How about a mini tiny house community you can put together yourself with a small group of people and as little money as possible?
The other day I posted a WANTED ad in my local craigslist so I can find a plot of land to rent so I can park and live in my future tiny house on wheels.
I got one response so far and it was another tiny house person interested in the same thing!
As I was emailing back and forth with her I got to thinking about a simpler way to create a tiny house community. I’ve been thinking about this a lot especially since Jay Shafer’s announcement of a tiny village in progress.
Photo Credit Pocket-Neighborhoods.net
Estate Neighborhoods for Mini Tiny House Community?
Most towns and cities have areas that are commonly called Estates where most of the time you can park, live or camp in an RV in the backyard as long as there is a home that meets code on the property.
Why can’t we purchase or lease one of these homes that are normally accompanied by 2.5 acres or more and create our own small tiny house communities?
I figure with a total of just 3-5 tiny homes in the backyard with a monthly fee of $200-$400 each depending on the location and amenities provided that it could really work.
This would generate a total of $600 to $2,000 a month to cover costs. Then you could do one of two things: rent out the big house that comes with the property for additional revenue or charge on the higher end for the plots of land to convert the normal house into a clubhouse for all to use.
Tiny House Community Clubhouse
The clubhouse would be appropriate for parties, family get-togethers and other social events. But it doesn’t stop there because you can have a:
- pool,
- fitness center,
- pool table,
- ping pong table,
- study/library room,
- movie theater room,
- and big kitchen.
You could even use the garage for arts and crafts, rent it out, or use it to store equipment to maintain the property and homes.
Your Turn: How Would You Do It?
What are your thoughts and ideas on a small tiny house community like this? If you were to go about it, how would you set it up?
Would you purchase the property? Would you lease it with the right to sub-lease?
Would you set up an organization of some kind to run it?
Can you see this working in an area that you know of near you? If so please share your thoughts and pass this article along to anyone who might be interested.
Alex
Latest posts by Alex (see all)
- Recession Proof your Life with a Tiny House? - May 21, 2013
- A-frame Small House Renovation and Add-on - May 19, 2013
- Tiny Bunk Cabin on a Trailer - May 18, 2013
Alex, I love all your ideas! I wouldn’t be part of the investment, but I’d love the option to rent a space for my TH. How about reserving a couple of the big house’s rooms to rent out as guest rooms for visiting friends & family?
Thanks Teri, great idea on offering some of the rooms in the larger house for rent or to use as guest rooms. Someone else also mentioned having someone live in that house to keep it maintained and manage things.
Teri and Alex,
How about a mixed use property, that allows for both parking space and living. An idea I had, was this property in Mound MN also lies on Minnetrista too, and on this side of the property one could park TH like camping sites or for those who work from home have like a TH business area. It would be cool to do business with these THB’s eccentric village.
And be conscious of setting up the first one as a model (or franchise?) for others to duplicate around the country/world.
Great idea..
I have thought a lot about this community idea. If I had the money, I would start w/an acre with 10-12 houses primarily for older singles/couples. It would have a round outer area drive and center common area with little fences so there could be private gardens.A covered area in commons and benches
Jean, have you been hanging out inside my head? :0) this is precisely what I have in mind.
Wonderful idea Jean. Thanks for sharing!
well, it is a nice idea however most cities have zoning restrictions that prevent permanent living in any RV or non permanent huuse.
Some counties allow the homeowner to park their own RV or house on wheels for their own use but that would not apply to renting spaces.
That would require permitting as an RV lot and you would have to meet code for water, sewer and power for each unit and run it as a taxed business.
I am not trying to discourage the idea but just laying out the realities in case someone jumps in and tries to do this.
Unfortunately, our state and local governments have discouraged any low cost housing ideas because they want permanent large houses that they can collect big property taxes on.
There are still some very rural places that allow any kind of home as long as you have water and sewer and that would be my suggestion for people looking for a sustainable way to live.
Thanks LaMar, I agree, I just know there has to be exceptions or some sort of way to do it. Whether it consists of converting/permitting to RV lot or some type of commune or association. But you’re right. The government insists on permanent housing that can be taxed. Understandably, if only we can meet somewhere in the middle. There must be ways..
