (10 years) West Virginia (10 years) Wyoming (10 years)

Note: Some of the states listed above require the squatter to possess a deed, or to have paid taxes during their occupancy, while others do not. In some states, if the squatter can produce the required documentation, the number of years may be reduced.

How to evict a squatter

With the squatting movement gaining traction, more and more landlords are looking to arm themselves with information about how to get rid of squatters.

This is an excellent step to take, since successfully defending a property against individuals who intend to take advantage of squatters rights will rely heavily on the landlords understanding of the law and their ability to respond promptly.

Below are the permissible steps we recommend taking when evicting squatters:

1. Call the Police

The more quickly you contact your local law enforcement, the better. They will be able to file an official police report, which you can use in the future if you end up having to pursue an eviction via the court system. The more evidence and documentation you have to demonstrate your efforts to remove the individual(s) from your premises, the stronger your case will be.

Remember, you can not legally try to intimidate the squatter or forcibly remove them from your property. If you must engage with the individuals who are illegally inhabiting your property, it’s best to have a police officer present.

2. Provide a Formal Eviction Notice

After you have notified the authorities that there is an illegal tenant on your property, you’ll need to file an Unlawful Detainer action. The process of filing such an action can vary from state to state, so it’s important to speak with a lawyer or your local court office to ensure you understand all of the required steps.

3. Litigation

If the squatter refuses to leave after being ordered to do so, you can take further action by filing a lawsuit. After doing so, a hearing date will be set and both parties will be required to attend. If the courts rule in your favor (which is most likely), the judge will order the police to escort the squatter from the premises. At this point, you will be allowed to change the locks to the property.

4. Remove Any Possessions Left Behind

As frustrated as you may be at this point, it’s important to remember that you can’t always just discard any possessions a squatter leaves behind. Some states require landlords to provide written notice to the squatter stating a deadline by which they must collect their belongings. Because squatters are often difficult to contact, you can protect yourself by having this letter prepared and bringing it to your court hearing. In this same notice, you can disclose what you intended to do should the belongings not be collected by the specified date. Either way, be sure to speak to a lawyer or your local judicial office to ensure you are following the proper procedures.

https://www.american-apartment-owners-association.org/property-management/latest-news/squatters-rights-law/

14 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home at the Same Time

Buying a new home while you’re selling your current one requires a juggling act with multiple organizations and stakeholders in a specific window of time, and everything needs to go smoothly. Here are some expert tips for navigating the process.

1. Focus on the sale potential of your existing home first.

The Bay Area is a unique housing market because it’s so competitive. For sellers, the high demand  for housing works in your favor: the sales cycle is relatively fast in the Bay Area compared to other parts of the country. However, market conditions fluctuate here as they do in other locations, so you’ll want to be conservative when it comes to estimating how long – or how quickly – it’s going to take for your existing home to sell.

In the Bay Area, where all-cash and preemptive offers are not uncommon, you need to be prepared that your home could sell faster than you expected it to, so you need a plan for where you and your family will live if the new owners want the house right away and you don’t have a new home to move into yet.

At the same time, you want to be prepared for your home to take longer to sell than you might think. The key is understanding the market conditions for your neighborhood, which an experienced real estate professional can help you with.

2. Create a list of must-haves, non-negotiables, and like-to-haves.

Compromising on certain things is inevitable, so it’s important to be clear before you begin this process on what things are must-haves, what are non-negotiables, and what are like-to-haves.

For example, on your home sale, you may need the profits from the sale for a downpayment on your new home. In this case, you’ll want to be clear ahead of time on a bottom price that you’ll be willing to sell the home for. You may also have a sell-buy date, such as before the new school year starts.

When it comes to the new home you want to buy, be clear on your needs, such as no remodeling required, in a good school district, three bathroom, etc. Furthermore, consider the highest price you can afford if your existing home sells at the lowest price you’ll accept.

Setting these types of parameters, and sharing them with your real estate agent, will make decision-marking easier while lowering the odds that you’ll experience seller’s or buyer’s remorse later on.

