The average annual income of families has doubled. Whether it's a McMansion in a wealthy neighborhood or a larger, cheaper home on the outskirts, the trend to build ever larger homes has been accelerating for years. Robert Frank, professor of management and economics at Cornell University, says that the growth of big houses isn't really due to greed. On the eastern edge of Long Island, New York, large houses are replacing small ones, often transforming the landscape, replacing farmland and open spaces.
If you want to see a big house, visit the home of Michael Frisby, a former White House correspondent for The Wall Street Journal who now runs a public relations firm, Frisby & Associates. Let's say you want to find the best school district for your child, but the houses there are huge and expensive. The average size of an American home has more than doubled since the 1950s; it's now 2,349 square feet. When asked to speculate about why houses are getting bigger, Fergerson and her dining companions at Bobby Van's, a classic, old Bridgehampton restaurant, launch dozens of ideas.
