Wild Heron/Rivercamps

[Pirate]

Some people actually consider a second home at the beach to be a luxury item, not an investment.;-) Look at some of the more expensive sales in WalCo in the last couple of years and you will see that the buyers had no problem with paying full asking price if not more, and sometimes they even paid with cash. Not all buyers are the same.

So it's OK to waste money on an luxury item? You have always seemed so rational to me before Joe. I agree some people don't care about waste but that is true across the entire economic spectrum. Someone with money will not just pay more because it is there to spend, but this has been the mentality for quite a while. A fool and his money soon will part and then there will be no buyers...

 

[Smiling JOe]

So it's OK to waste money on an luxury item? You have always seemed so rational to me before Joe. I agree some people don't care about waste but that is true across the entire economic spectrum. Someone with money will not just pay more because it is there to spend, but this has been the mentality for quite a while. A fool and his money soon will part and then there will be no buyers...

I never said that I like to waste money, but I have bought many things that I never needed, just because. I think we all do. The difference is that some people have more money with which to play. Look at all of the people who buy luxury boats. Do you know of any boat owner who actually made money when he or she sold the boat? I don't. Boats are luxury items, and second homes can also be. They just come with different price tags. ;-)

 

[SHELLY]

I too don't agree with the "perception" that high net worth individuals are not concerned with the cost of an asset. While it is true that "price is no object," that's not to say that they discount the "value" of that asset.

The odd frivolous fop may blow into town and plunk down a few million on a beachhouse--but they are overwhelmingly outnumbered (and financially inferior) to pragmatic high net worth individuals who know and respect the value of a dollar.

 

[Pirate]

I never said that I like to waste money, but I have bought many things that I never needed, just because. I think we all do. The difference is that some people have more money with which to play. Look at all of the people who buy luxury boats. Do you know of any boat owner who actually made money when he or she sold the boat? I don't. Boats are luxury items, and second homes can also be. They just come with different price tags. ;-)

I don't want to banter back and forth but I wanted to clarify. I agree that we all buy things we don't need, that wasn't the point I was trying to make. I also agree that many people have second homes just to enjoy them, myself included. I also own a boat that I surely didn't need. However, would you pay 25% more for boat A than a comparable boat B just because you had extra cash? Most people wouldn't and that is one reason why Aly's sold 2 properties this year.

 

[scooterbug44]

That is true only if you are comparing 2 similar items.

Alys Beach homes cost more because their typical construction costs are more than those of a house somewhere like Watercolor - concrete block building vs. stud framed, concrete roof tiles vs corrugated metal or shingle, stone & glass tile vs. ceramic interior tile, stone vs. cast concrete pavers etc.

I'm not saying Alys is better than Watercolor, just that the building costs are higher, driving the selling price for a home higher.

 

[fisher]

That is true only if you are comparing 2 similar items.

Alys Beach homes cost more because their typical construction costs are more than those of a house somewhere like Watercolor - concrete block building vs. stud framed, concrete roof tiles vs corrugated metal or shingle, stone & glass tile vs. ceramic interior tile, stone vs. cast concrete pavers etc.

I'm not saying Alys is better than Watercolor, just that the building costs are higher, driving the selling price for a home higher.

I'm not sure I agree with your assessment. The homes in Alys are very plain inside. The walls are almost exclusively plaster. Homes in WC, RM and WS have very expensive wood walls and ceilings in many cases and metal roofs are not cheap. I also don't believe concrete block and stucco are any more expensive than wood frame covered by hardiplank. Also, in the zero lot line homes in Alys, the builders have no landscaping costs. In WC, WS, RM, etc., the landscaping costs can be significant.

But, I'm not a builder so I may be way off here. Maybe a builder could comment on the cost of concrete/stucco versus wood frame and hardiplank, nice metal roof versus concrete tile, plaster walls versus tongue and groove or other wood walls, etc.

I have also noticed a lot of significant cracking in the concrete block and stucco in the Alys homes that I have toured. One I recall had a half inch crack in the wall from floor up to the top of the 20 foot wall. That doesn't happen with wood frame.

 

[scooterbug44]

I'm not sure I agree with your assessment. The homes in Alys are very plain inside. The walls are almost exclusively plaster. Homes in WC, RM and WS have very expensive wood walls and ceilings in many cases and metal roofs are not cheap. I also don't believe concrete block and stucco are any more expensive than wood frame covered by hardiplank. Also, in the zero lot line homes in Alys, the builders have no landscaping costs. In WC, WS, RM, etc., the landscaping costs can be significant.

I'd love to have a contractor/recent home builder post numbers and weigh in to give a more accurrate/easily quantifiable figure, but concrete block is definitely more expensive in this area than wood frame and hardie siding. The cheapest house you can build is a concrete slab on grade & wood frame house. While the typical landscaping bill of 15-40K is definitely quite a bit, it still pales in comparison with the comparative square foot prices of a block vs. wood frame.