3. Get your current home ready to sell ahead of time, so there are no surprises

It’s easier to sell an apology-free house or condo than one with issues. In addition, you want to reduce your risks as much as possible ahead of time. The last thing you want is a surprise costly repair to come up when you’re trying to close on the sale of your existing home so you can buy your new one. For this reason, do a thorough inspection of the property before you plan to sell and get repairs done well ahead of time.

In addition to repairs and maintenance, focus on the aesthetics of the home. Get rid of clutter, add a fresh layer of paint, install new carpeting, clean up your landscaping, etc. Real estate experts say that curb appeal of the home is one of the most important features when it comes to selling a house, as we wrote about in our post on this topic. So, be sure the exterior of your home is show-place ready before you plan to put it on the market.

4. Create a timeline.

Be clear about what needs to happen when, and where you’re flexible on dates. Creating a rough schedule of when certain things need to happen will help everyone stay on task. For instance, if you need to install a new garage door on the current home, when will this happen? If you need to be in your new home in the new school district by a certain date, what has to happen before then? How long will you have before you need to find your new home? Getting things down on paper, in a spreadsheet, or task management software will bring a dose of reality to the project and help to ensure you stay on course.

5. Work with one experienced agent whom you trust.

Navigating the complexities of selling and buying a home at the same time will be far easier if you work with an experienced real estate agent whom you trust. Professional agents are managing these kinds of transactions every day, so they know the ups and downs of what could happen and how you can pivot in certain scenarios.

Your agent will also be able to guide you based on current market trends. For example, they can tell you if the market is so hot that contingencies are simply not an option. In the Bay Area, many homes and condos are sold without any contingencies, so you can miss out on getting the home you want if your offer has them while other buyers’ offers do not.

It’s also a good idea to use one agent for both your sale and the home you’re buying. This way, they’ll be fully cognizant of the complexities of both deals that are on the table and can negotiate in your favor. If you would like to talk to an experienced agent about your specific circumstances, don’t hesitate to contact Intempus. We can advise you on all matters related to buying and selling a property in the Bay Area.

6. Get your financial house in order.

These two transactions are likely the largest you will have ever handled, so you want to get everything lined up ahead of time. Here are some items to consider:

• The cost of repairs, fixing up, and staging your current home to get it ready to sell.
• Setting up a cash reserve to cover the cost of potentially paying two mortgages for a set period of time.
• Making sure you have 6-9 months in a cash reserve to cover expenses for you and your family.
• Budgeting for maintenance for the new home you’ll buy. If you’re upsizing, consider how much more you might spend for yearly maintenance on the new home.
• Budget for remodeling, new furnishings, landscaping, etc. for your new home. What will you need to do right away and what can you live with for a while before upgrading?
• Cost of renting for a year if you decide to sell your home before you have a new home to move into.

As mentioned above, set a benchmark on the lowest amount that you’re willing to sell your existing home for, and the top limit for the purchase price of your new home. One of the biggest regrets that homeowners say they have about buying a home is the unexpected costs of maintenance and repairs. So, be sure you have a realistic plan for what you can afford well before starting these two transactions.

7. Determine what size mortgage you can qualify for now.

Real estate expert Dave Ramsey cautions that it will be more challenging to qualify for a new mortgage if you’re relying on the sale of your current home for the down payment on your new one.

In addition, the market and mortgage rates will have changed since you bought your current home, and thus the size of mortgage you qualified for at one point in time may be a very different picture from what you can qualify for now. Understanding where you stand will bring clarity to what you can afford and what is out of range.

8. Discuss with your agent whether contingencies will be possible in the current market.

As mentioned above, an experienced licensed agent can tell you if asking for a purchase contingency that involves the sale of your existing home will be acceptable in the current real estate market.

In the Bay Area, it’s common for sellers to receive multiple offers for their homes and condos, and buyers with too many contingencies, or just one, can lose out to buyers who have none. So, if a purchase contingency is not realistic, you’ll want to be prepared for how you’ll purchase the new place, even if the current home has not sold yet.

