Is the Age of the McMansion Over?

McMansions, the over-sized, cookie-cutter houses that now mar our nation's suburbs, were the symbol of the housing boom. "Everyone can have a house!" we said. "And many of you can have an enormous house full of space you don't need, which will symbolize your wealth!"

The housing bubble has now popped, and a new study has found that the number of square feet people feel is necessary to live in has dropped quickly:

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In its latest report on home-buying trends, real-estate site Trulia declares: “The McMansion Era Is Over.”

Just 9 percent of the people surveyed by Trulia said their ideal home size was over 3,200 square feet. Meanwhile, more than one-third said their ideal size was under 2,000 feet.

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The article goes on to note that there has also been a decline in "formal landscaping, decorative water features, tennis courts, and gazebos.” If there is a silver lining to this horrible economy, it has has to be that it has put a stop to formal water features.

Photo (CC) via Flickr user Paul Bailey.