Tiny Homes Have a HUGE Problem

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Tiny houses wont solve housing; I think we all can agree that housing, whether you're renting or buying, has completely gotten out of hand. And with more and more focus on affordable housing in big cities around the world, Tiny Homes were supposed to be the answer! So I was shocked to learn that Tiny Homes have quite a few problems that you might not realize. So why won't tiny homes solve the housing crisis? Let's figure this out together!
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00:00 - Intro
00:30 - Popularity
00:55 - A Bit of History
02:00 - Tiny Homes Value Today
02:51 - The Average Tiny House
03:22 - Who is Buying ?
04:02 - What Makes it a Tiny Home?
06:07 - Sarah And Michael
08:09 - Zoning Codes
10:18 - Would Developing Tiny Parks Solve the Issue?
what we'll cover; "Beyond Tiny Homes: Unpacking the Complexities of America's Housing Crisis"
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[@TwoBitDaVinci]

Thanks DeleteMe for sponsoring this video! Protect your online Info Today! joindeleteme.com/TwoBitDavinci

[@b_uppy]

Not sharing walls with neighbors and being able to out up pictures without heinous penalties is important as well as being able to follow the job market if need be. Think your video missed the mark on key points, such as building to housing codes versus RV codes affects value, AND where you can place it. These have gone up exorbitantly in price since the start of the movement because of price gouging by bog builders. They still want to make a lot of profit so they raised prices on everything related to building. You need to address the nasty, extraneous codes that have zero to do with safety if you want to bring down CA housing prices... Also many tiny home owners opt for composting toilets, solar, and rainwater collection systems...

[@jeffbybee5207]

Maybe less overall but much higher per squarefoot

[@mkinkade7103]

This video does not point out the problem with tiny houses, it reinforces the growing problem of California and bad government.

[@b_uppy]

@@mkinkade7103 EXACTLY

[@mkinkade7103]

@@jeffbybee5207 in California a 400 sq ft home will cost you $160,000, minimum.

[@kumogate]

I'll be honest: This sounds more like a problem with zoning and infrastructure rather than a problem with tiny houses themselves. Zoning laws can be changed, infrastructure can be built if there's a serious demand for it. I know that doesn't mean it'd be easy, but the point is that I'm not really hearing any problems with the tiny houses themselves.

[@solarcabin]

20+ years off grid in a 400 Sqft house I built for under $2k in 2003. Ricky is confused about tiny houses and most are not built on wheels and not built in cities. The large majority are DIY homes on land in rural areas with few if any codes. Land in many rural areas is still cheap and you can get an acre for under $5k. Most of these tiny houses are also off grid with solar so no house payments and no utility bills. The owners are often self employed or work online and do not need to travel to a job. I have 15 books written and make videos for youtube and do reviews of products for hundreds of companies. I was able to retire at 49 with a nice nest egg. So, a tiny house life may not save the planet and isn't for everyone but it is certainly something many people can do if they want and enjoy a life without the stress of bills and doing what you love. I wouldn't trade my life for yours, Ricky!

[@JaSon-wc4pn]

Great channel S-cab 👍

[@notashroom]

Ricky seems to have a very localized, homogenized, California/West Coast urban view of tiny houses, and a strawman argument to defeat (nobody's saying that tiny houses are "the" solution to housing situation). Tiny houses are flexible for what the resident/owner's particular needs are, and that's great. Building them is a good bonding experience. Maybe Ricky should try getting out of the studio and see a few in person.

[@TheRealBozz]

You represent a literal statistically insignificant proportion of housing in this country. You sell the dream to rat racers who indulge in fantasy ideation. There's nothing wrong with that, but don't try and pretend as if you represent a 'movement' of the masses towards some urban utopia. Living off grid sucks and if you have kids the dream is over.

[@mddunlap03]

You mean illigal built becuse you can't build a barn for a pet without thier being codes. Most codes a state wide at minimum so what state has little or no codes?

[@lamara.6921]

@@mddunlap03 No, they are not illegally built and many rural areas have few or no codes. Codes are determined by county in most states.

