Adobe Houses Are Made of Mud and Straw - and Some Now Cost $1 Million Because of Rising Taxes

[@bobprickett2223]

I built my own Adobe house in NM in the late 70’s with a lot of help from my friends. I have always wondered why it’s not more wide spread. Makes the most comfortable house imaginable and dirt cheap. I went back to see it a few months ago and it still looks like new. I didn’t even see any settling cracks after 40 years.

[@bobprickett2223]

@@hotpepper5037 Adobe. Build it Yourself by PG McHenry was the best book around in the 70’s.

[@hjkhjk3829]

Sell it for a million?

[@bobprickett2223]

@@hjkhjk3829 I was better at building it than turning it into money. I sold it for $70,000. The people who bought it from me sold it for $250,000.

[@hjkhjk3829]

@@bobprickett2223 oh man

[@Ironsideimprovements]

I want to see pictures man

[@realtypros4082]

Tax are killing people... this way of building a house is old school yet economical and beautiful...

[@wyattguilliams9472]

2020 "we hate these rising taxes!!" 1776 "well we tried"

[@davidlauer8292]

In Mexico, a bank won´t even loan you money to buy an adobe house. They don´t consider it a good investment. I learned how to make and build with adobe. It´s a marvelous, ecological material. I don´t use air conditioning or heat. One ton of cement creates one ton of CO2. You can break it up, re-shape it, re-use it with water. Nice film, Sandro, great cause. Lazy-ass tax people trying to figure out how drive out the poor and gentrify Marfa. Disgraceful. Pinches gÜevones, taxing what you don´t even understand. The Paquimé culture used adobe before the Europeans ever set foot in this desert. Que viva el adobe, que viva la raza de la tierra, que viva la Madretierra.

[@hussainsaleh9372]

can you advise on how to do the job [e-mail]

[@joshuamelendez3098]

Yes !!!

[@colecole3352]

@@6sfo We have property in Palmetto Mexico. Adobe now is like trailers where in the states. Banks don't want anything to do with it.

[@constancemiller3753]

I was reading about Phoenix trying to keep people from dying in a city reliant on asphalt, air conditioners and automobiles. I kept thinking why don't you build the old way with thick walls and livable buildings....sigh.

[@dustywaxhead]

We need more adobe and cob buildings and more walkable cities where you dont need a car

[@SPECIALTRADER1]

I was just online looking for land to build my Adobe home on with help. I'm willing to help others. Housing prices are way over inflated here in the valley. I love in Chandler. We all should just get a ton of us together and build each other's home.

[@mosquito3651]

@@SPECIALTRADER1 exactly! Sadly enough im not near you, ..but thats a verry good initiative

[@roberthodge7802]

Adobe is the best "net zero" path for building the low, or no energy future. It isn't a luxury, it is a necessity. Punishing the locals for excellent ideas is stupid. Wood houses are a real liability for a community especially when they are on fire. No end to my ancestors stupidity. Sorry Y'all.

[@LeanneWagener]

I have personally worked with Sandro Canovas in the past (2009), and can vouch for his knowledge base and continued dedication to the Adobe and Earth Building cause. He is well-connected to this region of the country, his Mexican roots, and has an in-depth perspective as a Mexican-American that is invaluable. Please support this cause in whatever way you can, as these issues will continue to rise in importance with an ever-increasing population coupled to resource scarcity.

[@Benstephan123]

Thank you for your input. How can I get in touch with him? I would love to take his workshop or/and support him in anyway possible. Thank you.

[@LeanneWagener]

@@Benstephan123 [e-mail]

[@BlueBeeMCMLXI]

Bullshit, Less babies being born than ever - only India, China and Africa are making babies. You don't know you are spreading lies.

[@Sabbathissaturday]

Y’all need to run the Californians and New Yorkers out of Marfa. Gather together and refuse to pay ridiculous taxes. Taxation is theft.