There is a way to do it but it means fighting city hall and since they rely on the big home tax payer that do not want your little house bringing down property values it is not a fight you can win unless you can get enough people behind the idea.
It is more possible in very rural counties that need people and don’t care what kind of house you live in and that is where these small house communes are popping up and are welcome.
LaMar
You are right on spot. It is all about revenue for the government. If you can’t plug your project into existing revenue patterns they are not interested. The basic permit fees many times will exceed the actual value of tiny homes constructed.
I think Jay has the right idea basing a community around a mobile home park theme. Infill projects such as “In-law Quarters” can be added to existing housing at a minimal installation cost to existing utilities. This can offset the homeowners basic mortgage costs.
Sewer is not required to have a house in many places. There are many people with eco friendly houses and they use composting toilets(no water).
I too ran a Craigslist inquiry and got similar results for Minnesota. However, I am inspired by Jay Shafer’s event in Northern CA to build a tiny house village by 2015. And in reply to your post of how to go about it; There is a closed trailer park in Mound MN, that would be ideal location and recycle of land. The lots are zoned for sub division, so each buyer could purchase their land and build their house/appliances, either option for on grid or off. My next thought was to incorporate a buy back program; in the event someone needs to leave their home could go with and the land resold. Making the homes both stationary and mobile.
The process; find investors and buy the land, develop the land to provide comfortable lots for the homes, sell the homes with either sweat equity -help building, or contracted build, equip the house with appliances, have a common area with emergency shelter for storms. This property has shoreline on Lake Minnetonka, so applying a beach or boat launch or more green a canoe deck would enhance the environment. Supporting solar and wind would be easily applied.
Feel free to contact me and we can put these ideas in to motion.
I saw a couple of empty lots near 14th and Wadsworth in Lakewood, Colorado that would be perfect for a little Tiny Home community. It is a block from the new light rail system, is already zoned for commercial, yet has a residential ‘feel’ to it…lots of trees in the neighborhood, one large tree on the property! There is already a mobile home community down the street. I’m not in the market for this right now…but thought I would mention it for anyone who might be interested.
Thanks Joan, that’s really interesting. I’m sure this is all possible it’s just not normal yet and hasn’t really been done before.
I love the idea of buying a an existing home and converting it into a “common house” for all to use. My husband and I have been discussing doing that for a completely different project. There are “executive farms” all around the Longmont/Lafayette area that could work. Hmmm…..
What a great idea! I also like the idea of keeping the main house as a guest house, party house, big kitchen area, etc. Or rent the big house out to one person who is the “caretaker” of the house, making sure it is lived in, cleaned, and setting up schedules for the tiny houses’ guests and events. I LOVE this idea.
Great idea! Thanks!
At LaMar, I just saw your comment after I posted mine. You bring up some very important (and depressing) points. It stinks that cities have so many codes that basically work against affordable housing options. we need to start finding ways to change that.
Agreed.. It’s challenging for sure, but as you said, we must find ways.
House codes can be changed with influence from the TH movers & shakers. Jay has obtained cooperation if not encouragement from our Sonoma County, CA planning dept. to start his Napoleon Complex. Contact your county supervisors. Everyone should have a relationship with them anyway, easy to get positive responses from them at election times. This is an idea whose time has come. We just need to put some pressure on the agencies standing in our way!
Well said, Teri, thank you!
I’m going to the grocery store for boxes, so I can pack! Any ideas for an Oregon location? Please keep us posted, thanks!
Great ideas. I live in a small rural area. Thinking this would be great for those who want to downsize. My concern is individual upkeep on properties. A caretaker would be nice, but then fees increase with growth. My needs are small and not so demanding. I suggest depending on intentions for community to keep it economical for those in retirement or elderly or handicapped.
Thanks Jamie. I think there has to be a balance between affordability and maintaining upkeep/standards for one of these communities, otherwise I can see it turn ugly or where it ends up that one person is doing way more than others without any form of compensation.
Or even worse, it not getting done it all and it turning into a trailer parks many that frown on. I wouldn’t want that.
