The “Starter Home” is Dead But a New American Dream Will Rise

The “Starter Home” is Dead But a New American Dream Will Rise

by | Jan 16, 2026 | aging in place, architecture, family, Multifamily Design

We have all heard the “American Dream” of a white-picket-fenced yard surrounding our 1,600 sf brick 3 bedroom 2 bath home with a deck and big backyard. That sounds amazing in 1980 when that dream cost around $55,000. With the average income of that era you could easily qualify for a 30-year mortgage and still take a family vacation. As we move into 2026 that same home will cost around $500,000 if you can even find one for sale. With the median income in 2026 for a family the stretch mortgage is in the range of $350,000. As a result a townhouse has become the new “starter home” and even that can be a stretch as demand outpaces construction. With short supply and high demand for home ownership, we are seeing the average age of a first time home buyer go up from 1980 when it was 29 to today where the average is 40.

As we see the demand for townhouses to fill the void for first time home buyers, we are also seeing a growing demand for luxury townhouse solutions. Families are making these communities that now offer clubhouses, community pools, landscape maintenance, playgrounds, and dog parks their lifetime homes. In 2025 townhouse construction hit a record market share of over 18% of all single-family home starts.

Is there a better way?

Another approach that is emerging in many communities is multi-generational dream homes, accessory dwelling units, and tiny houses. Each of these bring flexibility to the dream. The ADU backyard movement provides diversity of housing in a community at a lower price point. It can be used as an ADA compliant unit or a secondary income to support a higher mortgage. The tiny home enables a lower price point for purchase of a home with the option to do an addition in the future if needed. We are working on multiple projects that fall into each of these categories.

The new American Dream builds a stronger future

The new American Dream often brings a higher level of design than the 1980 brick ranch adding style, durability, energy-efficiency, and indoor environmental quality as driving factors. The new dream brings families together, builds stronger communities, and deepens a focus on quality over quantity. I am excited to see the future we are shaping with these innovative project types. 

Architectural Site Visit: Importance in Design Phase

Architectural Site Visit: Importance in Design Phase

by | Jan 7, 2026 | architecture, Blacksburg, Charlottesville, Commercial Architect, Custom Home, Green Building, Harrisonburg, Lake Monticello, Massanutten Resort, Roanoke

We traveled all over Virginia and West Virginia in 2025 checking out building sites, offering input on project location, collecting data needed for design, and enjoying some incredible views. We love getting out of the office to help your clients better understand their property opportunities. From renovation to new construction, getting to go see the site is a huge benefit when we are designing a custom solution for our clients.

An architect’s presence on-site is crucial for several reasons:

  • Understanding Topography: Seeing the natural slope and soil conditions firsthand prevents costly structural surprises later.

  • Capturing Environmental Context: Only by standing on the land can an architect truly map the path of the sun, the direction of prevailing winds, and the unique framing of local views.

  • Problem Solving in Real-Time: Site visits allow architects to collaborate with contractors, resolving discrepancies between the “perfect” drawing and the physical constraints of the earth.

  • Learning from Existing Conditions: Having a chance to stand in the space and think through flow, views, structural restrictions, water flow, and opportunities is critical in the design process.

Ultimately, a building doesn’t exist in a vacuum. By immersing themselves in the site, architects ensure the final design is not just a structure, but a thoughtful response to its surroundings. The list is long for all the places we worked this year including Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Roanoke, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Rockingham, Brandywine, Bergton, Fulks Run, Newport News, Portsmouth, Heathsville, Richmond, Crozet, Afton, Lake Monticello, Fluvanna, Augusta, Quicksburg, Lynchburg, Waynesboro, to Staunton.

We are so incredibly lucky to get to work with our clients to develop their dreams at some of the most incredible building sites across the Commonwealth of Virginia and in West Virginia – even when they are a little harder to get down the slope to measure existing conditions…

Top 10 Blog Posts of 2025!

Top 10 Blog Posts of 2025!

by | Dec 31, 2025 | architecture, artwork, Blacksburg, Bryce Resort, Charles Hendricks, Charlottesville, citizen architect, Custom Home, First Friday, Harrisonburg, Harrisonburg Architect, Holiday, In Review, Interior Design, Massanutten Resort, project update, Roanoke, Roanoke Architect, team

Happy New Year! Before we jump into 2026, enjoy a quick recap of our top 10 blog posts of 2025!

