Articles

Published in the Bozeman Chronicle, September, 2006.

In today's world of fast changing technology and “newer is better” mentality, it is refreshing to see the emergence of nostalgia in various forms. Of particular interest is the preference that many homebuyers have for the architectural styles of older homes. However, many of these buyers do not want the issues of creaky floors, small rooms, and outdated electrical systems, among others, from homes that are truly historic. Rather than choosing to take on major remodeling projects, many are turning to “new old houses” which are newly constructed homes with historic details. Features such as using reclaimed flooring, vintage cabinet work, and spacious porches add charm to the interior and exterior of a residence but allow the newly constructed home to contain all of the amenities to which we have become accustomed. There is even a new quarterly magazine titled, New Old House , that focuses on this emerging market segment. An entire industry now exists ranging from architectural house plans and kit homes to old style finish products such as doors, windows and hardware to “historic” paint color palettes.

These “New Old Homes” also want to fit into the style of the neighborhood in which they are situated. Therefore, it is becoming more common to find housing areas which seemed to have stepped back in time. In Livingston, there is 5 th Street Heritage which is a single block of homes and town homes inspired by the Craftsman era and located within close proximity to Livingston 's historic downtown. In Bozeman , the return of older architectural styles is apparent in neighborhoods such as Harvest Creek, Adler Creek, West Meadows, Durston Meadows, Baxter Meadows and Valley West.

To take the concept to the next level would be to introduce the concept of New Urbanism which is defined as promoting the creation and restoration of diverse, walkable, compact, vibrant, mixed use communities. These neighborhoods contain housing, work places, shops, entertainment, schools, parks, and civic facilities essential to the daily lives of the residents, all within easy walking distance of each other. Viewed as an extremely important planning movement, New Urbanism involves fixing and infilling cities, as well as the creation of compact new towns and villages. The principles include walkability (amenities within a 10 minute walk of home and work); connectivity of street networks; mixed-use of shops, offices, apartments and homes; diversity of people; mixed housing giving a range of types, sizes, and prices; quality architecture: traditional neighborhood structure; increased density; smart transportation; sustainability; and leading up to high quality of life.

The benefits from this type of neighborhood structure can run the gamut. Benefits to the residents include better places to live, work and play with a healthier lifestyle and ideally less stress. Pedestrian friendly neighborhoods offer great opportunities to get to know more people and foster relationships. Benefits to businesses include increased sales due to a higher level of foot traffic and higher profit margins due to spending less on advertising and large signage. There are also benefits to developers in that there is more income potential from higher density, mixed use projects. Faster building approvals normally take place in communities that have adopted smart growth principles which also results in cost and time savings. Finally, there are benefits to municipalities in that there is a stable, appreciating tax base with less spent per capita on infrastructure and utilities than typical suburban development due to the compact nature of the projects. And in general, greater overall community image and civic involvement leads to better governing.

Whether a homeowner simply likes the look of claw foot bathtubs and vintage doorknobs or wants a taste of returning to simpler times when one could enjoy the quiet of an evening stroll and the welcome hello from a neighbor, there has certainly been some spotlight on wanting the best of both worlds.

Robyn Erlenbush is owner of ERA Landmark Real Estate (with offices in Bozeman, Big Sky, Livingston and Clyde Park) and Intermountain Property Management. She can be reached at robyn@eralandmark.com.

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