When it comes to the housing market, economists at the 2015 International Builders' Show had largely optimistic outlooks—though there was still a discrepancy among chief economists at leading building organizations regarding when things will be completely back to normal.
One fact that everyone seemed to agree on at IBS? That the role of the American home is changing. As chatter about the 'Internet of Things' and how it will affect everything ranging from cars, workplaces, and communication habits reaches deafening levels, it is also becoming clear that it is changing the way people live in their homes.
"Building is fun again"
Economists, even the most optimistic ones, can't in good conscious say the housing market is doing splendidly. However, they can say that home building is now fun again.
"The recession is over, and the fun is back in new homebuilding," said Stephen Moore, a senior partner at national design firm BSB design, during a panel at IBS.
Moore acknowledged that move-ups continue to be a driving force in the market, and amenities long thought to only exist for high-end buyers have started to trickle down to the rest of the homebuying market.
Among those must-have amenities? Movie theater rooms, outdoor entertaining areas, and large showers replacing baths.
Now that the economy is coming back to life, those who are building new homes want fun, lively places to share with their friends and family.
"What was once a trendy item is now becoming required," Moore said.
For example, the foodie movement that has been changing American's palate is a new influence for the way builders and architects design homes.
"Many people nowadays like to grow their own food. Where are they putting their gardens, and what are they doing with all of those garden supplies? Give homebuyers a space to put all of these things, instead of just a corner of a garage," Moore said.
"It's very important for builders to look beyond the trends in the housing industry to see what people are going to want in their living space," he said.
The Internet of Things? Not quite, but getting there
Similar to new home amenities, technology thought only available to the most high-end buyer is now trickling down and becoming a requirement for many.
Perhaps the most pervasive gadgets throughout the show were thermostat pads. For example, at the Lenox booth, the company boasted a smart device advanced enough to know when you're out of the house so it will default to an energy-saving setting and to allow you to set temperature 'zones' throughout the house for families who can't agree on a comfortable temperature. It even has a downloadable app so homeowners can set their thermostat when they are away.
While new gadgets with advanced technology are fun, the common theme among all of them were their energy-saving components.
"Most people buying a new car wouldn't do so without first looking looking at the EPA's mileage rating for a vehicle. So going forward, we're likely going to see all new homebuilders looking at similar kinds of things to make their home just as green," said Steve Byers, managing director of EnergyPro Exchange, a central energy rating resource in construction.
Also on the horizon for homebuilding technology is 3-D printing, which experts said would likely speed up the building process by allowing contractors to print items instead of waiting for a supplier to deliver them.
This new technology raised the question: If builders are soon going to be printing the materials necessary to build a home, will 3-D printed homes be possible in the future?
It's possible, but not likely in our lifetime, experts agreed.