Very expensive wood walls? I've yet to see those. Beadboard or tongue & groove boards is still cheaper than marble or glass tile.

There are some great Watercolor houses and some less than impressive Alys houses, I'm just comparing construction costs. I've definitely been less than impressed by the interior architecture of Alys Beach, but I do have to give them props for the $ they're dropping on interior finishes.

 

[Pirate]

That is true only if you are comparing 2 similar items.

Alys Beach homes cost more because their typical construction costs are more than those of a house somewhere like Watercolor - concrete block building vs. stud framed, concrete roof tiles vs corrugated metal or shingle, stone & glass tile vs. ceramic interior tile, stone vs. cast concrete pavers etc.

I'm not saying Alys is better than Watercolor, just that the building costs are higher, driving the selling price for a home higher.

I was comparing lot costs.

 

[Chickpea]

I'm not sure I agree with your assessment. The homes in Alys are very plain inside. The walls are almost exclusively plaster. Homes in WC, RM and WS have very expensive wood walls and ceilings in many cases and metal roofs are not cheap. I also don't believe concrete block and stucco are any more expensive than wood frame covered by hardiplank. Also, in the zero lot line homes in Alys, the builders have no landscaping costs. In WC, WS, RM, etc., the landscaping costs can be significant.

But, I'm not a builder so I may be way off here. Maybe a builder could comment on the cost of concrete/stucco versus wood frame and hardiplank, nice metal roof versus concrete tile, plaster walls versus tongue and groove or other wood walls, etc.

I have also noticed a lot of significant cracking in the concrete block and stucco in the Alys homes that I have toured. One I recall had a half inch crack in the wall from floor up to the top of the 20 foot wall. That doesn't happen with wood frame.

Fisher,

I would just like to politely point our that quite a lot about what you are writing about Alys Beach is incorrect, including your claim about who has actually purchased the homes and lots. I am not going to talk about Sales because that is not my place to do so but if anyone would like to know about the actual number of homes and lots sold they can call the Sales office.

I am only interested in talking about the design and construction of homes at Alys. I think many would disagree with your claim that most homes are plain inside - any and all of you can come and judge for yourself during the open house tours Alys has - you are certainly entitled to your opinion though. However what you characterize and describe as 'plain plaster' is actually a beautiful, hand troweled, (labor intensive) surface that reflects light and gives texture and sheen to a wall that models sunlight just exquisitely (just my opinion). And it is a more expensive finish.

Construction costs the way they are building at Alys is more expensive than WC, RB and others.

Builders and lot owners absolutely have landscaping costs - have you been in the courtyards? Last time I checked, pools, fountains, paving, planting, etc.. cost something so I am not sure what you mean by not having those costs.

Thanks

 

[fisher]

Fisher,

I would just like to politely point our that quite a lot about what you are writing about Alys Beach is incorrect, including your claim about who has actually purchased the homes and lots. I am not going to talk about Sales because that is not my place to do so but if anyone would like to know about the actual number of homes and lots sold they can call the Sales office.

I am only interested in talking about the design and construction of homes at Alys. I think many would disagree with your claim that most homes are plain inside - any and all of you can come and judge for yourself during the open house tours Alys has - you are certainly entitled to your opinion though. However what you characterize and describe as 'plain plaster' is actually a beautiful, hand troweled, (labor intensive) surface that reflects light and gives texture and sheen to a wall that models sunlight just exquisitely (just my opinion). And it is a more expensive finish.

Construction costs the way they are building at Alys is more expensive than WC, RB and others.

Builders and lot owners absolutely have landscaping costs - have you been in the courtyards? Last time I checked, pools, fountains, paving, planting, etc.. cost something so I am not sure what you mean by not having those costs.

Thanks

Thanks. The sales information I have on Alys comes from the Walton County website. Also, many of the owners listed by Walton County records come from the Birmingham area in a much higher ratio than in other areas along 30A. I cannot vouch for the county records or the MLS records. They could be wrong.

I have toured numerous Alys homes and am simply giving my opinion on the homes I have toured in all these 30A developments. The walls in all the Alys homes I toured are almost exclusively plain white plaster. Maybe they are different in homes I have not toured. In addition, the moldings in the Alys homes I toured don't compare to the moldings I see in the more expensive homes in WC, WS, and RM. I prefer the multi textured, multi colored walls in RM, WC and WS that include sheet rock, tongue and groove, beadboard, exquisite moldings, wood beams, etc. The courtyards I have seen are not lushly landscaped in most cases. Again, I prefer the natural vegetation that exists in most of the other developments along 30A. Most courtyards I saw have a small tree and or a few bushes. Most of the courtyard surfaces I have seen are tile, brick or concrete. Alys is just too monotone for me. But, that is only my opinion and others will love Alys over the other developments.

In terms of construction costs, I asked for builders to give a definitive report on building costs.

I truly hope that Alys finds a wealth of well heeled buyers and the development is a huge success. That would be good for all of 30A in terms of property values. I don't prefer Alys, but I may be in the minority.