When I went looking for small inexpensive housing, I briefly looked at mobile home parks (not RV parks, but manufactured homes that obviously were rarely moved). It seemed as if each park had several derelict 1970s era, ugly, unkempt to the point of algae-covered ‘houses’, all for sale but obviously with no takers. Meanwhile, they sat on perfectly good 20 x 70 or so foot lots. It seems like if even ONE of those ugly decrepit places were removed, the guts recycled or sold for scrap, and replaced with a cottage-style cute wood trim and flower box tiny house, the park owners would have people clamoring to move into it! Seems like over a few year’s time, they would naturally swap out until the whole park was practically a tourist attraction (a la Carmel-by-the-Sea’s fantasy homes).
Typically, all the ‘park goodies’ like a common laundry area, playground and sometimes pool are already there, and certainly the zoning couldn’t be an issue. I’d be surprised if the mobile home park owner’s associations weren’t already ‘on it’, to tell you the truth. So much nicer then the manufactured aluminum-clad places…
I’m glad you mentioned the laundry facilities because these take a lot of room and go unused most of the time in a home of any kind. Being able to share them by having one washer and dryer for every ten or so houses is good, especially since tiny houses don’t really have the room for them and driving to a laundromat is definitely not ideal.
Great point Garth. I live in an apartment building where we have 20-25 units sharing just two sets of laundry machines and it works out just fine. This way we don’t have to have the clunky machines in our small apartments.
Wow, excellent point Signalfire. I guess the infrastructure for our idea already exists in many areas. There’s just work to be done first. If parks like these were ‘overhauled’ it certainly would attract people (us).
I would rather have many small houses together than one really big one.
In most places this particular way won’t fly because of zoning laws.
But other ways could if you get creative. For instance buying old run down trailer parks, get land and make it a ‘boat yard’, make floating ones rafted together, get out of cities into the county, old farm with/or migrant worker camps.
Land in run down areas cities want to improve might be a good target and the pols more likely to give high density and other concessions for tiny homes.
Since I have little money I’ll either go the floating or boatyard method both of which are good in my area of fla and in many coastal areas.
I’m going to see about dock space in the port as many have shallow areas not good for for commercial purposes but suited for out 1′ deep ‘houseboats’ . Basically I’ll build concrete barges for people to put tiny houses on at low cost.
Or an inland ‘boat yard’ of tiny houses is another.
Go to the officals that you want to do a demostration of small RE homes with the idea more singles need smaller homes. Or go the Senior/retiree route to justify code changes.
I’m doing a 4-5 unit compound on 2 50′x100′lots with 2 144sq’cabins on a mobilehome frame along with an old wash house that had toilet, sink and shower so qualified as a legal home and will build 2 ‘sheds’ that become legal homes when I sell it.
Be creative and you can do it and make money while giving others a great deal.
Each area will be different, look around and see what is availble in your area. Try to remember to pick good RE sites with good sun and wind resources.
Good idea Jerry, thanks!
I have been obsessing about this idea for some time now. I would like to go in on a plot of land with some like-minded people (I have 2 others who are wanting to join this venture with us) somewhere in a warmer climate (I live in Michigan). I’m thinking in North Carolina….possibly outside of Ashville? or Charlotte? I’d like to be in, or close to the mountains and within 1/2 hour of a progressive city. I’m so ready for the ‘tiny’ life!
@Mikki:
Same here. Been doing a lot research where I live in OH (near Columbus), but love Asheville and being an avid backpacker, the mountains sound great.
North Carolina Progressive? Well yes more so than South Carolina but still…Zoning will be your issue and trying to get something by the 1% that control the McMansion permitting process is a fight that has to be made, we are all with you in spirit.
I’m pretty sure there’s land around half an hour away from Asheville in the mountains with no building codes. Our friend Laura LaVoie lives in that area in an off grid tiny cabin.
There is. If you stay outside of buncombe county you can find some suitable land. It is possible.
@Mikki, I’m in the same boat. I’m looking at a property right now that’s within 30 miles of Asheville city center, 8 mostly wooded acres. Having lived in a co-op in college, I thought my days of communal living were well behind me, but with a half-dozen people or so at more than an acre each, we’d be able to stay out of each other’s hair.
