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An abundance of windows frames the family room of Geri and Hal Emalfarb's custom ranch home in Highland Park. (Shaun Sartin, Photo for the Chicago Tribune / September 9, 2011) |
Take a time machine back to the early 1950s and a ranch house is a starter house for the returning World War II veteran and his family.
Until they could afford a coveted two-story, the ranch with a picture window was a sure sign of upward mobility. Then the ranch was relegated to age-restricted neighborhoods while aspiring families bought two-story houses that quickly made huge cornfields disappear.
Now the ranch has come into its own among a mix of empty-nesters who are tired of climbing stairs every time they need to fetch something from a bedroom and young couples who like having everything within reach while they juggle children, laundry and office emails.
The buyers are "a mix of families and people with grown children," said Trisha Sayler, sales manager for Gerstad Builders, which builds ranch homes in McHenry, Poplar Grove, Richmond and Williams Bay, Wis.
"Ranch," by the way, is a Midwestern term. Elsewhere, this house answers to "rambler," "Florida house" or "patio home." Canadians call it a "rancher." A "ranchalow" is a ranch up on its haunches.
The 2011 version has vestiges of its post-war self — a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors, hug-the-land profile and penchant for natural materials. But along the way, it added multiple rooflines and jazzy extras that provide customized character.
The Midwest is at the forefront of the ranch-building trend, according to the National Association of Home Builders, although the trade group uses the term "one-story." From 1990 to 2010, ranches were up from 44 to 60 percent of new houses in this region. Nationwide, the increase was only from 46 to 47 percent.
Geri and Hal Emalfarb of Highland Park had the option of a two-story house when they enlisted Northfield architect Stuart Shayman to build their dream home. Their No. 1 reason for choosing a ranch echoes the sentiment of many a ranch lover: no stairs.
The house is an earthy mix of stone, concrete and wood. "It's contemporary but warm," said Geri Emalfarb.
Its curved roof imparts more style than a typical tract ranch, and in the winter, about 95 percent of the home has a view of Lake Michigan.
Now that their children have left the nest, the couple can live on one level and enjoy their spacious master bedroom suite with his-and-her closets and bathrooms. The main floor also includes a guest bedroom suite, two home offices, two powder rooms, a living room, dining room, laundry room, family room and kitchen. The finished lower level includes three guest bedrooms, three full baths, a rec room, home theater, laundry room and storage areas. Flooring throughout is concrete with radiant heat.
The only downside, Geri Emalfarb said: A ranch leaves a bigger footprint on the property.
Jan Koranda loves the way her new ranch house, built by Molidor Custom Builders Inc. in Clarendon Hills, opens to her patio and backyard. Her Labrador retrievers can easily come and go from doors in her kitchen, family room and master bedroom. "I grew up in a ranch, so I like not having to run upstairs and downstairs," said Koranda. "Now that I've had ankle surgery, I really appreciate that." Compared with ranches of her parents' generation, though, Koranda's is energy-efficient, has more windows and skylights and lacks formal rooms.
Semi-custom builders are offering ranches at all price levels. At the high end are three plans at the Creekside at Inverness Ridge in Inverness, where prices begin at $489,900. "Ranches are seen as move-up homes for many families," said President Brian Brunhofer. "In today's market, buyers are thinking much more long-term about their home purchases. Five years ago, they might not have looked at a ranch plan."
Rock Creek Land Development offers four ranch models in Huntley. Starting at $367,000 with 1,800 square feet, these ranches are appealing to "active empty-nesters who are not yet retired," said partner Peter LeSueur. This segment of the ranch market doesn't want a two-story home anymore, but they do want to entertain. To accommodate their needs, floor plans are open in great-room style, LeSueur said. Each house sits on one-third of an acre and backs to open land.
Rock Creek's prices include granite counters, hardwood floors, oversize moldings, tiled bathrooms and high ceilings.