9. Don’t expect that you’ll be able to close on the two homes on the same day.

While it would be great to have your current home sale close on the same day that you close on your new home, the odds are that this won’t happen, so you’ll want to be prepared.

According to Dave Ramsey, closings can be delayed for any number of reasons, such as a home inspector finds issues in your new home or your buyer runs into problems with their financing. You want to minimize the gaps between these two dates, but also be prepared that you may have to keep paying the mortgage and other expenses on your current home while starting to pay on your new home. In addition, you’ll need a plan for when movers need to arrive and where your family, including pets, will stay during the gap, if there is one, between your move-out and move-in dates.

10. See if you can negotiate on the settlement date.

It’s important to remember that everything is negotiable. Tara Mastroeni, a contributor to Forbes, recommends negotiating for the settlement dates you need if you want to move directly from your old home into your new one. If this kind of transition is one of your must-haves, perhaps you can negotiate with your buyer and seller on this matter, meanwhile making concessions in areas that are important to them.

11. Be prepared that you may not have the option of a rent-back on your current home.

Rent-back agreements are not uncommon in the Bay Area. In such a situation, you negotiate with the buyer of your current home that you can stay in it for a set amount of time, paying them rent or covering the mortgage for that period until you’re able to move into your new home.

Buyers in a competitive market may be all-too willing to do this. However, you need to keep in mind that if you took the best offer on your home, you may not be in the position to negotiate a rent-back. The buyer may want to start remodeling right away, or even move in right away. So, while rent-backs are common in the Bay Area, you need to be prepared that a rent-back may not be a possibility.

11. Beware of bridge and HELOC loans.

Dave Ramsey cautions homeowners who are selling and buying at the same time to be wary of lenders offering bridge or HELOC loans.

A bridge loan lets you use the equity in your current home to fund the downpayment on your new home vs. using cash you have on-hand. A bridge loan is a short-term loan that you have to repay quickly. The risk of this type of loan is that payments, penalties, and fees are higher than they are on longer term loans.

With HELOC, or Home Equity Lines of Credit, loans, in which you also your home’s equity for the down payment, you may have to repay the full loan within one-to-three years, on top of paying your regular mortgage payments. Thus, it’s critical that you understand the true costs of these types of loans. It may make more financial sense to sell your existing home and rent a place until you find your dream home.

13. Consider renting for a while.

In the Bay Area’s competitive market, it can take a long time to find the perfect home that you can afford. While moving twice and signing a year lease on a rental might seem like a pain, renting can take a lot of pressure off both the selling and buying process while giving you the time you need to handle both transactions to your advantage.

14. Don’t close on a Friday.

A final tip on handling these two transactions is to try to avoid closing the sale on your new home on a Friday. The reason is, the county recorder works on business days. So, your loan may close and you start accruing interest, but you still don’t legally have access to your new place!

https://intempuspropertymanagement.com/14-tips-for-buying-and-selling-a-home-at-the-same-time/

NexPoint Real Estate Finance files for an IPO

NexPoint Real Estate Finance (NREF) has filed a preliminary prospectus for an ~$115M initial public offering.

NREF is a Dallas, TX-based REIT, focused on middle-market loans for multifamily and self-storage properties

The REIT will be managed by NexPoint Real Estate Advisors VII, a subsidiary of sponsor NexPoint Advisors.

2019 Financials (9 mo.): Net interest income: $13.45M (-28.4% Y/Y).

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3528754-nexpoint-real-estate-finance-files-for-ipo

Virginia latest place to make single family zoning ban a political fight

Streets of suburban homes in in Manassas, Virginia. A new law being introduced into the state legislature would allow for duplexes across the state, effectively upzoning the entire Commonwealth. 

Getty Images/Glowimages RF

A proposed plan in Virginia to allow extra housing units on single-family lots has become the latest example of local zoning igniting partisan debate, underscoring how housing laws are becoming a bigger and bigger political issue in the midst of the nation’s affordable housing crisis.

