Thank you for the kind compliments Nude and CalGal. I have studied this particular buyer group for 25 years. This group of buyers and their preferences have changed the way developers think and that included the most powerful developers and builders through out California. Locations of strong Asian influence share similarities in community and house aesthetics. Irvine, San Jose, San Ramon, Fremont, Cupertino, Chino Hills, and Pleasanton are just some of the communities driven by Asian formula.
In the last 15 years, facets of Asian preferences have been incorporated into housing like no stairs directly aligned with the front door, the expression of stones on walls and elevations, the use of masonry bricks in neighborhood monuments, the use of plaster instead of wood on house exteriors, the monumental rows of planted trees, and the elimination of odd shaped lots are just a few elements that the rest of us having to live with because of the Asian home buyers.
Troop, the avatar is my favorite housing style. Asians will never buy my avatar house. I should convert the single door to a double door on my avatar house to attract the Asian buyers!! I also need to stucco over the beam details like the homes in Montery Park and Alhambra. I am working on a project in Port Towsend Washinton that feature this cottage style similar to Ross Chapin's creations. I like your taste level: case study houses and down to earth cottages.