[@P_RO_]

Totally off base here- tiny homes were never meant to solve the housing problem for everybody; just to offer a better solution than apartments, condos, or shared homes can offer for those who neither want or need a full-sized house. And built correctly they can be as durable and long-lived as a site built house making them a good investment. The problem is those who have money and power don't want you to have things which will reduce the profits they make on you and the control they have over you. For 9 years I lived cheaply and comfortably in a 248sqft space which I designed for maximum efficiency. I could feed and entertain 2 more people comfortably or 3 more if you weren't afraid of bumping elbows occasionally. There was enough space for a live-in partner there And I now live alone in about 125sqft of space comfortably- an RV trailer. A 400sqft tiny house would be luxurious to me as long as it was laid out properly. And there's a lot of people like me as well as retied couples and young couples who could benefit greatly from a tiny house. They could solve a significant part of our housing problem, but to do that will mean making lots of changes in how things are done now in order to reap their benefits.

[@Valyn]

Tiny homes are... tiny. But compared to what? A full size house. They are not tiny compared to the actul space many of us already live in. Many rent a bedroom and share the living space. And when you're renting you don't really feel like those shared spaces are yours. You watch TV in your bedroom, etc.

[@bzuidgeest]

Tiny as a word is always relative. Take the micro computer, it went from the size of a fridge to something you could hold in your hand. Micro only as compared to what came before. Same with houses.

[@jayrowe6473]

Back in the 1960s, we used to call them "forts".

[@katies6287]

Excellent point!

[@riledmouse4677]

Very true - you’ve described my situation exactly. And since the lady I rent from is always home, I feel like there’s a police force I have to get past just to get to my bedroom. Her loneliness and incessant questions are enough to keep me locked in my room or staying away from my (actually, her) house on bad days. I’m on Maui and we lost nearly 3,000 units in the fires last summer, so there are almost no other options available.

[@practice4617]

​@@riledmouse4677 Sorry to hear that you are in this unenviable predicament! 😢 Any chance of a private egress? P.S.- Adding a mini-fridge, convection microwave & portable electric and/or induction burner could reduce your face-to-face time with her, FWIW... 😊

[@MarkWillard-yj8nn]

We had an accessory apartment built attached to our house. I designed it with tiny house ideas. Pocket doors, wheelchair friendly, towel bars are also grab rails, screwed into the framing. Sky lights that ventilate. My mom lived there until her passing in 2011. Since then we have rented out our apartment. It is a great deal for my renter since, heat, a/c, hot water, electricity and wi-fi are all included in the rent. This rental income pays my taxes and oil heat. I have solar so my electricity is nearly free.

[@dimplesd8931]

My husband’s family did the same thing for his grandpa. Years later when he needed to help take care of his dad, he had a place to stay that allowed him to live, assist his mom when she needed him and work without disturbing his parents.

[@spacecaptain9188]

It's great that you can afford to have 2 homes, but it doesn't really help those who are seeking housing stability. Your ADU isn't all that different from a standard micro apartment, from a renter's perspective.

[@WINTERMUTE_AI]

Living in a city is going to be expensive, duh. If you are looking at a tiny home, you are likely going to put it on a lot, far from the city... I spent $3500 on a 2.5 acre lot and I built my own tiny house and its AWESOME! I am off grid, free power from a light in the sky and my solar array is larger than my house and I have gigabit fiber internet, no rent... Takes me 30 minutes to get to the grocery store, i just stock up every couple weeks. :P

[@user-zw5jj2uf1p]

I'd rather live in a tiny apartment where the market is 2mins walk away, and I just grab whatever I want for dinner on my way back from work (which I walk to)

[@katies6287]

In Tokyo, you can rent a one bedroom apartment for $700 USD per month. And it is even cheaper outside of Tokyo. We can learn a lot form Japan (hint their housing laws are much much different from the rest of the developed world).

[@researchcooperative]

My university colleagues rent 50-year old tiny apartments in Osaka for about usd 200 per month. Not enough space to swing a cat and no pets permitted…

[@katies6287]

@@researchcooperative Yes, thanks to very affordable housing in Japan, homelessness is quite rare.

[@Brabbs]

What job do you have that helps you afford it?

[@mr.somebody1493]

One of the biggest housing problems in my area, aside form zoning, is that lenders bought up all the lower income real estate. This causes builders to borrow money from lenders to build homes and housing complexes. Lenders are also buying and flipping houses, driving prices upward. One cant examine the housing problem without first examining the lending/banking problems.

[@LtOuroumov]

What if ... hear me out ... we just built multiple tiny homes stacked on top of each other, then they can share the utilities and ... oh ... that's called an apartment.

