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H. ASIAN Continued from 16 homes tailored to Asian tastes. Though a few mainstream and ethnic developers also adapt some of their designs in a similar way, Chen seems to be among the few who, from start to finish, keep an eye on the needs of potential Asian clients. "I think what he's doing is very interesting and makes for interesting cultural diversity," said Jim Derryberry, director of San Jose's Planning, Building and Code Enforcement. "It's not homogenized. This leads to very distinctive districts that reflect the character of the different ethnic groups in the city." AND THE strategy's paid off for Chen. More than 80 percent of buyers in the Lion Estates development are Asian, mostly Chinese and Vietnamese. The $60 million development also includes larger, customized homes starting at $900,000. Eight out of 10 buyers on the waiting list to buy the customized homes once they're put up for sale are Asians. "You don't have to be told there's a big Asian market out there," said Chen, who built the Lion Plaza in San Jose in the 1980s, then the largest Asian mall in Northern California. . "You see it every weekend. I'm Asian, I share the same background with these people and I know what their needs are. So why would you worry about catering to some other market you're not familiar with?" The need for homes designed for specific cultures developed as the large influx of immigrants to Santa Clara County established themselves over the past two decades. Waves of Vietnamese immigrants settled here as refugees in the 1970s and 1980s, and the technology boom in Silicon Valley has brought significant numbers of immigrants from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and India. Between 1980 and 1997, the number of Asian residents in the county grew 261 percent, from 100,259 to 362,086, according to the state Department of Finance. That compares with a 29 percent growth in the county's overall population in the same time frame. Here are some features of homes built according to the principles of feng shui: House should face south. Doubie-doo- r entrances are preferred over single doors. House addresses that add up to eight are considered lucky, Chinese avoid four because it sounds like the word for death. Vietnamese consider 8 and 9 lucky numbers and avoid 10. Symmetric design is preferred over angles, especially triangles. The front door should not be in line with rear doors or windows. The bedroom shouldn't be over the kitchen. Staircases shouldn't end directly at the front door. Trees and poles shouldn't obscure the front door or property. (KRT) "A lot of Asians like to have a tangible relationship with their investment. Owning a home is very desirable," said Irene Jhin, a publisher of the Chinese New Home Buyer's Guide, a bimonthly magazine that essentially lists ads for new home tracts in the Bay Area. "Overseas Chinese, for example, have had to leave their mother country to come to America. They've come a long way. Owning their own piece of America is really part of the American dream for them." That particular piece of the colleg- e-educated ii mm m n m iimi m fty, StjfcirrW fll t99,'THES believe a house retains the psychic baggage of its occupants and can store negative energy, caused by a divorce, death or just plain bad luck. Rather than live off someone else's bad vibes, many Chinese and other Asians prefer to buy a new house and cultivate their own chi. Because of this, the demand for new homes among Asians is overwhelming. Nearly 70 percent of the Chinese in the market for a home prefer a new I La i h'V m V,s'. r- Xs Years ji fir w I I ODU-DUO- YWL I owe it to yourself. MORTGAGE I AmtrkM i ivissigr. eum wen ouv.i $132,500 Renaissance ML TlMNf4H ;H t DEAN INGRAM 2 cer gongs, veurted ceilings huge, 3 Fountains Townhous 1600 Sq.ft. DrowiTwmhouse $134,900 $144,900 $144,930 Kayiyn 360-605- 5 r i 4bd, Imoglneblol hm, very Aninutl floors e Dmb 5 elt wftti even rlfMt! Cenlrel le much morel tMtfliXS Z2S m niw i - Ferrtttfle 4 bed, 3 kith home ell iround. Lrj tanlly ram. wlficreeille Betulmil wilerltli le hick. Se mom eitm! 0 or Memoll $289,W. Peel SPWKGVILLE- im j rr-"t- j COH5T4iUaiOH ! Trophy Homes www.trophyhomn N flimul Call or 796-711227-055- com 1 Brand Newl 3 bed 2 hath, 3700 tit heme m!3 tar eereje. All itucco, tustom trthes pii- Lre matter telle wjetted tub. rare, molding. 0 Kaetell $238,908! Deae PG- - MANSL leMtltal enton JM 4 bed home wneirty 5000 SF. Tom el epgradet. Huge metier tune wietteil tub teeerete thower. $419,0001 5 Dean w eiaiitell PG- 0 Located directly east of the IDS Mt. Timpanogas Temple in Pleasant Grove at 1491 West Renaissance 856-907- 5 pillli liBMTTWWBfWM'MIMWimMMiTTI X Renaiwice At Indian Springs $129,900 turn, BoutM IS beHs fnm, 24 both toto, $289.908! Pi CORPORATION 4bsd2Sbo(h?rmBTUMENSk,H'iaii LIND0N- - at Indian Springs - FIRST COLONY - views, walking trails, quiet living and only 41 total home sites, so while you will enjoy your neighlxws, you won't be living on top of them. Treat yourself to one of life's little rewards, Indian Springs. Let's face it, you TIU(iMa(M w- c? CJT" O jon CHAMBERLAIN $109,900 3 bed to iiiiii i 3 bed 1.5 baths Prave 1217 Sq. ft. bmrnxulate Townhouse bd, 3 both Pravo Townheme, hardwood floors, vaulted ceiling cir. I r Kwxm for a &mT achoo? 3 bed lite you have earned. A gated, secua., totally maintained community, Indian Springs r See ASIAN, 18 1434-061- 1 3 bed 4.5 barfc gives you an incredible menu of floor plans, standard features and options to compliment your lifestyle. You'll be treated to beautiful rela- MOST OTHER Asian home developers in the area aren't marketing their homes to Asians to the extent that Chen 4 Tie kids are flying the nest, your career is sailing along smoothly, now it's time to put your feet up, take in a few sunsets and enjoy the finer things in lite at Indian Springs. This master- planned community offers you the i grandparents and other tives. Chen's homes, for example, come with as many as six bedrooms. And he usually makes sure there are models with a bedroom and bathroom downstairs for elderly parents. v - Pge 17 home over a preowned one, 0t according to a survey by the Chinese Media Group. Sally Kwok, a Los Altos, Calif, based real estate agent, said her personal survey of new home developers showed that 80 percent of visitors to new home sites were Asians. Housing developer Kaufman and Broad said as many as half its buyers in some developments in the south San Francisco Bay Area are Asians. Many of the traditional homes in the area may not work for the new immigrants. For instance, the tract homes of the 1960s and '70s are often too small to accommodate extended Asian families and don't meet the principles of feng shui. Often, Asians want homes with as many as five or more bedrooms to accommodate American dream for Asian immigrants can be slightly different than that of mainstream Americans. While some may dismiss it as superstition, many families with Chinese, Filipino and South Asian descent only buy homes that are good for feng shui, which literally means wind and water. Feng shui is a Chinese philosophy established 5,000 years ago that strives to harness the positive energy, or chi, of the environment. It sets down principles for everything from how a house sits on its lot to the placement of walls and windows. Lots must be pie shaped, with more space in the back than front to produce good chi. CHAPTER TWO: the BEST BABY KE&ALB.HMM Mtgnj) FENG SHUI adherents NOW, ASIANS have emerged as a major force in the housing market. Asian names lead the list of the top 25 common surnames of home buyers in Santa Clara County and top the list of surnames of home buyers who paid more than $500,000 for homes. Studies show Chinese are more likely to own their own home than any other group, including whites. m c 4 - 225-150- 0 - t |
