From the outside, the adobe ranch house on the outskirts of Albuquerque looks like any other three-bedroom home. However, the designer drew inspiration from an unusual source.
In fact, the man for whom this design is named has likely never set foot in New Mexico.
“Like Harriet Tubman, an icon of American courage and freedom, this home stands out from the crowd,” the Zillow home listing says, adding that the home’s “kitchen and great room The emphasis is on an “entertainer's kitchen'' with a bar top. ”
The listing quickly found itself attracting the attention of Zillow's social media watchers. criticized Albuquerque production home builder Abrazo Homes was praised for its tasteless commercialization of a respected abolitionist. The company also named the layout of her home after Anne Frank, who hid from the Nazis in an annex in the Netherlands before being murdered in a concentration camp.
The design has apparently been available for years, but it wasn't until this week that it gained attention on social media.
Experts said real estate agents are turning to new techniques to boost business in the cooling housing market.
Yildiray Yildirim, dean of real estate at Baruch College in New York, said he's seen famous names cited in real estate marketing before, but not the historical figure used by Abrazo Homes. He said he never had that. He described the choice as a “strange” but “creative” way to attract new business.
The 1,500-square-foot home was listed for $370,475 on Dec. 29, according to a post on Zillow, and although it has since been removed, it is still available on the Wayback Machine. The post had about 80,000 page views on Zillow as of Monday night (similar listings in the area had been viewed between 75 and 150 times).
Brian McCarthy, co-founder of Abrazo Homes, said in a statement to the New York Times that the company included the names of influential women on its floor plans to “recognize their place in history” when it was founded 14 years ago. He said he decided to add a .
In an email to The New York Times on Tuesday, McCarthy said: “I am aware that the language used in explaining the plan is insufficient and could be perceived as insensitive or lacking awareness. I understand that there is a gender.” “It is unfortunate that this oversight undermined our sincere efforts to honor some of the greatest women in history.”
She said Abrazo Homes' marketing materials have been updated to “more accurately communicate our intent to celebrate these women.”
The company offered multiple designs named after famous women, including Audrey Hepburn, Coco Chanel, Amelia Earhart, Margaret Thatcher, Frida Kahlo, and architect Zaha Hadid.
Anne Frank's design can be customized into a three or four bedroom home.
A description of the design reads on the Abrazo Homes website: “In her diary, Anne Frank expressed her view of trees, which change with the seasons.” “In honor of her, we designed a plan for Anne that maximizes the views she deems worthy of Anne herself.”
The page appears to have been edited on Tuesday to remove references to Anne Frank.
Harriet's home features a covered patio, great room, kitchen, dining room, and two-car garage, plus a “spacious walk-in closet” and adding vaulted ceilings to the great room. There were also options. The design won the Buyer's Choice Award in Parade of Homes, a design awards program run by the Central New Mexico Home Builders Association, the company said.
In addition to honoring women of historical accomplishment, Abrazo Homes also incorporates several home designs inspired by beer types, including stouts, IPAs, and pilsners.
Eric Lewin, an Albuquerque-area real estate agent, said local housing trends have slowed over the past few years following a similar pattern across the country: a “crazy boom” followed by rising interest rates.
“People have become accustomed to homes selling the first weekend they come on the market,” he says. “Now on average it takes him 25 to 30 days.”
Lewin said there is strong demand for three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes in the area, as well as a strong demand for low-income housing.
“We just don’t see them being built,” he said. “With the average income in Albuquerque, you can't afford to pay the average price for a home.”
According to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors, the median home price in Albuquerque is approximately $339,500. The median household income in 2022 was $61,503, according to the Census Bureau.