Floated last week by Ibraheem Samirah, a member of the state’s new progressive Democratic majority, the proposal has already been attacked by Republicans, who say it will increase sprawl and traffic congestion, and conservative media.

The Virginia proposal would not, as critics claim, make single-family homes illegal or mandate any particular type of construction. It would deregulate housing rules and allow property owners to build duplexes in areas where they currently aren’t allowed, a move Samirah and his supporters believe will increase density in a state suffering from the nation’s affordable housing crisis. As CityLab writer Kriston Capps notes in a story about idea, “local governments may still set restrictive setbacks, height limits, and parking requirements for properties,” meaning they still maintain significant control over the size of the buildings that go up in these areas.

Luke Rosiak

@lukerosiak

 · Dec 23, 2019

Replying to @lukerosiak

Republicans say putting duplexes in quiet, semi-rural areas would only add to traffic and sprawl, and destroy nature. Democrats aim to spread poverty from the city into the suburbs, and put public housing in every neighborhood, in the name of “equity.”

Luke Rosiak

@lukerosiak

Like living on a leafy, quiet, tree-lined street where your kids can play in the street?

That’s racist, say state lawmakers, who would render local lawmakers powerless to define the character of their individual communities.

Oregon did this last year, and Virginia may follow.

357

5:10 PM – Dec 23, 2019

Does the reaction to the Virginia proposal suggest that upzoning and adding housing density to suburban neighborhoods may become a new front in the partisan political divide? It’s certainly an important one; the Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives was a result of sweeping victories in 2018 in the kinds of upscale suburbs that would be the focus of these types of upzoning proposals.

But the sides in this debate don’t always neatly match party lines. Liberal California has struggled to pass bills increasing housing density, often due to strong disapproval from homeowners, while Dr. Ben Carson, the HUD Secretary, has expressed interest in pursuing upzoning.

In the wake of big upzoning proposals passing in Oregon and in Minneapolis, where proponents explicitly tied passage of the new planning rules to efforts to increase equity and diversity, allow for the creation of more affordable housing, and improve environmental sustainability, city and states have certainly begun looking at upzoning as a policy solution. California has also been a battleground for these issues; a number of housing proposals, including a transit density bill that would have overruled local zoning laws, were defeated this year, though bills to make it easier to build accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, did pass.

Creating more “middle housing” in Virginia

Delegate Samirah, a newly elected member of the House of Delegates from a suburban district outside of D.C., sponsored the duplex bill, HB152, along with five other housing measures, including one to legalize ADUs. He predicted that some would find his proposal to be an example of “state overreach” or that it would create anxiety about neighborhood change, but he feels strongly that this kind of zoning change is necessary.

In a region waiting to see how the arrival of Amazon’s HQ2 in Alexandria impacts local real estate prices and rents, housing affordability has become a key concern. Arlington County Virginia, a suburban area where the average home price is north of $600,000, has 90 percent of its land zoned as single-family only housing.

Delegate Ibraheem Samirah

@IbraheemSamirah

Today I introduced six new bills dealing with affordable housing supply and exclusionary zoning practices.

The most impactful bill, HB152, would legalize two-unit housing types on any lot zoned for single-family use only.

More in my thread here 

316

10:24 AM – Dec 19, 2019

Samirah went on to explain his thinking via a Twitter thread:

Across the country, there is a shortage of affordable units that is putting a squeeze on working families and contributing to rises in rents for existing units. Unfortunately, the kind of dense “middle housing” that could be built to alleviate the shortage is banned on most lots.

Because middle housing is what’s most affordable for low-income people and people of color, banning that housing in well-off neighborhoods chalks up to modern-day redlining, locking folks out of areas with better access to schools, jobs, transit, and other services and amenities.

