Mini-Me McMansions

A pretty amusing piece in the WSJ today happens to be one of the articles the paper has made available to non-subscribers, and I recommend it. It’s about people who are so pleased with their fancy houses that when it comes time to build a playhouse for the kids, they make a miniature replica of their actual home — “Mini-Me McMansions,” as writer Troy McMullen puts it.

The lavish replicas, which can include such grown-up amenities as hardwood floors and media rooms with satellite TVs, generally cost from $10,000 to $100,000. Some run even higher than that, exceeding the median price of a single-family home ($218,000 in November). In some areas the playhouses are running afoul of local zoning ordinances, building codes and housing-development covenants, annoying neighbors who object to the backyard estates and racking up substantial fines.

Here’s the rest.