There’s a decrepit but beautiful farmhouse on the property that I think I could bring back to life enough to make a good place for visitors, co-working, and hanging out (though I think bringing the house up to code enough to get a certificate of occupancy would bankrupt me).
I hope this conversation can continue.
I’d definitely be interested in investing in some land somewhere in NC. I’m currently aware of 40 acres selling for $55,000 in Cove City, NC which is much closer to the coast, but that’s a lot of land for a really great price. I also believe it has no zoning restrictions.
I live in a college town… I was contemplating buying out a trailer park or rv park or finding a suitable zone near the college and building tiny homes to appeal to the young people who want to be more independent… with a rent to own sort of deal or an offer to buy the home off with like a four year lease. I’m sure cheap housing would be appealing to the college kids and if they get something in the long term from it, it might be even better.
I was planning to have a pool and recreation building, community laundry and some storage units that I’d rent out separately… and maybe a large recreational lawn that could be reserved for parties or other social events.
Great idea Anna. I think college kids would LOVE this. Especially considering that 20-30 year olds statistically are earning the lowest income since the 1970s. Read that somewhere this week..
Wonderful Idea Anna! I myself am still in college taking classes when I can afford it in an attempt to get by without a loan. If there was something rent to own like your description near a state college you would get a huge response especially because many students are burning their out of pocket and loan money on rentals rather than an investment such as a tiny house. If these tiny homes were built on trailers you could provide a market for a builder to produce and sell their homes on your site when the student graduates and takes their home with them.
What a FANTASTIC idea! Benefits builders, benefits the student and gives them a great start to life! If they don’t wish to continue TH living later on, they can sell it for a profit as a downpayment for a home. Excellent all the way around.
This is EXACTLY what Mah Hubz and I have wanted to do for several years! It’s similar to co-housing, but built with Tiny Homes! The only thing holding us back has been money (lack thereof) and owning a property to do it on. However, there are so many places in our own area that we have identified that would be perfect for doing this (mobile home estates already plotted & set up, but the developments went bankrupt, etc). Anyone interested in coming to Vancouver (not BC), Washington (not DC)?! We’re just on the North side of the river across from Portland (Oregon, not Maine! In Clark County – not Nevada! lol).
Now that small home movement is not seen as just emergency shelter for the homeless, what you are planning is what so many of us have been hoping for. Tiny Texas Houses has their “Villages” plotted and moving ahead full steam. This is what many will use as a format and many of the Ideas can be shared and improved or modified to fit the opportunities that will be in our areas of the country. Expanding the footprint is an issue. Chappin had a great start there on Widby Island with his Pocket Neighborhood at 700 sq.ft. per unit and has not been able to build a small one since the first in 1987.
Thanks Bill! Wasn’t aware of some of that.
I just came from tinytexashomes.com where I did a search for village and came up with nothing.
Would you share the web address for the village information? I’d like to research it.
Thanks.
I am looking for a tiny lot in the Northwest to put an Ideabox on (Salem Company). Do you really know of mobile home estates that have been zoned but not built out?
signalfire, jerryd, Anna C, & Lise,
I second your idea of either buying or moving into mobile home estates (occupied with mobile homes or not) already plotted & set up as a way to build tiny house communities.
For those of us who have limited funds, moving into such an estate would be a great way to live, after building (or buying) a tiny house. For those of us who have means, buying such an estate and renting lots as a business would also be a great way to live and provide the opportunity for others to join the tiny (simplified, economical, satisfying, use your own adjective) way of life.
I would hope that no “franchise” system be initiated; though, that would stifle the ability of both those with means and those with limited funds to have access to the tiny house way of life. Greed would kill our way of life. We need to do everything possible to make it possible for any who want to live as a debt-free homeowner, to be able to do so (of any income level).
I am all for the American market economy. It is an equitable system as long as “sufficient-to-live profit” drives it and not greed.
Let’s welcome those who would join us to do so.
P.S. I have taken this idea to heart and will look seriously at doing this. Happy New Year! December 30, 2012 sunshineandrain
Tiny Texas Houses has their “Villages” Idea and Pure Salvage Living to help with almost any of these desires.