Airhart Construction President Court Airhart agrees that ranch buyers today are looking to downsize from larger homes to save money and the time it takes to maintain larger spaces, especially on weekends. Ranches with 1,353 square feet at its Fisher Farm in Winfield start at $312,738 and include exterior maintenance.
Buyers with tighter budgets like the two ranch models offered by William Ryan Homes in Lindenhurst and Elgin. They start at $239,990 for 1,980 square feet.
Folks 55 and older opt for the ranches at D.R. Horton's Carillon communities in Aurora, Naperville and Pingree Grove. They include multiple plans that start as small as 1,401 square feet, with prices that begin at $197,990.
Gerstad's ranches range from 1,382 to 2,170 square feet, with price tags of $168,000 to $253,490, depending on location. Hot upgrades include hardwood floors, granite or solid-surface countertops and 9-foot ceilings.
Gerstad buyers like having the master bedrooms on the opposite side of the house from the other bedrooms. The same for buyers of J. Lawrence's ranches in Joliet, Lynwood, North Aurora and Wadsworth. The bedrooms bookend an oversize great room that can be separated into different seating areas by a three-sided fireplace. These start at $204,000.
From a builder's perspective, the ranch offers a chance to add drama with elevated ceilings, said developer Jamie Wilcox of Epcon Communities, which builds detached ranches in Plainfield and Woodstock with starting prices of $179,900 and $159,990, respectively. "It is always a trade-off between the sexy look/feel versus practical heating and cooling," he said. "Tray ceilings are the best of both worlds, especially when you add some crown molding and accent colors."
The ranch has come a long way from its 19th-century Southwestern "rancho" roots, when its O shape kept children and chickens corralled in its courtyard. Its footprint shrunk into a tiny post-war rectangle then took on various shapes to suit buyers' needs.
Like blue jeans and the Volkswagen Beetle, the ranch has humbly accepted the style du jour, from its 1960s Colonial cupboards to its current arts-and-crafts facades.
"It has never known a set style," noted "Sunset Western Ranch Houses." "It was shaped by needs for a special way of living — informal, yet gracious." That was published in 1946, but still rings true.
Until they could afford a coveted two-story, the ranch with a picture window was a sure sign of upward mobility. Then the ranch was relegated to age-restricted neighborhoods while aspiring families bought two-story houses that quickly made huge cornfields disappear.
Now the ranch has come into its own among a mix of empty-nesters who are tired of climbing stairs every time they need to fetch something from a bedroom and young couples who like having everything within reach while they juggle children, laundry and office emails.
The buyers are "a mix of families and people with grown children," said Trisha Sayler, sales manager for Gerstad Builders, which builds ranch homes in McHenry, Poplar Grove, Richmond and Williams Bay, Wis.
"Ranch," by the way, is a Midwestern term. Elsewhere, this house answers to "rambler," "Florida house" or "patio home." Canadians call it a "rancher." A "ranchalow" is a ranch up on its haunches.
The 2011 version has vestiges of its post-war self — a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors, hug-the-land profile and penchant for natural materials. But along the way, it added multiple rooflines and jazzy extras that provide customized character.
The Midwest is at the forefront of the ranch-building trend, according to the National Association of Home Builders, although the trade group uses the term "one-story." From 1990 to 2010, ranches were up from 44 to 60 percent of new houses in this region. Nationwide, the increase was only from 46 to 47 percent.
Geri and Hal Emalfarb of Highland Park had the option of a two-story house when they enlisted Northfield architect Stuart Shayman to build their dream home. Their No. 1 reason for choosing a ranch echoes the sentiment of many a ranch lover: no stairs.
The house is an earthy mix of stone, concrete and wood. "It's contemporary but warm," said Geri Emalfarb.
Its curved roof imparts more style than a typical tract ranch, and in the winter, about 95 percent of the home has a view of Lake Michigan.