Alex Baca, the housing program organizer for Greater Greater Washington, a regional nonprofit advocating for affordable and walkable communities for all, said Samirah’s proposal would help rectify some of the side effects of expansive single-family zoning, including increased segregation, adding more hurdles to build affordable housing, and creating more environmentally unsustainable communities. HB152 also does not contain any carve-outs or special exemptions, a more just and effective way to increase density, according to Baca, that would lead to small changes everywhere instead of massive changes in just a few neighborhoods.

As she wrote:

Del. Samirah’s bill represents a decently fair way to reform single-family zoning because it’s a statewide effort. Zoning can be used to manipulate the value of space; this system depends on adjacent space having some sort of varying quality. Smoothing this out statewide ensures that the baseline is uniform across the board. That that baseline is a duplex, and not a single-family home, is critical, because there’s no good reason for single-family zoning to be on any jurisdiction’s books.

Delegate Samirah’s proposal also makes it easier to quickly add density in the types of suburban districts he represents, which are close to jobs and employment. Jenny Schuetz, an urban economist at the Brookings Institute, says the proposal would allow for make land use more efficient and allow for affordable housing construction without subsidies.

As Samirah told CityLab’s Capps, the battle to pass the duplex bill will be challenging; rural voters may not respond well to a bill targeted at suburban districts, and homeowners, especially NIMBYs, may not like legislation that can lead to neighborhood change.

But as Samirah and his allies try to make their case, introducing the bills into committee when the legislature returns to session on January 8, they’re joining lawmakers and advocates across the country trying to eliminate single family-only zoning.

https://www.curbed.com/2019/12/26/21037831/virginia-housing-density-zoning-suburbs

The best houses of 2019

Residential architecture is one of the most diverse areas we cover. Reflecting this, our selection of 2019’s best houses runs the gamut from a multi-million dollar floating home to low-cost social housing. Read on to see our favorite homes of the year.

Villa Troglodyte – Jean-Pierre Lott Architecte

Villa Troglodyte is a luxury home built into a cliff face

Loic Thebaud

The most unusual home we’ve covered in some time, Jean-Pierre Lott Architecte’s rock-like Villa Troglodyte is built into a cliff face in Monaco and at first glance appears to be part of the natural topography.

The luxury residence has a cave-like interior with a reception room and swimming pool, living and dining areas, and three bedrooms, each of which has an en-suite bathroom. There are few windows in the home, so most natural light comes from a large skylight. Sustainable additions such as solar panels, greywater recycling, and cork insulation help reduce its energy use.

Goldsmith Street – Mikhail Riches and Cathy Hawley

Goldsmith Street is a superb example of sustainable and affordable social housing 

Tim Crocker

Norwich, UK’s Goldsmith Street, by Mikhail Riches and Cathy Hawley, is a housing project consisting of 105 homes for low-income families that offers an excellent example of how to do social housing right.

With an attractive terraced design that helps it blend in with traditional architecture in adjacent areas, as well as a layout that encourages safe play between neighborhood kids, the project is also sustainable and received the stringent Passivhaus green building rating. Little wonder it won the Stirling Prize, which is Britain’s most prestigious architecture award, from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

Quadrant House – KWK Promes

Quandrant House features a movable terrace that’s installed on a track system

Juliusz Sokoàowski

KWK Promes is one of Europe’s most interesting creators of residential architecture and its Quadrant House in central Poland is another highlight. The L-shaped luxury home features a movable terrace that, with the push of a button, travels sedately on a track system embedded into the ground.

Aside from its novel terrace, Quadrant House consists of a living room and spa, plus a garage, kitchen and a dining area. There are also three bedrooms upstairs.

Black Barn – Studio Bark

Black Barn is a modern barnhouse that runs fully off-the-grid with solar power and a bio-diesel generator

Lenny Codd

Studio Bark’s contemporary take on a traditional barn-style house in Suffolk, England, has been designed to resemble the local agricultural buildings so as to take its place well among the rural landscape.

