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But apparently a new demand has sprung up for modular homes, only it’s not among the green set, or the young, or first-time homebuyers. And it’s not for the modestly sized versions of pre-fab. Rather, according to the Washington Post<\/a>, mansions are increasingly going modular.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In less than a day-and-a-half, a six-bedroom, six-plus bath, 7,200-square-foot home can appear on a slab of land in any number of charming styles<\/a>: Prairie, Arts and Crafts, French Country. The one profiled in the Post ran the owners a cool $2.5 million, though an estimated 15 percent less than traditional stick-built homes of that size and level of luxury (replete with elevator shaft). Nice for them. And because these Lego-Mansions are raised so quickly, the construction loans are shorter, and therefore cheaper.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It’s true that even pre-fab XXL can contain green features, like geothermal heat pumps and pre-cut walls that defend against mold and mildew.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yet their very size precludes these homes from being truly green; it’s just plain environmentally unfriendly to build a home with 10 times as much living space as actually needed. That sentiment recently bubbled<\/a> to a boil in Berkeley, where a software mogul is building a 10,000-square-foot mansion that is classified as green by the city’s standards; they measure things like water use and building materials for the designation, not size.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The trend of modular mansions isn’t completely new; there’s a 2005 book<\/a> on the subject that showcases 12,000-square-foot monstrosities. Presciently, perhaps, even that book predicted these would be “the homes of the future.” While they account for only 3% of newly built homes, their popularity seems to be on the rise. They are a recession-friendly luxury. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Don’t blink, the new “green” house next door could go up overnight, and it could be ginormous.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Related Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n Modern modular done right<\/a><\/p>\n Abu Dhabi bailed out Dubai—is the world next?<\/a><\/p>\n San Francisco commits $150 million to green homes<\/a><\/p>\n