Smaller homes trumping McMansions as a result of the current economic slowdown? No less an authority than Dallas author Virginia McAlester thinks so — she’s predicting the death of McMansions, along with better energy efficiency, better constructions materials and even huge homes carved into "manors" housing multiple unrelated residents. So says a story in the DMN (the DMN website doesn’t have the link right now, but I’ll keep looking).
McAlester is the daughter of the late Wallace Savage, a former Dallas mayor, and author of A Field Guide to American Homes.

"When you see people who have a whole room or a closet, or two-room closets, I mean, that reflects an incredible amount of discretionary income and wealth," she told the News, adding that "homes will be built ina greener and greener manner to reduce long-term utility costs."

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No more McMansions? Not so fast, says National Association of Home Builders Research Center research director Ed Hudson.

"Well, maybe a little, but the average size is increasing," Hudson said in the story. "People are a lot more somber in mood and a lot less exuberant about continuing growth in wealthy."