Not only do I think this is possible, but I think that this will be something we will see quite a bit of in the years to come. There are ways to handle the zoning and code issues. I think it is also a great way to encourage urban density. There are people who are interested in investing in this type of things so it is just a matter of doing the leg work to figure out the most viable solution.
Thanks for sharing this idea!
Thanks Laura!
Hi Alex, etal
We already have what may be the perfect site in north central Wyoming. Our property of 31 acres has a small
forest, 6 ponds, streams, a river, and a waterfall. While not interested in lending out our family house, there are at least six and as many as a dozen sites that could host a “tiny house on a trailer”, for the appropriate individual.
I will make no attempt to profer any of the sites at this time, but if there is interest in such an arrangement… Alex can give an interested ‘enthusiast’ my email address.
I might also be interested in proffering support for
building a tiny home on wheels for someone who has the skills, but perhaps not all the cash to do so.
Some sort of National movement for the repeal of minimum square footage needs to be established. I don’t think we will ever get a ban on maximum footage if we can’t even get the rich to pay their fair share of taxes and corporations are people.
First off here in Va. & many of the East Coast Mid-Atlantic states, existing trailer or M.H.Estate communities do exist in abundence/grandfathered while only under original creator/heir. Once sold, everything changes with regard to the new/latest regulations… further, the grandfathered size is minium of > 600′ whether it’s a single wide or more wide(?); point being a tiny house < 200' is still not an option – it simply will not happen sorry to say. Further, as you & I both know, lot rents alone have increased every year – with no rent control options – yes, not even Section 8 vouchers for the disabled, etc.. One final note about M.H.Estate lots/villages is that anything over 15 years age either must be replaced or towed out or they slap fines daily to literally force the occupant to sale/update to meet all new EPA/HUD standards! This is exactly the reason why many retiress who went to Florida years ago, can no longer afford to stay in Fl., due to $ 450 – $ 900.00+ lot rents. So a co-op must be in place – not a corporaption whose sole purpose is profit driven.
I appreciate your input and information.
Do you know what is involved in creating a co-op?
I would suggest that a LLC be set up locally with help from an attorney to start with a special theme – keep it simple… like a camping retreat for private farming/hunting/social club; under this arrangement, one has better pull through use of LLC attorneys for the good-old-boy-network of land planners than individually. This is what my attorney suggested to me when I wanted to place a new park model on my private woodlot ( < 400' ), in order to be able to live year-round, otherwise it will not be aproved in my county for a single retirement cottage – all mail/permits/utilities/legal paperwork has to reside only to the assigned registered post office box, if one is to bypass legally these local draconian stipulations! So much for a free country, right? Hope this may help others in their quest to be able to live in retirement in an upscale RV park model in their local county as well? This is needed because in most jursidictions, one can live in any RV 180 days out of 365 days in a calendar year; not the option to live a total of 365 days entotal/year-round.
Great article Alex.
I have been quietly working on this idea for some time. Its time to give birth to it. Contact me for more info if U wish.
Am interested in a tiny house comminity. I live in Santa Clarita, CA.
I too live in Santa Clarita, CA. I was thinking about how great it would be to use the land at what used to be called the Smiser Mule Ranch. Do you know of it? What do you think? Do you think we should ask?
Did you know that once the last Mule died, the land was up for sale. However, the neighbors pitched a fit and petitioned to close the proposed development down, saying among other things, that it was too dense and there would be too much traffic in the area. The proposal was for businesses, offices, apartments, restaurants, stores, and a new gym. Might I add that these same neighbors had years before objected to the Mules. I love Newhall and live close by Wiley Elementary School. It would not hurt to ask. We would probably want to go to a City Hall meeting. Please feel free to contact me at: valamonica@gmail.com. Looking forward to speaking with you further. Virginia
I was thinking the same thing
I HAVE PROPERTY that would be perfect for this.
Altough it does not have a home on it now, the county really is lax on codes, etc and people are building mostly anything they want. A community house could be built using containers! Plenty of space for gardens etc. Lots of homesteaders in the area. the biggest expense would be a well, but the cost divided amoung a few people would not be bad. Everyone can use solar ( and/or) wind… but electricity is very close. The land is high desert FLAT land near
Belen, NM. I have 4 one acre lots, two lots are togehter near the highway and the other two are also togheter a little further from the highway but not that far.
