"Modern Southwest" Architecture

[Ben]

I've been spending a lot of time looking at houses of late, and a style that caught my eye is "modern Southwest". I'd not really noticed it before, but I really like the style. Open floorplans, really cool "transition zones" going from inside to outside for grilling and just hanging, and lots of light from many well placed windows. It's obviously a type that only works well in certain geographies and climates, but it, to me, is a well thought out and liveable design. A few examples:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2336-W-Entrada-Trl-Unit-4_Saint-George_UT_84770_M22866-38862#photo0

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2139-W-Cougar-Rock-Cir-Unit-131_Saint-George_UT_84770_M13161-87769#photo0

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3052-N-Snow-Canyon-Pkwy-Unit-39_Saint-George_UT_84770_M20913-94365?ex=UT605045524#photo0

[HankB]

Looking at these homes . . . your housing budget is a bit larger than mine.

[Perd Hapley]

All of those commit the sin of being a garage with a house behind it.

[K Frame]

Of the three of them, I like the first one the best by far. It really speaks to me.

The third one in your list is also quite nice, but I don't care for the kitchen. The "library/office" nook is really special, though.

The middle one in your list? Bleh.


I've seen a number of examples of that kind of "organic" architecture all over country. It combines the open floor plans and smooth transitions between interior and exterior living spaces with colors and decor styles that pick up on the surrounding countryside. There's a LOT to be said for it.

[K Frame]

Whoa. That first property has been realtor.com for almost 9 months.

Either it's very overpriced, or the competition is vicious in its price band.

[Jocassee]

All very nice houses. Especially the first one. But the prices...!!!!

[Ben]

All very nice houses. Especially the first one. But the prices...!!!!

Those are actually condo prices where I used to live. 

But yeah, even for St George, which is growing like crazy, they're pretty high, but they're also in the "country club" area of St George. There are a lot of nice homes in the $200-$300Ks there. However for some reason, the "modern Southwest" style seems to be mostly in the wealthy area of town, and in the $1mil+ custom builds. It doesn't look like there would be a big price delta between them and a "standard" western style of home of the same size, so I'm not sure why there are not more of them in the "middle class" subdivisions.

[K Frame]

What the hell is the reason for St. George existing?

It's not close to anything.

I've not had a chance to figure out what kind of industry or business supports the place, but damn. It's in the middle of frigging nowhere.

My kind of place.

[Ben]

What the hell is the reason for St. George existing?

It's not close to anything.

I've not had a chance to figure out what kind of industry or business supports the place, but damn. It's in the middle of frigging nowhere.

My kind of place.

A few items:

Year round golf (I don't get golf)
Some of the most beautiful National Parks nearby
Utah and its business and tax friendly environment
Retiree Mecca (which I think creates a lot of jobs - medical, retail, etc.)

Even though it's in the middle of nowhere, it's a beautiful area if you like desertscape. When I go on road trips, some of the time  I take a "southern route" through Nevada, to St George, and up through the rest of Utah. I absolutely dread the first day of the trip driving through nothing but ugly desert until maybe 10 miles before St George, where the desert turns into really cool landscape. Very Moab-like. Apparently Brigham Young used it as his Winter residence because he liked it so much.

 It's actually a cool (not climate!) place, with great food and services and even a world class shooting range. It's getting really damn popular, and thus crowded though.

[K Frame]

"Even though it's in the middle of nowhere, it's a beautiful area if you like desertscape."

Yes, that much is evident. And yes, I could be VERY happy living there or in the high desert in New Mexico. In the desolation is great beauty if you know how to see it.

And yeah, I don't really do golf, either.

[MillCreek]

I know a dermatologist there who moved from Snohomish county about five years ago.  She now makes an excellent living removing skin cancers and repairing sun damage to the skin.  She says St. George is just chock-full of retirees and the medical infrastructure necessary to support them.  In the five years she has been there, she reports that the population and housing prices have gone up significantly.  

[makattak]

Lots are too small.





And I bet those grapes are sour, anyway.

[K Frame]

I know a dermatologist there who moved from Snohomish county about five years ago.  She now makes an excellent living removing skin cancers and repairing sun damage to the skin.  She says St. George is just chock-full of retirees and the medical infrastructure necessary to support them.  In the five years she has been there, she reports that the population and housing prices have gone up significantly. 

So, it's God's Waiting Room West...

