McMansion Wars: Thoughts From The Front Line

In the Town of Chevy Chase, Md, a letter from the mayor asks neighbors to "stop throwing eggs at one another's homes". Some longtime town folk are livid about the McMansionization of their community. Locals feel they have no say in the direction in which the market drives development. "Some locals were so enraged they persuaded the town council this year to impose a moratorium on tearing down homes or building large additions. That just enraged the rest of the town, leading to a complex class war."

To avoid that sort of culture clash, more people are buying new homes in developments governed by homeowner association rules. Housing experts say, "A majority of new homes in rapidly growing urban areas are in communities governed by private homeowners associations that impose much stricter rules than governments do."