Now that their children have left the nest, the couple can live on one level and enjoy their spacious master bedroom suite with his-and-her closets and bathrooms. The main floor also includes a guest bedroom suite, two home offices, two powder rooms, a living room, dining room, laundry room, family room and kitchen. The finished lower level includes three guest bedrooms, three full baths, a rec room, home theater, laundry room and storage areas. Flooring throughout is concrete with radiant heat.
The only downside, Geri Emalfarb said: A ranch leaves a bigger footprint on the property.
Jan Koranda loves the way her new ranch house, built by Molidor Custom Builders Inc. in Clarendon Hills, opens to her patio and backyard. Her Labrador retrievers can easily come and go from doors in her kitchen, family room and master bedroom. "I grew up in a ranch, so I like not having to run upstairs and downstairs," said Koranda. "Now that I've had ankle surgery, I really appreciate that." Compared with ranches of her parents' generation, though, Koranda's is energy-efficient, has more windows and skylights and lacks formal rooms.
Semi-custom builders are offering ranches at all price levels. At the high end are three plans at the Creekside at Inverness Ridge in Inverness, where prices begin at $489,900. "Ranches are seen as move-up homes for many families," said President Brian Brunhofer. "In today's market, buyers are thinking much more long-term about their home purchases. Five years ago, they might not have looked at a ranch plan."
Rock Creek Land Development offers four ranch models in Huntley. Starting at $367,000 with 1,800 square feet, these ranches are appealing to "active empty-nesters who are not yet retired," said partner Peter LeSueur. This segment of the ranch market doesn't want a two-story home anymore, but they do want to entertain. To accommodate their needs, floor plans are open in great-room style, LeSueur said. Each house sits on one-third of an acre and backs to open land.
Rock Creek's prices include granite counters, hardwood floors, oversize moldings, tiled bathrooms and high ceilings.
Airhart Construction President Court Airhart agrees that ranch buyers today are looking to downsize from larger homes to save money and the time it takes to maintain larger spaces, especially on weekends. Ranches with 1,353 square feet at its Fisher Farm in Winfield start at $312,738 and include exterior maintenance.
Buyers with tighter budgets like the two ranch models offered by William Ryan Homes in Lindenhurst and Elgin. They start at $239,990 for 1,980 square feet.
Folks 55 and older opt for the ranches at D.R. Horton's Carillon communities in Aurora, Naperville and Pingree Grove. They include multiple plans that start as small as 1,401 square feet, with prices that begin at $197,990.
Gerstad's ranches range from 1,382 to 2,170 square feet, with price tags of $168,000 to $253,490, depending on location. Hot upgrades include hardwood floors, granite or solid-surface countertops and 9-foot ceilings.
Gerstad buyers like having the master bedrooms on the opposite side of the house from the other bedrooms. The same for buyers of J. Lawrence's ranches in Joliet, Lynwood, North Aurora and Wadsworth. The bedrooms bookend an oversize great room that can be separated into different seating areas by a three-sided fireplace. These start at $204,000.
From a builder's perspective, the ranch offers a chance to add drama with elevated ceilings, said developer Jamie Wilcox of Epcon Communities, which builds detached ranches in Plainfield and Woodstock with starting prices of $179,900 and $159,990, respectively. "It is always a trade-off between the sexy look/feel versus practical heating and cooling," he said. "Tray ceilings are the best of both worlds, especially when you add some crown molding and accent colors."
The ranch has come a long way from its 19th-century Southwestern "rancho" roots, when its O shape kept children and chickens corralled in its courtyard. Its footprint shrunk into a tiny post-war rectangle then took on various shapes to suit buyers' needs.
Like blue jeans and the Volkswagen Beetle, the ranch has humbly accepted the style du jour, from its 1960s Colonial cupboards to its current arts-and-crafts facades.
"It has never known a set style," noted "Sunset Western Ranch Houses." "It was shaped by needs for a special way of living — informal, yet gracious." That was published in 1946, but still rings true.