McMansion aka maxipad is a slang term for a large newly built house that is poorly designed and/or too big for its neighborhood.  The term was coined in early 1980s and appeared in an L.A. Times article in 1990.  The term McMansion is pejorative, comparing semi-luxurious homes to mass-produced value meals.  They have also been referred to as Starter Castles, Faux Chateaus, Garage Mahals, Persian Palaces, Hummer Houses and MaxiPads.
Originating in California, McMansions were meant to fill the gap between suburban tract homes and the luxury homes found in gated communities.  These luxurious value homes gained considerable popularity in both pre-existing and new subdivisions designed for this sort of dwelling. The coinage of the derogatory term undoubtedly came from builders’ attempts to save money by using low-grade materials.
Observers and owners alike have criticized McMansions.  In addition to the McMansion’s out-of-place appearance in the neighborhood, they also tend to be uneconomical in terms of space and resources, having too much room for too few people.  Over the last half-century homebuyers have felt the need for more space.  In the 1960s the average home was 1,200 square feet.  In the 1980s it grew to 1,710 square feet and in 2010 it rose to 2,330 square feet.  Also, many McMansion owners considered their mini-castles to be made from low quality construction materials and to require inordinate time commitments for maintenance and cleaning and higher costs for heating and cooling, making them more expensive to own than smaller, more practical homes.
McMansions have also been criticized for their mix of architectural styles.   They often combine steeply sloped roofs, quoins, complicated massing, pronounced dormers and multiple roof lines.  All of these things give them a confusing, jumbled appearance.  Many builders attempted to make these houses look expensive but only had the budget for cheap materials.  Builders often spent much less money on the exterior of these houses than they do on the interior.  These pseudo-palaces also typically feature high roofs, which are the most likely kind to leak and also use excessive energy, increasing owners’ costs.



In 2006 McMansions began to decline in value when owners found them difficult to sell.  The decline of the middle class in 2008 and more foreclosures resulted in many empty McMansions. In some developments over 50% of these homes are vacant, resulting in their being vulnerable to vandalizers, squatters and thieves.  Homebuyers began to prefer smaller homes and in 2009 many communities and areas passed laws meant to limit the construction of these homes. 
The demand for McMansions had steeply dropped off by 2010 and many industry experts proclaimed that the McMansion is dead.  The only problem now is what to do with the McMansions that nobody is buying.  There has been talk in the real-estate community of giving these huge homes a more practical use by converting them into offices, movie theatres, banks and grocery stores.  Whatever happens to all of the deserted McMansions out there it is clear that the “era of the McMansion” won’t be missed.