As opposed to Florida, which is God's Waiting Room South.

[Ben]

"Even though it's in the middle of nowhere, it's a beautiful area if you like desertscape."

Yes, that much is evident. And yes, I could be VERY happy living there or in the high desert in New Mexico. In the desolation is great beauty if you know how to see it.

And yeah, I don't really do golf, either.

On the requisite tangent, I've been pulling out what little hair I have left regarding my retirement area. A major portion for that is still looking after my dad, but the other major part is how I want to retire.

As much as I would like a few hundred acres out of town where I can fish, hunt, and shoot out the back door, that kind of property comes with some responsibilities that keep you close by. A couple of dogs, chickens, other things that require somebody to be around. If you want to go away for a while, it's difficult to find housesitters out in the boonies, and asking neighbors to watch the place for possibly weeks at a time throughout the year is kinda rude. If I were older and not keen on travel, this option would be a no-brainer for me, at least until I got too old to take care of things.

Hence the other potential retirement plan is something like St George, where I could buy a nice place in a gated community where all the landscaping is taken care and the place is safe if I leave for a long time. While I'm younger, I still want to do things like go to Hawaii and the Caribbean, spend a few weeks in Eastern Idaho fishing, etc. Having a low maintenance home is conducive to that. Plus from St George, there's great Utah fishing and hunting and 4WD exploring starting just an hour away. I'd plan travel away from JUL-AUG though to escape the heat. :)

I've also been trying for a "best of both worlds" thing looking at Kanaka Rapids Ranch outside of Buhl, ID where you can get a rural property with 0.5-10acres on the Snake River but it's still in a gated HOA where eyes are kept on things if you take off for a while, and also close enough to Twin Falls to find bonded housesitters or caretakers for longer term getaways.

[Fly320s]

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2336-W-Entrada-Trl-Unit-4_Saint-George_UT_84770_M22866-38862#photo0

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2139-W-Cougar-Rock-Cir-Unit-131_Saint-George_UT_84770_M13161-87769#photo0

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3052-N-Snow-Canyon-Pkwy-Unit-39_Saint-George_UT_84770_M20913-94365?ex=UT605045524#photo0

#1 is the best, but it has glass blocks in the bathroom.  WTF?  That stuff should have been banned 20 years ago.  It doesn't fit that style of house anyway.

#2 is trying too hard.  Cavier dreams on canned tuna budget.

#3 has an ugly exterior, but really nice courtyards and landscaping.  The interior is over done, though.  Looks like a faux paint bomb exploded in there.

All of those houses are too large for my taste, anyway.

[Ben]

#1 is the best, but it has glass blocks in the bathroom.  WTF?  That stuff should have been banned 20 years ago.  It doesn't fit that style of house anyway.

#2 is trying too hard.  Cavier dreams on canned tuna budget.

#3 has an ugly exterior, but really nice courtyards and landscaping.  The interior is over done, though.  Looks like a faux paint bomb exploded in there.

All of those houses are too large for my taste, anyway.

From what I've seen, most of the homes in that development were made to order, so I'd expect the interiors and furnishings to be somewhat targeted to the first owner's taste, which can certainly vary widely.

I mostly like the homes for the general open design, and unlike fistful, like the flat roof design.  I also really like the casita and patio designs, which are made for that climate, where you might want to have breakfast outside, or enjoy the evening cool down outside.

[K Frame]

When I was growing up friends of mine had a house with an enormous screen porch off the kitchen and living room.

It was a fantastic place to have breakfast or dinner, or just hang out. You could eat outside when it was raining, and you didn't have to worry about the damned gnats, mosquitoes, or flies that are an unfortunate summer companion in central Pennsylvania.

Whatever house I retire to will have such a porch.

[230RN]

All of those commit the sin of being a garage with a house behind it.

Peripheral defense line.

[K Frame]

Left door houses the F-150.

Right door houses the heavy machine gun.

[Hawkmoon]

Peripheral defense line.

No gun slits, and no parapet for pouring boiling oil on the invaders.

[K Frame]

No gun slits, and no parapet for pouring boiling oil on the invaders.

Gun slits and parapets are hallmarks of fixed fortifications.

And, as we well know, fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man.

[Brad Johnson]

Always interesting to see inventory and prices from other locales. Home #1 would be around $300-$325k in the Lubbock market.

Brad