[@GigglyardoYT]

i've built 2 tiny homes, about 200 sq ft, each costing about 14k in materials and 4 months of labor, these companies selling them for 70k+ are charging way too much

[@Istandby666]

When I had a government contract job. The bank was going to loan me $750,000 as a first time home buyer. I had to find what kind of house i wanted, then find out who's selling the home, get an appointment with them, pay for an inspection for something i do not own (money stolen from you. To play their game), if the house does have issues. Then you, the person who doesn't own the house yet. Has to make the repairs. After you pay for the tepairs. The bank will assess again if you qualify for the house. If not, the owner just saved a lot of money by stealing from you and can now list the house for a bigger profit. There are so many headaches and hassles of trying to buy a brink and mortar. Even if you do own your home. You still can't do what ever you want with something you own. Why.....laws. you can't put in a tall privacy fence, laws. Depending on your lot size. You may not be able to have more than a single house on it, laws. When I lived in Southern California, I worked for the Kern County Building Inspection. Talk about a lot of red tape. If we want to measure brink and mortar to all other forms of housing. There is no one fix all. They all have their problems.

[@GreenspudTrades]

We already have tiny home parks- they are called trailer parks.

[@sabreenahrochelle3989]

I keep saying this… they’re glorified mobile homes while actual mobile homes are still stigmatized

[@practice4617]

The problem is the lack of quality. This causes them to LOSE value, instead of GAIN value.

[@bkucenski]

The problem with trailer parks is the rent. The owners of the land know they can jack up prices on the land rent because you can't actually move a mobile home. They can be put into place, but will fall apart if you try to move them again. They have no resale value. When you're talking about the poor, equity doesn't matter. What matters is entirely the monthly cost today. There needs to be a way to get the monthly cost for anyone who wants it down to near zero and just charge for utilities and property tax.

[@GreenspudTrades]

@@bkucenski I think 2-bit is saying that tiny homes have that exact same problem.

[@ashokdastidar5332]

Where I grew up, if you went about an hours drive out of town you would find people using trailer homes on land that they owned. They were treated like vacation cottages but no reason you could not live in them year round. The trailer home does not necessarily have to be installed in a trailer park.

[@mr.somebody1493]

You left taxes out of your money equation. Also, many of the problems you listed are general housing problems, not tiny house problems specifically. I've never seen tiny houses as a solution to all housing problems, they are simply tiny houses.

[@blackgriffinxx]

The problem is everybody want to live in the same places. What going to happen is vertical cities and /or virtual cities.

[@mr.somebody1493]

@@blackgriffinxx The whole point of the tiny house movement was to escape rent and mortgages, so paying rent and/or a mortgage can't be part of the solution by building midrise apartments or condos. Apartment buildings and Condos solve an entirely different housing problem than tiny houses do...They are not comparable, and it's not a singular problem. It is complex.

[@Sekhmmett]

Cry kiddo

[@schumanhuman]

Land value tax is the best way towards affordable housing. (And don't say we already have enough taxes without doing research into what it actaully means)

[@mr.somebody1493]

@@schumanhuman That would help.

[@AaronSchwarz42]

In rural locals with no or simple building codes, cheap land, and DIY online work, a tiny home with solar hot water, solar PV electric, very well insulated, on a large cheap lot without utilities, a septic system, good for 2 adults, can be a very cost effective housing solution.

[@14BRIANBOY]

Santa Cruz County (Silicon Valley) in SF Bay Area passed legislation 1-1/2 yr ago, allowing tiny homes on wheels to be placed on land & the TH can be the only home on the property. This is a break-through for TH's. The demand for TH on property is growing exponentially. Cities & counties have to make decisions like this in many locations. SC Cnty is one of the first major metro areas to do this.

[@spacecaptain9188]

Recently it was decided in AZ that RVs also don't count as homes, even if it's been your sole residence for years, and are therefore not protected when you go bankrupt. This has already made people homeless.

[@tomtompkins6779]

So basically what you're saying is between home builders Realtors and government the prospect of owning and living in a tiny home with tiny costs have been legislated away so that the powers that be can continue to rake in profits and keep any potential competition away.

[@Ausdb]

In Australia, that is known as a granny flat.

[@sspoonless]

I think you misunderstand residential real estate. The lot has always been the only appreciable component, depending on location. The dwelling itself has only ever been a depreciable component, like a used car. Seeing a tiny home depreciate on a rented/leased lot, or on a trailer, is EXACTLY the expectation.