1. Expanding Our Footprint

We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone in the history of The Gaines Group Architects: the opening of our third office, establishing a dedicated home right in Roanoke, Virginia!
Read Post Here

2. Massanutten Resort Custom Home Almost Finished

This blog post shows off one of our projects from this year near Massanutten Resort! Take a look for some photos of this beautiful property and even some comparisons of our renderings vs. final product!
Read Post Here

3. Welcome to the Team!

We added a few new faces to the Gaines Group team in 2025! You can learn more about everyone here:

Lizzy
Nicole
Lindsey
Isabel
Claude

4. Dogwood Home Renovation Project Update

This blog post features a beautiful renovation project that made this home feel so warm and inviting!
Read Post Here

5. Citizen Architect Awards

In 2025 we were lucky enough to be recognized with a few awards:

-Best Architectural Firm in the Shenandoah Valley Region by Virginia Living Magazine
-#1 Rated Architectural Firm in Virginia by Top Rated Local
-Top Employer for Interns in 2025 by VTOP
-Charles was named one of the Top 100 Architects in the US by Fixr.com

We couldn’t do it without the support of our clients and community!

Blog Post Here

6. Eastern Mennonite Elementary School Project Update

In this post we see an update to the Eastern Mennonite Elementary School’s gathering space!
Read Post Here

7. A Harrisonburg Architect's Christmas Wish List

Shopping for a late Christmas gift for your favorite Harrisonburg architect? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
Read Post Here

8. First Fridays: A Recap!

We love participating in First Fridays in the Valley here in Harrisonburg! This post goes back over our wonderful artists from 2025!
Read Post Here

9. Spanish Lab and Learning Center

We were so excited to partner with Shenandoah Valley SBDC on this project. See photos of this awesome space here!
Read Post Here

10. Bryce Resort Renovation-Project Update

In this post we share a project update where a vacation getaway is turned into a forever home! Click below to see photos and before and afters!
Read Post Here
Thank you for a wonderful 2025, we will see you in 2026!
Christmas at the Depot

Christmas at the Depot

by | Dec 23, 2025 | architecture, Charles Hendricks, community

It is a wonderful time of the year to work at the Depot, really so is every time of year. Our historic Harrisonburg home comes to life during the holiday season, especially with the Christmas lights! Looking back over the years we have shared some magical memories together. Here is a quick peak at the Depot when Santa comes to visit.

 

 

The Trees:

Santa:

The Magic of Belief:

The Food:

The Swag:

The Art:

The Decorations:

The People:

The Grinch!

The Style!

We hope your Christmas is filled with joy, laughter, and cheer. Peace to you and yours.

Expanding Our Footprint: Serving Roanoke Valley and the New River Valley

Expanding Our Footprint: Serving Roanoke Valley and the New River Valley

by | Dec 19, 2025 | architecture, Roanoke, Roanoke Architect

We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone in the history of The Gaines Group Architects: the opening of our third office, establishing a dedicated home right in Roanoke, Virginia!

This expansion is a direct and exciting response to the growth we’ve experienced in the New River Valley. For years, our firm has been committed to serving the communities of Roanoke, Christiansburg, Blacksburg, and Floyd, and planting roots in the Star City is the natural next step in deepening that commitment.

Church Street Townhomes exterior

Building Stronger, More Vibrant Communities
Our presence in the New River Valley has allowed us to partner with mission-driven organizations and contribute to the region’s housing landscape. We are incredibly proud of our ongoing collaboration with Habitat for Humanity of the New River Valley on impactful projects like the:

Furthermore, our design expertise can be seen in the successful multi-family residential project, The Adams at Peppers Ferry in Christiansburg, Blacksburg New School Addition and Renovation, and an in-process aging-in-place small residential addition in Blacksburg, illustrating our dedication to clients of all sizes.

Our Deep Local Roots in the Valley
The Gaines Group isn’t just a firm opening a new branch—we are a team coming home. Our CEO, Charles Hendricks, grew up in Roanoke, attending Northside High School and Virginia Western Community College before going to UVA to study architecture. His personal connection to the city and the Valley informs our vision for growth. That local tie is shared by several key members of our team, who are proud graduates of Virginia Tech, including Founding Principal Ray Gaines and talented designers Emily Scognamillo, Elizabeth McEwen, and Isabel Gonzalez. Their experience in Blacksburg brings an intimate knowledge of the region’s unique architectural landscape and community values.