[@dustywaxhead]

Its easy to blame CA and NY when in reality they're moving to places like Houston and Dallas that sees huge job growth and urbanization. The truth is local government too can be corrupt and this is simply what has happened

[@colecole3352]

@@dustywaxhead The are moving and buying and bringing there policies and ideas with them. I live NV and am from FL. I can promise you its all liberals. I never lived in a state they didn't change for the worse.

[@julioalberto2794]

What’d you expect? A southern hick paradise

[@mrniceguy7168]

There’s a reason the native Americans used adobe buildings for hundreds if not thousands of years.

[@shmadmanuts]

Until several decades ago - in Moldova we used to build houses out of basically the same as adobes. Really cheap to build and with great insulation.

[@mrniceguy7168]

@@MAKIUSO Because it was the best material for the environment. Concrete sucks for a hot, dry climate.

[@justrosy5]

Instead of complaining about this, just do a KZbin video series of the workshop topics and bring Adobe building to the masses. That's how you fight the system in 2021!

[@Sabbathissaturday]

I’m so serious!! I live in far west Texas. We need to resist these high taxes. What are they doing for us?

[@wyattguilliams9472]

Didn't we do this before? You know resist taxes back in like 1776?

[@joshuayow4653]

It's called don't pay

[@johndohio]

Not sure to blame the huge migration of people from west coast states like California, greedy real estate , state government or all 3 . I do know this entire country is purposely making it harder for low income to middle income families to own homes as well as forcing many minorities out of traditional minority communities by raising property taxes . Another method is selling the land to developers and forcing folks to sell their land for little to nothing. Happened to my grandmother and other residents in the Avondale community of Cincinnati when the Cincinnati Zoo wanted to expand back in the late 80s to early 90s

[@roamandroot148]

This story just makes me sick. Who is on the appraisal boards?! Do they not have history with the land themselves?! It's such a confusing and unfortunate thing when a poor area is invested in and initially experiences an economic "boom", only to then get too popular for its own good. I know people going to Marfa aren't trying to undermine those who've been there forever. The system shows its brokenness in that this result isn't uncommon it seems. I see this starting to happen in Terlingua, TX. Thankfully I see a growing number of us, like Sandro, who are trying to tackle these issues in various ways.

[@damonk6289]

Wow incredible I had been to marfa as a kid and thought about an adobe home and how it seemed to be an affordable way to build a home just came back from a trip to presidio county and out towards El Paso and saw a few of them I looked into it and I see this and it’s heartbreaking and frustrating to see how greedy the government can be even in an area like presidio 😔

[@dustywilson5461]

A bit odd that there exorbitant taxes on anything in TX, considering TX is generally regarded as a republican tax-haven state.

[@rsdtknqr]

I don't understand it yet. What made the price of the homes increase? Is it because the building material and/or adobe-labor is scarce? And because of market mechanisms the price of a new adobe house therefore increases? And therefore the house appraisal increases? Or why is there an tax raise? Please explain.

[@alexisohriner3663]

I think what was happening is that as the material became popular with rich people, the taxes on homes that had already existed began to skyrocket. Just because it's the same material. The material itself is readily available and easy to produce so there's no reeeal reason for it to be expensive.

[@rochelleferrera595]

But even if they can build with Adobe how will that solve the issues of their income to tax issues ? It breaks my heart I live on a fixed income and I’m looking at Adobe for building because I can’t qualify for a home loan.

[@Luna1693]

I would love to take a class with this guy. Is there a way to contact him?