Want to talk about it?
LFIRE88(at) yahoo ( dot) com.
Alex, this particular thread is getting really exciting in moving along the establishment of villages across the country/world! I just emailed a request to Michael Janzen michael.s.janzen@gmail.com (do you know him?) who developed the Tiny House Map, asking him to add a category to the map called “Tiny House Villages”. If he can/will do it, we can connect locally with like-minded people who have land, funding, ideas, and/or needs for the development of a village in their local community. Hope this works!
Teri
Great news! I just heard from Michael Janzen and he’s going to work on adding a “Tiny House Village” category to his excellent Tiny House Map site http://www.tinyhousemap.com Please use it to list land, funding, ideas, and/or needs for the development of a village in your local areas!
One of the bigest problems for tiny living is property! My uncle has a “camper lot” ( well 2 apx. 50ft. x 100ft) see what has come of it :) .. @ bvtxweb.com_ magnolia_ walkup ………… Enjoy!
The basic zoning terms for housing are single-family usage or multi-family usage. Regardless of being a duplex, a set of condos, an RV park, etc, it will require multi-family zoning in most municipalities.
When attempting to make changes through the political system, it’s best to find allies as fast as possible. Search for similar types of projects such as shipping container buildings and specialty park model zoning. Find out which politicians and groups supported existing codes that are similar to what you need, and seek out their advice and assistance.
I think the main issue will resolve around sewage. For a community of tiny homes, there will need to be serious time (and some money) invested in proving a particular sewage system will work and meet all regulations. Dealing with human waste is the one of the top concerns when considering multi-family housing systems. There will have to be a mandated method for hooking up safely to greywater and blackwater drainage.
If i were to live in a tiny house i would build a insulated shed on a cement slab for a bathroom and laundry room complete with fan exhaust and heat. Run the toilet into a septic and the rest into a gray water retention pond with water plants to clean the water. one of the biggest costs in my house after heat is the water and sewer charges from the city every month. Boy do i miss my 5 acres and the septic tank!
My partner of 40+ years and I have been discussing a “family compound” in the non-elitist/non-exclusionary-retreatist ideal. Several tiny houses, individualized to the needs of our multi-generational family and large extended family, each unit self contained. These would surround a central laundry, community kitchen, universal access bathroom/laundry area with a commons open area available for group meals, meetings, crafting, fun. Loosely guided by a sense of aging in place and security of freedom from mortgage. Low impact, easily maintained, eco-conscious and for the most part, grid-free. Work in progress.
Am interested if in my area. Santa Clarita Valley, CA
Certain friends of mine and I had a similar idea for when we retire. Instead of going to an old-folks-home, we would pool our resources and build our own community. Each person would have their own cottage on a property with a main house where a care-taker couple could live. The man could help us with heavy work and maitainance, while the wife would help us with domestic things and personal care. There would be little paths leading to each cottage so we could get in our little Rascals and buzz over to coffee clutch with our neighbors. friends and relatives could stay in the main house for visits. We like to dream, but why not? Health care is going to be so expensive, this might be a viable alternative. Elderly banning together to care for each other.
Margo – I’ve been dreaming of the same age-in-place concept myself, in the mid-Atlantic area.
Love this idea! I think it makes a lot of sense too. Historically, families took care of the aging. We’ve moved into a more isolated idea of caring for aging individuals. Your idea maintains independence, allows for appropriate care, and gives a couple some employment and housing in a mostly self-sustaining system. I would love this idea in the future. And, yes you can dream. :)
Maybe we have tapped into a future trend, if so many isolated people from so many backgrounds are feeling a similar way…
I’m another Tiny House fan and community dreamer like Margo and Sharon. Actually, I do have some money to put into the land and utilities, but NO inclination to fight for legality. My location, at present, (following 2 kids) is Oregon, and I think vegetable gardening should be a part of the group commitment. (at least helping others do it) Thank you all for encouraging me to believe there might be a way to really do what I’ve been imagining for years! There are MILLIONS of aging boomers wanting to downsize/simplify and share with others of all ages. We need to do this!
