“In many areas, we are seeing more interest in urban infill locations than in remote exurbs, which is having a pronounced shift in neighborhood design elements,” said AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker. “And regardless of city or suburban dwellers, people are asking more from their communities in terms of access to public transit, walkable areas and close proximity to job centers, retail options and open space.”

Half of residential architecture firms highlight demand for multi-generational housing, up from 44 percent in 2011. Fifty-nine percent said access to public transportation is key, up from 47 percent a year ago. (Read More: New Nightmare for Home Builders: Not Enough Skilled Workers)

More homeowners are also upsizing what they have, with 58 percent of architects reporting improvement in additions and alterations, up from just 35 percent a year ago; kitchen and bath, as usual, top the must-have list.

During the last housing boom, extravagance drove new construction and remodeling. Now, the trends are more practical, with energy efficiency and the need to accommodate growing families driving the gains. Home owners are also looking to builders to help them use the space they have more efficiently, especially Baby Boomers.

“They have a lot of desires for the home, and we’re hearing this group say they want functionality and smartly-designed homes without wasted space,” said Meyer, who adds that this doesn’t necessarily translate into smaller homes. While these findings bode well for the home builders, they may also add optimism to the upper end of the market, and all those so-called “McMansions,” many of which lost significant value during the housing crash. (Read More: Pending Home Sales Surge to Five Year High)

Article source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100321206

East Bay Modern Real Estate, a full service residential real estate brokerage firm specializing in modern and architectural properties, announced their entry into the East Bay residential real estate market and the launch of their new website www.EastBayModern.com.

Established and launched by Renee Adelmann, one of the Bay Area’s premier architectural realtors, East Bay Modern represents a logical expansion for the company, which has established roots and a proven track record in surrounding Bay Area communities including Marin County (Marin Modern Real Estate) as well as San Francisco (San Francisco Modern Real Estate). With the launch of East Bay Modern Real Estate, the firm will strengthen its ability to service clients in both Alameda and Contra Costa County.

“For years we’ve had clients ask us if our company would ever expand into San Francisco’s East Bay to better serve the needs of today’s modern day home buyers and sellers,” commented Renee Adelmann. “We’ve long recognized the market opportunity in the East Bay given its rich architectural history and the abundance of modernist properties; however, it was critically important for us to launch the East Bay Modern brand in a way that was both reflective of our organization’s commitment to quality and also value-added to consumers. With this in mind we’ve spent well over a year on the development of the East Bay Modern brand to insure that we would exceed clients’ expectations.     I’m extremely proud of our team’s work and we look forward to assisting clients with the sale or purchase of a home, loft or condominium in the East Bay.”

To coincide with the launch of East Bay Modern Real Estate, the company unveiled its new website which includes hundreds of pages of unique website content including in-depth information on East Bay towns, modern and mid-century modern residential architecture, East Bay lofts for sale, an online guide to Eichler homes in the East Bay, listing alerts for enthusiasts of modern real estate and robust home search capabilities.    East Bay property search capabilities include the ability to search across a variety of criteria including towns, neighborhoods, price ranges, property types, street addresses, MLS #, keywords, school districts, map location, and more.

Renee Adelmann added, “Our East Bay Modern website is designed to help educate the public on unique modernist architecture in the East Bay while at the same time providing home buyers with a one-stop resource for exploring residential real estate in both Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, California.     Whether consumers are looking for a modern or traditional home, a luxury estate or an affordable REO, we’ve got them covered. The site complements our strong online presence in both Marin County and San Francisco and further strengthens our ability to service the needs of our modern-day home buyers and sellers in the East Bay.”

In addition to the launch of East Bay Modern Real Estate, the company announced the addition of three new sales associates to their team.

In the East Bay, Realtor Matthew Sorrenti joins East Bay Modern Real Estate Team from Better Homes Gardens Mason McDuffie Real Estate. An East Bay native, Matthew Sorrenti has a strong technology background and brings over a decade of residential real estate experience in the East Bay.    

In Marin County, Realtors Janis Peterson and Cari Gennarelli join Marin Modern Real Estate from Frank Howard Allen. With over 20 years of success assisting clients with their real estate needs throughout Marin, Realtor Janis Peterson brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Marin Modern Team.     Cari Gennarelli, a Marin County native, brings with her a strong track record in real estate and property management in both Marin San Francisco. Additionally, Cari is a certified EcoBroker® who partners with her clients to make healthier, sustainable, and energy saving choices when buying or selling a home.

To learn more visit us online at East Bay Modern Real Estate, Marin Modern Real Estate and San Francisco Modern Real Estate.

About East Bay Modern Real Estate

East Bay Modern Real Estate is a full service brokerage offering state-of-the-art representation to both buyers and sellers of residential real estate throughout Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.

Founded by one of the Bay Area’s top-producing real estate agents, East Bay Modern is the newest brokerage to partner with the successful Marin Modern Real Estate and San Francisco Modern Real Estate.

The company can be reached online at www.EastBayModern.com.

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prwebEast-Bay-Modern/2011/prweb8666893.htm

Article source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/07/26/prweb8666893.DTL