[@Istandby666]

During college, I lived in a 800 sq ft apartment. Even after college, I lived there for a while long. For over 7 years, I lived in an 800 sq ft apartment. 800 sq ft became too much for me. The only reason I lived there was because the price per sq ft.. Smaller apartments were just as much. I've learned the less I have the happier I am. Plus, the bank can take your home. Even the federal government can take your home and your property. When you have a brick and mortar home. It is never really yours. But an RV, a tiny house, a camper van, or even a boat is yours. As long as you have all the requirements. No one can ever just take them away. Sounds better than wasting money on a brick and mortar.

[@drot13]

How can federal goverment take your home and your property?

[@colleenmarin8907]

Eminent domain

[@drot13]

@@colleenmarin8907 Okay, it's everywhere, but it's rarely used. In our country (backyard in Europe) it is used mainly for road routes, but as they are known decades before construction, there are no problems if you built a house with all permits (you cannot get a permit on such routes). And if something unexpected happens (in the case of my city, a change of road route over existing legal houses), the compensation far exceeds the value of the property you have.

[@isaacchapman7628]

​@@drot13 My great grandfather was a prospector in Nevada. He found a massive vein of something you get uranium out of(don't really remember what it's called, but I do remember the uranium) right after WW2. He and his family sold everything they had in order to set up a mine and road, and as soon as it was done, the federal government came in and declared that it was all theirs now. They paid him a pittance for the road. And then my mom grew up in poverty because, as I said earlier, our family invested everything they had into it. Eminent domain does get used in America on occasion, and it does ruin people's lives. ...Also my great grandfather was a Native American, which makes this story go past depressing straight into absolutely hilarious. He did his damndest to chase the American Dream like a model citizen, building it all with his own two hands, and then our government stole it from him. He spent the rest of his life angry at the world.

[@qapla]

As a side thought to something mentioned several times in this video - if you have the space and zoning to build a tiny home where your house is, you can live in the tiny home yourself and rent out the house instead of renting out the tiny home. This would possibly make more financial sense as long as you like living in the tiny home since the house would garner far more rent $$$ than the tiny home.

[@DarkWolfsDen]

One of the biggest problems is regulations. In Nevada, a while back, voters had voted to allow for tiny homes to be allowed it was vague so the state was able to decide to let each county decide how exactly they wanted to implement the new law. Most counties decided to go with only allowing tiny homes as permament accessory dwelling units (ADUs) or only allowed in tiny home parks. I am currently awaiting a SSDI claim (will most likely eventually win due to several health problems) and the back pay would be enough that the g/f and I could have enough to be able to buy some cheap land (sub $20k), build a small house (adobe/cob, 400sq/ft), and be off grid, which after a couple years living in a travel trailer we know would be great for us however this is not something that we can do as the county has passed a "minimum 1200sq ft" housing requirement. They did this specifically because they do not want people building small homes. They also nearly passed a requirement for a minimum garage size as well, luckily that failed. The way the county codes are we are still trying to navigate if we can even do adobe or cod, as the county is trying to push people into building only large manufactured homes or stick built. That is one of the real problems behind the housing problems is that everyone is so concerned with keepiing property prices up that they will not allow alternative building methods. If they would allow it (they won't), I would actually go with a Troglodyte home which would be great in our area and cheap to make.

[@albeit1]

Most home tend to depreciate. And land tends to appreciate in value. This isn’t some dirty little secret.

[@cletusrodgers1547]

People wouldn't invest in real estate if most of the houses depreciated in value. Mobile-type homes have historically depreciated in value, while the land appreciates in value. The covid pump has pushed the prices up for all versions though.

[@albeit1]

@@cletusrodgers1547 it’s the land that’s appreciating.

[@TheSateef]

you can buy a really nice used RV or 5th wheel for $20k, ready to move in, can move it cheep.

[@patrickdurham8393]

I rented a very small house [700sqft] for 20+ yrs and was very comfortable. When the property went commercial and I had to move I ended up buying a 1750sqft 3 bedroom and I have so much unneeded space. I could definitely live in a tiny house.

[@johnn3542]

I was involved in a tiny home build. Builder sai they could of built it twice the size for about the same price. The size only matters so much, you still need most of the same electrical, plumbing, apliances ect. The tiny part makes it a pain to cram all the code requirements.