A New Leader Joins the Team: Welcome Claude Breithaupt

To lead our efforts in the Roanoke area and New River Valley, we are delighted to welcome Claude Breithaupt to The Gaines Group team. Claude joins us as our Staff Architect and Branch Office Lead, bringing with him a wealth of technical expertise and creative vision. Having previously owned Studio Breithaupt in the Roanoke area, Claude is a respected local architect whose work strives to enhance our sense of surroundings and identity. His award-winning history, which includes a Merit Award from AIA Blue Ridge for the Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary Bee Barn, aligns perfectly with our firm’s focus on environmentally conscious, thoughtful design.

We are excited for Claude to bring his fascination with the intersection of science and art—and his deep local knowledge to our new office at CoLab in Grandin Village.

Our Commitment: Healthy, Sustainable, and Inclusive Design
The Gaines Group Architects is driven by a singular mission: to help create stronger, more vibrant communities. We achieve this by designing healthy, sustainable, and inclusive environments that enhance the quality of life for all.

Our work is rooted in providing innovative solutions and a commitment to long-term impact. We build strategic teams with a focus on quality, value, and building science to serve clients across a diverse range of needs, including:

  • Custom Homes and Home Renovations
  • Industrial and Commercial Projects
  • Multi-family and Non-profit work

We look forward to collaborating with the residents, businesses, and organizations of Roanoke and the New River Valley. If you have a vision for a project—whether it’s a dream custom home, a commercial redevelopment, or a community-focused initiative—we are here to help you design a solution that works beautifully, efficiently, and sustainably.

Welcome us to the neighborhood!

Follow our journey and explore our portfolio at thegainesgroup.com.

Click Here
5 ways to future proof your custom home

5 ways to future proof your custom home

by | Nov 14, 2025 | Accessibility, aging in place, architecture

There are many articles and systems out there written to tell you how to future proof your custom home. As you process all that information think through your family history, current conditions in the area you plan to build, and the local climate. While there are very robust energy rating systems that will in fact get you to very low energy usage, we are blessed here in Virginia with ample sun for solar and low energy costs from public utilities (relatively speaking). This changes the conversation about whether you should invest in a robust system to reduce energy costs – especially when you take into account the costs associated with things like triple pane windows vs double pane windows for instance.

Thinking through your family history and your expected mobility challenges is another place where you should spend some time. Of course, none of us knows what tomorrow holds, but if your family members all live into their 90s and don’t have mobility challenges, how likely is it that you will have mobility challenges? Working through a life plan that goes with your home is critical to make it economical and adaptable.

Looking at the climate conditions and the severity of storms hitting the area where you are building is a dynamic analysis as things continue to change, but can be very informative on the systems you select. The frequency of 2″ rainstorms in our area have increased by more than 100% in recent years. These storms with greater intensity often bring strong winds along with concentrated rainfall – this may impact your future proof decisions on overhangs, gutter size, and roof slope.

Here are 5 considerations that apply to most new custom homes we design:

Accessible Shower
  1. Make the floorplan as flexible as possible. Consider 1 level living opportunities and reinforced wall systems for future grab bars. Have a zero step shower and lever style door handles where possible on an accessible floor level.
  2. Create the most energy-efficient and durable building envelope solution you can afford without designing for an extreme climate. All predictions have Virginia staying fairly moderate for temperature swings for the foreseeable future. While passive house is a great strategy for clients that want to achieve zero energy status, the insulation values and strategies required to get this certification add considerably to the cost of construction.
  3. Make sure your electronic and communications system is wired for a changing future technology. Add in options for pulling new wire easily in the future as technology evolves.
  4. Pick the most durable and low maintenance building materials. Remember quality costs more, but in the long run will save you time, money, and frustration.
  5. Consider a rainwater catchment system. While storms in our area are wetter than in previous decades, it seems the space between storms can draw out longer than typical as well.
solar panels on roof

While we don’t know what the future holds for anyone of us, creating a resilient and durable custom home will protect your investment as best as can be protected.