Unique Residential Construction Questions: A-frame And Geodesic Homes

[TD Morgan]

What is your opinion regarding the impact on value for A-frame and geodesic homes (compared to standard stick-built designs)?

How would you appraise these unique designs?

I have a close friend whose appraiser used regular manufactured homes as comps for his geodesic. I know that there are not many of these available to use for comps, but the appraiser did not talk about the impact on value or marketability.

I don't really know how to answer these questions.

Would most appraiser use standard homes as comps? Are there studies that you know about that discuss any impacts on value?

 

[glenn walker]

I Have done one geodestic in my life and will never do another BUT with that said there is an impact on value and marketability because the way the floor plans are laid out it's hard to place normal furniture and things in them and financing can be a problem because most lenders don't want to get involved BUT again the problem is there are never enough sales to really measure the impact. Your friend may be on the right track by using manufactured or A-frame type properties. I will say the only two owners I ever met that owned geodestic homes were both weird and strange and both older single guys. I have a feeling the average women hates these things but I have no facts or studies . Going to a geodestic Home conference is probably like going to a ham-radio convention it's a very lonely group.

 

[Tim The Enchanter]

The closest thing I have done was a cylindrical house in Malibu.
I don't recall having cylindrical comps. I would use whatever there is that's weird, and explain a lot.

 

[Mr Rex]

A frames and modified a frames are common on lake properties here. Very few geodesic domes, but historically there have been enough odd ball buyers for these odd ball designs that there is little if any effect on value assuming similar functionality, quality, location and views etc.

 

[gregb]

I have appraised two geodisic domes and learned that no fee would have been adequate to compensate for the time and grief.

The purported inventor of the geodisic dome:

Let architects sing of aesthetics that bring Rich clients in hordes to their knees; Just give me a home, in a great circle dome Where stresses and strains are at ease.

R. Buckminster Fuller

 

[CANative]

These types of improvements are best handled in the narrative part of the report instead of the sales grid. They take a lot of explanation and some creativity. Like most appraisers I haven't done a lot because there are not all that many... they relatively rare and are no everyone's cup of tea. But I have don at least a a couple of dozen geos, polygons, yurts and log houses..

The appraiser has to make the case of marketability before value and before selecting and presenting comparable properties. A variety of property types should be included and the intended user may have to accept very dated sales, very distant sales, and very weird sales. Log houses, manufactured houses, frankenshouses, as well as a few conventional houses.

It's real life appraisal.

 

[Vermonter]

Have an oddball comp file that I've been keeping over the years. Every time I see a dome, yurt, earthship, treehouse, castle, frankentrailer or something else weird settle in MLS, I get the public data on it and snap a pic.

Did one strawbale hobbit looking home years ago and it was a PITA, even with my oddball file. It was actually very nice, but sat on the market forever and sold well under what I thought it should have.

 

[George Hatch]

Rookies

12,000 sf and only two 90* angles on the entire structure. BTW, the property owner tried to tell me it was 16,000 sf, but since I did my own measurements and calcs I found that to be in error.

 

[sunster]

Now post your sketch George.....lol

 

[Bobby Bucks]

I wonder if George used a wheel.