[@1whitecottagelife770]

In the USA you're limited to 399 sf and certain dimensions to be able to transport it on the road

[@josephspruill1212]

That’s why you build in the county with no restrictions. So you have less codes to follow

[@krslavin]

If you make any "additions" to your property, you may trigger a property tax reassessment for your entire property! Some people have built an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) like a tiny home on their property, only to see a 300% increase in their property taxes.

[@juantomas3630]

Tiny homes are good for 1 to 2 people and would be really good for Homeless VETS.

[@bzuidgeest]

I'm not even American and I have heard they are doing exactly that. Because if its one thing the US usually doesn't do is take care of vets, so actually doing something is big news

[@EverettVinzant]

@@bzuidgeest Thank you. What you said was on point!

[@Hapsard]

To be fair, in response to your brief mention of Sarah Susanka's books, they are more a methodology on creating practical smaller living spaces that are not the McMansions so favored by suburban developers for so long. If you read the Not So Big House you will see that most of the examples are definitely not tiny homes.

[@EgyptianGouda]

Yup, I was gonna say that book was surprising when I picked it up thinking it was about small living spaces. It was more about taking a 4-5,000 square foot budget and building a much nicer 2,700 square foot home. Great knowledge for whenever I get to that market!!😢

[@anthonyenos6506]

i generally agree with this. My mentality: the "starter home" 2-3 bedroom 1200-1600sqft is vastly undervalued (people dont seek them out) but they fit the middle between a "tiny home" and long term livable situation.

[@stephensemp8634]

Can verify… RV living seems appealing, and if it’s just you, it’s good… only recommended if you’re dedicatedly single

[@DDGLJ]

It appears the true definition of a tiny home is that they’re prefab and on wheels, not that they're small. In my little mountain town there are “miners shacks” that are that size, but stick-built a hundred years ago. No problem getting mortgages. Why not just build a little house of the same size?

[@bzuidgeest]

Maybe the US definition, here in the EU, I have never heard of a tiny home having wheels. It's just a home, only smaller and more integrated. The same rules apply as a normal house. Safety is safety on any scale.

[@-whackd]

Because it is illegal and those shacks are grandfathered in.

[@thegreenpickel]

Deed restrictions generally require a minimum home size for example 1200 square feet or so.

[@bzuidgeest]

@@thegreenpickel for what country? These kinds of restrictions are very country specific.

[@thegreenpickel]

@@bzuidgeest I live in the States and like to research properties for when I retire in the next 15 years or so. Many plots of land come with deed restrictions for minimum home sizes in the 1200 to 1600 square for range. Rural properties not so much, but when I'm older I don't want to live 20 miles from a hospital down a rutted dirt road.

[@Istandby666]

In 2013/2014, I got into the tiny house movement. Back then I could have someone build my tiny house for around $17,000 and around $12,000 for me to build it myself. I would also need a truck big enough to haul the tiny house. That's insurance and tags on two vehicles. By the time i saved up money. The cost of my home went from $17,000 to $120,000, to have someone build it. Now it was way out of budget. Then I found camper vans. Made me think of the late 70's. Plus, one vehicle which makes insurance and tags cheaper. I am now in my forth camper van and have been pondering if I would want to live on a boat. Full time tiny house on the rise, Full tine camper van, on the rise, Full time living and sailing the ocean is on the rise. People are finding that it's cheaper for a tiny house, camper van, or boat to live than rent a brick and mortar home. When you compare repairs with any of these. They're all basically the same. To live on a boat will cost less than 3,000/ month.

[@danielscott4514]

Don't buy a boat to live on unless you know boats. There's a lot to know in order to make sure you get a sound (i.e. safe) one at a decent price, and there's a boatload to know about maintaining one. Boats spend their lives in an environment (water, or worse - salt-water) that is eating away at them every minute of every day. The expression "A boat is a hole in the ocean into which you pour money" is not to be ignored. Whatever you do, don't buy a timber or plywood boat if your goal is to live a frugal and easy life. Whatever kind of boat you buy, you'll need to become skilled in doing the maintenance work yourself if you aren't fabulously wealthy. Finally, boat life is a real lifestyle choice - very like camping/caravaning with extra challenges. It's a great life, but it's definitely not an easy life.