[@bobprickett2223]

I haven’t kept up but there was a New Mexico periodical called Adobe Today that had good articles and ads for Adobe related sales and classes. During the Carter admin. There was a lot of interest in passive solar Adobe designs in New Mexico. Los Alamos National Laboratory built four identical Adobe houses at Ghost Ranch one standard, one with an attached “lean to” greenhouse, one with large south facing windows and one with trombe walls. They put sensors and test equipment in each one to see which design worked best. The trombe walls and the attached greenhouse worked about equally as well with the greenhouse providing extra space and growing area. I built a “standard” Adobe house with a 52 foot long greenhouse attached to the south side. We lived in it for 5 years and never used any gas or electric heat (we didn’t have or need A/C). The Adobe walls and brick floors stored heat during the day and released it at night. I had an airtight wood stove for any additional heat. We used less than a level pick up load in the winters that could get pretty cold at about 7700 feet. The greenhouse was a 2x4 framework with UV resistant plastic sheeting stretched over it. It was similar to an earth ship but we weren’t as completely self sufficient. I never got around to replacing it with glass because it worked so well and was still good when we moved. I have been severely disappointed that all of the work on low cost owner built passive solar homes has faded except for the Earthships outside Taos. Now common sense design has been replaced by very costly systems to make cookie cutter tract homes a little more energy efficient at a very high cost. Also - in NM in the 70’s and eighties there were commercial Adobe yards and even prison programs teaching inmates to make adobes. I don’t know if any are still around.

[@lightingthedarkremoteviewi8086]

How are they making mud and straw cost more than wood? Whattt

[@tearsofvenuscurated]

Thank You Sandro #go

[@roblytle4642]

who can we talk to for building a adobe house in arizona?

[@mandystory4275]

Wow I didnt know this was happening. I hope they don't get the idea to tax adobe buildings more in my area.

[@redsailor101]

This happened to the fishermen in Sweden 50 years ago.. There houses got attractive and they couldn't afford to keep the house they had for generations

[@guiller2371]

Unbelievable story! How something like taxing can end up with culture tradition. But also, aren't the real reasons that new houses for the rich are not simple mod houses, but modern comfortable homes with central AC, solar, hot water, air purifier while the old homes are just 4 walls?

[@joshuayow4653]

Looking at alpine land. Going to do my own Earth brick/ adobe build.

[@robertdavenport7802]

Gentrification is a two edged sword. For those busting on California, this is why they passed Proposition 13 in 1978, which is also has its own issues, but addresses concerns raised in this video. Personally, I own two adobe houses in NM, neither of which cost all that much, but bringing them up to date has been expensive. I like them!

[@moh19931000]

You have to pay taxes for the house you own? That's messed up

[@Kevin19700]

Excellent !

[@YourFoxFriendYT]

I love Adobe buildings, I would have a Adobe house but I live on the east coast. I hate our government, taxes are used to suppress the poor when it should be used to give to the poor by taking from the rich.

[@pleasant_asymmetry]

Maybe you could build one on the east coast. The clay-rich soil is there in some areas, I guess the only issue would be if you can make the bricks in a humid environment?

[@manuelcasillas9208]

We grew up in Redford We have been looking for a video made with my mother and siblings in the late 80s Enrique Madrid and his mother used to have a copy of it if anyone knows where to find it

[@LacosteBlanc]

What is wrong with america !!! Land of the free? ?

[@billygraham5589]

You can add a little portland cement to the dirt/clay you make the adobe bricks out of and they become that much stronger. Don't knock cement. And, NO, no one relates "adobe" to "poverty." In Southern California some magnificent adobe homes exist. Some fine small adobe homes exist too. 3 foot thick walls, keep the heat of the day for the cold nights of the desert, and the walls stay cool for most of the day in the desert -- the perfect passive heating/cooling system. No working parts to break.

[@FunPaa]

which is faster, economical, stronger & aesthetic - cob vs earth bag vs adobe earth

[@swatisquantum]

I make adobe bricks for free in SoCal. I just use 1 part Portland cement for every 3 part soil. It’s practically free building material. I don’t think it’s going anywhere. Also the Spanish never invaded, Andalusia and Granada was here in the USA. The Almohad’s were The Alamo. They spoke Arabic. Check the 1845 Annexation if Texas (original name TUNIS) . You’ll see the original names. They were Arabic names. Andalusian Spain was in America first with the colony of Spain as a trade post at Seville/Gibraltar which was run by the Americans. Scaligarian history was made by Catholic Jesuit priests who created the current historic timeline. Check videos by Aseer the Duke if you want to learn about true history of Americas.