Named Black Barn, the home runs fully off-the-grid with solar panels and a backup bio-diesel generator. Its exterior is part-finished in locally-sourced timber charred using the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban method and its interior is no less striking too, with generous glazing and timber scissor trusses defining the second-floor living room and kitchen. Private areas like bedrooms and bathrooms are less visible and installed on the first floor.

Beach House – JD Composites

JD Composites’ Beach House was built using more than 600,000 recycled plastic bottles

JD Composites

Canadian firm JD Composites constructed a home in Nova Scotia that makes good use of other people’s trash – specifically, over 612,000 recycled plastic bottles.

Named Beach House, its walls consist of prefabricated panels that were made by melting down the bottles. You might wonder if this would affect structural integrity somehow, but the home is actually so well made that it’s rated to stand up to extreme hurricane-force winds. Its interior features an open layout with large living room and kitchen, as well as three spacious bedrooms.

Arkup #1 – Arkup

The Arkup #1 is a luxury floating home that can raise itself on hydraulic stilts

Arkup

The Arkup #1 is an amazing US$5.5 million floating house that boasts solar power, rainwater collection systems, stabilizing hydraulic stilts, and its own engines.

Designed by Dutch architecture firm Waterstudio.NL, the ultra-luxury houseboat’s stilts can be used to lift it above the waves. It’s also rated to withstand category 4 hurricane winds and packs tons of high-tech radio and TV technology. The interior has an open-plan ground floor layout with lounge, dining area, kitchen, and a bathroom. There are also four bedrooms, each boasting an en-suite bathroom.

Tiny Tower – Interface Studio Architects

Tiny Tower is designed to fit into small awkward city plots that are usually too awkward to build on

Sam Oberter Photography

Many cities are filled with awkward little plots that aren’t suitable for building a standard house on, but Interface Studio Architects has designed a compact home that could potentially put them to good use.

The Tiny Tower fits into a 12 x 29-ft (3.6 x 8.8-m) space and its interior is spread over five floors. The firm drew inspiration from a skyscraper during the design process and the home is organized as such, albeit on a far smaller scale. While there are obvious issues with having to walk up and down so many stairs to get around the home, it’s a fascinating idea and snagged a American Institute of Architects (AIA) Housing Award.

St Andrews Beach House – Austin Maynard Architects

St Andrews Beach House is a very appealing beach home made from timber

Derek Swalwell

Australia’s Austin Maynard Architects is perhaps best known for its energy-efficient renovations of existing homes, but with St Andrews Beach House it had a chance to start from scratch.

The attractive tubular beach house features an open interior layout, with its ground floor consisting of a kitchen, living and dining space, a bathroom, and a laundry area. A spiral staircase is placed in the center of the home and leads upstairs to the bedrooms and another bathroom. It’s also topped by solar panels and rainwater collection systems.

3D-printed neighborhood – New Story

New Story has begun work on a 3D-printed low-cost housing development in Mexico

Joshua Perez for New Story

New Story has been on a mission to create affordable 3D-printed homes for some time now and the non-profit recently unveiled a burgeoning neighborhood in rural Mexico that houses people in extreme poverty who used to live in dangerous makeshift shelters.

Only two of 50 homes are completed as of writing, so the project still has a long way to go before we can definitively declare it a success, but that said, it shows huge promise. Each house is divided into two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

Cork House – Matthew Barnett Howland, with Dido Milne and Oliver Wilton

Cork House is a sustainable house made from 1,268 blocks of cork

Ricky Jones

Cork House, by Matthew Barnett Howland, with Dido Milne and Oliver Wilton, is a sustainable house located in the grounds of an old English mill that’s made almost entirely from cork by-product from the forestry and bottle stopper industries. Every building component used in the Eton home’s construction can be reused or recycled.

Its interior is warm and snug, with generous glazing, including several skylights, installed to ensure natural light permeates within. The project won RIBA’s Stephen Lawrence Prize, which encourages new and experimental architecture projects built to a relatively low budget.

That rounds out our pick of the best houses of 2019. Head to the gallery for more photos and information on each one.

https://newatlas.com/architecture/best-houses-2019/