[@Istandby666]

@@danielscott4514 I wasn't raised on the water, I was raised in the air. My biological father was an Air Force pilot. So I grew up around and with our own airplane. I've been on the ocean a few times back in my prime. I've been designing my own boat for the past 4 years. If I get a boat, it will be made by and from me. I'm no longer in my prime and I have to look at the harsh environment of the ocean and if my body can take the abuse. It's not just the maintenance on the boat, but also my body ...lol

[@danielscott4514]

@@Istandby666 haha (body maintenance). That's definitely the sort of thing I was alluding to with the comparison to camping/caravaning lifestyle - particularly if your boat doesn't live in a marina berth: there will be lots of canisters of water and fuel, and many other life essentials to run back and forth in a dinghy, and lift onto and off your boat. On the plus side, that lifestyle seems to do a lot to improve people's physical health too. All the live-aboard yachties I know in their 60s and even early 70s are in remarkably good shape, and some even deal with things like serious spinal pain (due to old construction industry injuries in their youth) that I reckon would cause many retirees to start their downward "giving things up" spiral (where less activities lead to more sedentary life at home, which leads to more health problems, which leads back to even fewer activities outside home, etc) I'm not assuming you're any particular age - I just mention retired yachtspeople as an observation that living on a boat (out on the water, not berthed up in a marina all or most of its life) definitely has a body-preserving effect. You sound like a very practical kind of person. Best of luck with the design and build if you decide to go ahead :)

[@dax9431]

I heard of a city giving up old unused railway land that build 2 long rows of Tiny Home spaces. Fully serviced water-sewage-power, sidewalk down the middle and street lighting. .....so all in for $20,000 or less. No idea where it is or if it's been built yet.

[@2chuck]

Thanks for the video. Sadly, for a lot of people, if they can't afford a Tiny House, or are prevented one by zoning or state laws then an RV or even a vehicle is their next rung down on the affordable housing ladder. Tiny Houses can be done, but it takes a lot of patience and willingness to change neighborhoods or even States because of outdated regulations. I bought a 400 sq ft Studio Condo 45yrs ago, before Tiny Houses were a thing and I love it. I live in a really nice part of the city in a gated community. That would cost about $175K today where I live, but it's paid for and appreciates in value. That could be an option for someone thinking of a Tiny House, but not willing to put up with all the draconian restrictions placed on them. Someday soon cities, counties and states will have to reconsider allowing Tiny Houses because even a basic 1000 sq ft 2 bedroom home is becoming unaffordable for a greater percentage of their populations.

[@katies6287]

Yes definitely more 400 and 350 square foot condos and apartments need to built. Unfortunatly the NIMBYS fight apartments and condos tooth and nail.

[@erinmcdonald7781]

It sounds like you have a decent HOA, but where I live a lot of them overcharge, don't maintain or overcharge for maintenance, and tend towards drama. To me, that would be an issue. Also, what happens if the association fee becomes too much for an owner? They may own their condo, but what's done in that case? We need some well thought-out options for housing in this country.

[@koriw1701]

Seattle has gone the way of Tokyo with tiny apartments; 250 - 500sqft but they are ridiculously expensive, often _starting at_ $1,500/month. So if people are so willing to live in tiny spaces, what's stopping someone from building a tiny apartment complex? If it's not in the immediate downtown, you'll settle the issue of parking and utilities. If everyone is jazzed for a smaller footprint, why not build with more green options? It's even conceivable that eventually, a group of people could get together and pay for it to be built. I know that this is very unrealistic now, but who's to say what can be done in the future, especially because of the inflationary nature of the current day? People have done that with private properties in Washington state, particularly on the peninsula, which turned the entire complex into a co-op. Just a thought...

[@user-zw5jj2uf1p]

Ye like, a couple of tiny homes in a plot of land is nothing compared to dozens of tiny apartments in a tall building

[@murrat]

It's a zoning issue in USA and Canada. Best place for these in an unorganized township in the North. Well, water-less toilet. Best to have power line near your lot and trench it in for heat pump and EV.

[@-whackd]

Yes, it is usually illegal to live in cheap housing. Housing costs will never get solved because incumbents who already own expensive homes don't want their prices to fall. That's why there hasn't been a new mobile home park opened in my region since the 70s. We have the boomers and politicians to thank for this like many other problems.

[@YourCapybaraAmigo_17yrsago]

@@-whackd i know that's right.

[@katies6287]

@@-whackd Plus young people who don't bother to vote...