[@wordrockcafebytrinajames9274]

This is so messed up. Adobe buildings that are already formed should be considered historical monuments/protected historical buildings. The earth building is most likely the future of what we need to build with. The obnoxious cost of rent and buying a house and land is going to force people to spend their money on the land and end up building their own houses. I'm a native Texan and I can't believe the ignorance of people raising the taxes on these buildings, they're a way of life in Mexico and Texas, this is something we can make with our hands and could also be considered an art form in itself. I'm researching how to make my own adobe home but it won't be in Texas, unfortunately. Come on Texas, get your crap together. We waited 14 years to have the money to move back to Texas, once there, we discovered there was NO services available for my adult son with autism. For just a few hours per week of day habitation, there is a 5 year waiting list, if he needs a spot in a group home...10 years. Texas is falling away from being the best state, the people who could be making and keeping it amazing aren't doing their job. We had to move so my son could get the services he needs. I miss my homeland, but y'all gotta get your head outta you backside and rise up again.

[@mosquito3651]

Yea the western world isnt that good

[@Benstephan123]

Lean Wagener, thank you for the email.💝

[@mr.matthews67]

The yung man has intense blue eyes.

[@josejonhson674]

Ridiculous so now mud is a luxury lol wow

[@jaychopan3635]

Adobe is the best fresh it winter cool in heat

[@paulhetherington3854]

Presidio - INCHSZ - Native dialect!

[@codymcgonagill5392]

Why would Beto let that happen

[@ljwreynolds8650]

You say Hispanic or Anglo , what about native American ?????

[@paxtoncargill4661]

What I find weird is that Native Americans commonly get grouped with Hispanics.

[@jonajo9757]

@@paxtoncargill4661 Wait we are-

[@melanindevine]

even Africans do this they know nothing

[@Al_Gore_Rhythmn]

Goddamn democrats

[@richardtroell6407]

I grew up in southwest Texas, adobe was the building material of the area, it was therefore "common," like pine was considered "common" in east Texas. When something is common and plentiful its price drops, that is just basic economics. As the old rough cut pine homes in east Texas became scarce and popular with those looking for nostalgia their prices rose above replacement costs. The same happened with adobe. Again, basic economics. Trying to make it a racial wedge political issue or an economic political wedge issue is just the product of a warped mind looking to drive people apart by leveraging their skin color to explain a simple function of supply and demand. That is the sick part.

[@paxtoncargill4661]

I prefer building with concrete because 1: it's cheap 2: it's durable 3: it's cheap

[@shmadmanuts]

it's cheaper because of the way american economy works. when a carbon and a recycle tax will be introduced - won't be cheap the adobes are... different. they work great in arid areas would be dirt cheap with some automatization and market shift.

[@CTGReviews]

I am lucky because I live in northern New Jersey, where there is no adobe houses. This is why living in the east is better. It is just that the houses cost a lot over here, because the closer you live to New York City, the more expensive the houses are.

[@IceNdice93]

are you making a adobe house in northern jersey? I also live here. Im finding codes are a pain in the ass

[@paxtoncargill4661]

Adobe doesn't really work outside of dry climates, dirt and clay tend to not be the best materials in the rain. Brick on the other hand is much better for more rainy climates.

[@snoixalicious]

@@paxtoncargill4661 or cob houses, adobe but for less arid climates

[@c011in]

OK Miguel, you claim to have been working "full time" on that house for a year and a half and there are still pieces of the wall sitting on the ground. What exactly have you been working on? Also the fact that you "worked on it" for a year and a half and it subsequently lost almost 40% of its value is extremely amusing to me.

[@Android_replicant]

Collin 🙃😂🤷‍♂️

[@jcjensenllc]

Not at all informative