As one of the Eastside agents for 360 Modern I am often in the position of trying to explain to a buyer why there are no new Modern homes in their price range. And Green Modern? Forget it. Unless a buyer has a million plus to spend on something that was custom-built, there is often nothing to show them and more often than not, I find myself talking them into a Mid-Century Modern that has been remodeled.

In Seattle, many builders have been doing Modern for years. A few pioneers like Build Modern and PB Elemental saw buyer tastes changing and a market that was ready to be served. Before long, others jumped on board the wagon, building modern in-fill spec homes all over Seattle. Some of these are well done, some not so much, but the point is they are available.

I have talked with builders and builder’s agents here on the Eastside and the answer is always the same- Eastside buyers are different, they prefer Traditional to Modern, Craftsman to Contemporary. Even those homes that are pushing into the Modern aesthetic are toned down with things like big trim, granite counters and even shaker cabinets. I think they are missing the boat. The Eastside Modern Buyer Market is as under-served as the day is long. It’s time for builders to stand up and take notice.

It may be the Eastside but we like our Modern too.