It’s time now. We got two Kids, have been renting since many years. But we’re ready to settle down. We love it here in Olympia, not scared anymore of the chain of owning our home imprisioning our youthful desire to trot the globe. It’s time for us to look at houses to purchase. Well, of course, that’s just the stage where I am at. I’m not considering the forces beyond me that pushes the decision of creating a home for our family into a scrupulous investment calculation. The housing marketed may be what it is, the mortgage situation I don’t even want to think about.

I just want a place for my family to call home. Simple desire, inherently American – I am home.

So, where do you start? You ride your bike around neighborhoods you feel comfortable in, look at For Sale signs, if they are any, and look at listings? Contact a realtor, take a first-time home buyer class?

No, you start dreaming of course!
Dreams don’t cost anything. In dreams everything is perfect. You look for inspiration. What do you need, want, love in a house. Of course this is a terrible dangerous path as it can lead to such a complete unrealisitc picture of what you want and what you can afford. That’s normal. But what is even more sad is the fact, that the house we want don’t exist. It’s one thing if we cant afford them. There is a way to re-adjust your expectations and climb the mortgage ladder, if you so desire to. But, what if every house you consider, looks ugly, dumb and impossible. Sure, you could re-adjust that too. Settle, compromise. Or you could temporarily hold your breath until you can afford to build. Sure, that would work.

But, why is it that all houses, especially the newer ones are all so butt-ugly and impractical?I wouldn’t ask this question here, if “TINY” wouldn’t be our top-selling design book at einmaleins. If I wouldn’t have countless conversations with people younger and older then me who express the dream of a new kind of home. Dwell, the popular home and design magazine is probably to blame for this. People I talk to don’t want to live beyond their means. In fact they are annoyed at the fact that today’s homes are pushing them into the direction. Younger families and individuals don’t all want “all-those-amenities” that sell so well in high-gloss realtor ads. No 14 bathrooms – who wants to keep them clean. No 37,000 square feet – you will loose your kids. No gold fixtures, gas-fireplaces, expansive massiveness. Mc-Mansions are dead.

What we want is performance and simple beauty. We’re willing to pay for it.  How about some good insulation, have you heard of Passive House? Some innovative features like radient floor heating, instead of A/C. How about an open floor plan, that welcoming and inviting, instead of a entertainment room for your Wii?

We don’t need a 3 car garage, but a place to hang our laundry. No hot-tub, but a strip of land to grow some herbs, perhaps even a raise couple of chickens.

Oh, and yes, we want to be close to a bustling downtown. Don’t need the 18 acres and have to drive every second of our lives.

So, home builders, contractors, zoning experts and realtors. If you want to revive the housing market how about don’t try to get us to buy the mistakes of your gamble of last century, but offer us something truely exciting, innovative, welcoming and, yes it can be small.