Right on Bea. We have to get out of this rat race. Who says you have to have a 30-year mortgage and a car payment! KIS (“Keep It Simple”).
I live in Cyprus with my partner and we have been looking into sustainable housing here too. We are still considering exactly how to construct our house and will likely go down the route of cob of straw. However, it is the community idea that leads me to post.
We can make several long-lasting structures that would only be considered temporary (for example, yurts, some of which can be way may than a portable tent) which is one way of dealing with building restrictions.
Although I don’t know of any community like this on the island, I’m sure the idea would go down well because increasing amounts of people want to KIS (loving the acronym Virginia La Monica!) and become financially independent and self-sufficient. We are currently estimating how big our smallholding needs to be, which animals would be best to keep, how big the veg patch needs to be and how we can generate electricity. Although we want to become more self-sufficient in that we are fending for ourselves, we don’t want to necessarily reject new technology – just implement it in a way that is economical and sustainable.
I love the clubhouse idea – this has really spurred us on and we are considering an earthship design for this building.
Related to your recent thread Alex (http://tinyhousetalk.com/why-tiny-house-communities-dont-exist/), we are in two minds whether to we want to build this as an ecotourism site or a community where people live permanently. I don’t really want to be making extortionate amounts of money off people for a novelty idea, although it would be nice to inspire people to make this move if it is something they have been thinking about too. I think we would both be happier living with other like minded people permanently but raising the capital to buy enough land is an issue. Maybe the ecotourism village can help fund a permanent community and be used more as an artisan village or place for workshops or even for events such as weddings, festivals.. Maybe tiny house communities in the US could help fund their community by teaching skills or allowing people of taste of tiny living life? Love reading everyone’s comments – good luck to you all and thanks for the tips and inspiration!
I love the idea of a Tiny Home community! I live in central Michigan and I think this movement is mostly unfamiliar here at this point. I think what would make TH villages especially appealing to the majority of TH owners would be financially conservative. Many TH owners decided to go that route because they could live mortgage-free lives/low overhead lives. But, many seem to really relish the concept of the “olden days” of tight community and know your neighbors, so the idea makes TONS of sense if done right.
I would love to see this start to take off. A friend of mine is checking into what it would cost to build me the Tiny House layout I liked best. As a single mom with 4 kids, this isn’t a reasonable idea right now, but building one soon may be so that I have it on hand for the future. When child support is finished, I’ll have no choice but to sell my home and my goal is to live mortgage-free. I would love to see reasonably, classy Tiny Home Villages/Neighborhoods pop up as an alternative to the over-sized, over-priced American dream which just isn’t for everyone. :)
Loved reading these comments!
Hi Virginia. How about a trip together to the Smiser Ranch. I was thinking we need to have some sort of tiny house design to show them what we are proposing. This could be a rent situation where we each have a little plot of land on their property. What do you think? I have also thought of talking to the Lombardi family as I believe they have property around their farm. Maybe I’m way off on this. I have racke my brain trying to think of where I could put a tiny house. Text me if you like and perhaps we can proceed with our dream. Dara
Alex: How can I get in contact with L.A.? and Dara?
Hello my name is Greg,I’m new to the tiny house idea but am very interested in learning more.I’m a state certified general contractor in Florida and was thinking about building a tiny home community on some land we bought before the construction bottom fell out,my idea is to build small communities on 5 acre lots,I’m thinking we could build 30-40 tiny homes on these 5 acre lots,quick math on home and lot would be around $40,000,there would be water and septic and I think we could do solar as well, you would own the house and land.is this something the tiny home community would be interested in, or would the price be too much for you? please give me some feedback so I can start the process of land use change and see if this is something the counties here in Florida would even allow.
Greg
the homes I was thinking about would be 364 sq.ft
Would still like to find an acceptable ‘tiny house enthusiast & prepper’ to bring their tiny home on wheels to north central Wyoming, or to build one here on our rural, river front acreage… just a short 4 miles from town. See my December 30, 2012 post, below. Dialog welcomed; “What arrangements might work best”?
squawking.goose@yahoo.com