The Loft - Coming Of Age

Once the mainstay of the arts communities, lofts have come of age and are now one of the most popular home types anywhere. The term "loft" in general refers to an area that is usually a large open space that is adaptable for many different uses. Artists used them as live/work spaces for many years and they gained particular notoriety for this in the 1960's. Then, for a number of years lofts disappeared from the public eye only to resurface with a vengeance in the latter 1990's. The exact reason for this popularity is unknown but lofts are back for good and buyers and developers alike are getting a piece of the action.

One of the big factors in the resurgence of lofts would have to be the availability of old abandoned warehouse space in many American cities. True lofts are always converted from this kind of building. There are new loft projects that expertly mimic the grandiose style of turn of the century buildings but the same effect is hard to achieve. Lofts generally have a few things in common; concrete or brick construction is prominently featured along with exposed ductwork and plumbing. Concrete floors and ceilings also figure largely into the ambiance of lofts along with other industrial features.

The popularity of lofts has lead to the loft condo construction boom that has been evident around the country. In fact, lofts have become so sought-after that there are simply not enough old industrial sites available to cope with the demand and so new loft buildings are being built using the same design principles as the older buildings. Many have said that these "new lofts" do not have the same feeling and atmosphere of the old buildings, but that is very much a decision that is personal.

The simple truth is that lofts are here to stay. With cities growing both upward and outwards the need for apartment-style housing is on the rise and lofts are a great way to enjoy an open floor plan home that does not feel crowded while remaining within the city core.

Andy Asbury is a professional real estate agent who specializes in Minneapolis Lofts & Condos.
The Asbury Group is dedicated to the highest level customer service and supplying an elite level of service in the Minneapolis real estate market.

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Condo Conversions


With today's high price of homes and rising price of new construction condos, one of the most attractive alternatives has become condo conversions. Conversions are old apartment buildings that have been remodeled and updated to be resold as condos. This has lead to a huge boom in the lower-priced condo market as conversions are ideally suited to supplying a more reasonably priced alternative to new construction condos and single family homes.

One of the main reasons that conversions have become so popular is the ready availability of old apartment complexes. Typically, conversions are aimed at the first time and entry-level buyers, so if you find yourself in this category; you may want to look into the possibility of a condo conversion. Most of these complexes offer a great array of extras and benefits that are associated with condo ownership such as strong community living, owners associations and shared cost of building upkeep. One thing that may be absent in a conversion is some of the newer "hot assets" that many new construction complexes offer such as health spas and the like.

This kind of condo is a favorite of real estate speculators and conversions are indeed tailor made for investing. The relatively cheap asking price (many for around 90K in some areas) is almost guaranteed to appreciate quickly as the demand for housing increases. In fact when this kind of condo goes on sale many times there are limits to how many one person can purchase. That is a great indication of the worth of these units for investment. Many investors purchase such units on the basis that they will appreciate and they will be able to resell them for a nice profit, however; many also purchase with the plan of renting the units out. This is a great way to build your equity and have a property pay for itself in the process. Condo conversions are not too hard to find so get out there and start searching, your new conversions could be waiting!

Brian Enright is a representative of Highrises.com your first stop for Austin, TX Lofts. Highrises.com provides customers with all the information they could ever need to find the perfect loft in Dallas. For more information contact Brian or visit the website at http://www.highrises.com

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