[@josephspruill1212]

You can still find unrestricted lands in the south. You can still collect rain water in a lot of southern states. Solar and wind should be all the electricity someone needs. Stop buying a tv for every room etc. That’s another reason for tiny homes is a movement he forgot to mention. Minimalist! Forcing yourself to be HUMBLE. Who needs a toilet with running water when an out house will do. I love outdoor showers. They even sale camper showers that all you do is sit in the sun to warm up the water. If we would all step back prices of everything would come down. But noooo everyone needs more and more.

[@JohnDoe-np3zk]

Its fun when city people do silly things then expect good results. The van by the river model still works.

[@tech5298]

Living “in a van, down by the river!” still works.

[@-whackd]

Other than it being illegal.

[@stickynorth]

@@-whackd Making ANY housing illegal is the fucking problem.

[@J1P2K]

I see tiny homes good for a first house or final house.

[@albeit1]

If you’re young and would like to accumulate assets rather than pay for a lot of living space, they’re a great idea. Especially if you’re not even there a lot of the time. If you do get old and that’s all you can afford, they definitely beat homelessness.

[@josephspruill1212]

It’s called minimalist. That’s what he forgot to mention. Stepping back from the modern world and only taking what is needed. I know Amish that have kids living in a closet. There is a video online with this girl talking about things that she didn’t know was bad and was great and fun for her growing up. She loved having her bedroom be a closet. To her she was living in a fort. Yet, let the average spoiled American see that and they will flip the f out. We have become too spoiled as a society as a whole period. We rely on others for to much. My grandmother made our cloths till the day she died. I wished she was alive now to make me some jeans cause hers always lasted for some reason or another. She made all my sisters prom dresses etc. she even made my wife’s wedding dress. No one has one like it either till this day. Just 3 chickens and a rooster will give you all the eggs etc you need. Rabbits mate like crazy and have way more protein etc than most meat. Wild deer and boar is amazing along with wild turkey. I raise doves. The only thing I have to get from the store is processed dry food goods. That might cost me $100 for six months worth cause I buy in bulk. Sugar flower etc. very rarely do my kids eat cereal for breakfast. I get up and cook a real breakfast. It’s not for everyone cause like I said some are too spoiled!

[@albeit1]

@@josephspruill1212 the absolute minimum a human being needs in a home is a place to rest and sleep and securely store their belongings. That is a far cut above sleeping on the street, even if it doesn’t have indoor plumbing or electricity. I once rented a storage space and arrived one day just before closing to look for something. Right after 5, a man came out of one the storage spaces and left. It appeared that he lived there. I guess he worked nights. Not ideal, but if he’s not causing anyone harm, I don’t see the problem. I think the rent was 1/20 or 1/10 the cost of renting a room in the same area.

[@josephspruill1212]

@@albeit1 trust me I know I just got an apartment back in feb. before that I was homeless for three years and traveled America. Hiked the AT trail etc. so I know all too well about what is needed to survive and what isn’t. I have a hammocks tent that was all I had with a sleeping bag cloths and food. I would stop into town beg for money get tuna packs and noodles and head back out again. I ate wild plants like chicken of the woods (shrooms) cactus Indian root etc for flavor. I live off 40-50 a week. I could get about $20 an hr begging in the right spots. On the streets we call pan handling flying a kite. Like marry pop. Lots don’t know but chimney sweepers were bums…. And that’s what that song is talking about when they say let’s go fly a kite. Yet Disney got ahold of it…..

[@josephspruill1212]

@@albeit1 also all you did was just say what I said , so thank you lol be humble my friend be humble

[@digitalevidenceexpert7964]

Tiny homes are extremely energy inefficient. Because of their small size, the amount of external wall square footage per cubic foot of internal epace is huge much bigger than apartment buildings or traditional houses. The end result is an energy inefficient tiny house and an oversized utility bill for the size of building. All walls are external walls which means energy loss.

[@kerrybyers257]

These are the modern more expensive version of the shack that has been around forever.

[@kaleiohulee6693]

Most of the issues are regulatory which means they actually could be housing solutions but aren't for the same reason there are housing problems in the first place.

[@katies6287]

Exactly!

[@philnewton2011]

In most circumstances, a tiny house village can be established as a PUD. The ten foot setbacks and lot size minimums do not apply in that case. Another option is to establish these communities as mobile home or RV parks, with a variance. Your square foot requirements need rethinking. Tiny houses can also be set up as condominium communities. Tiny houses as ADUs or simply placed as RVs on existing single family lots are being set up all over the country, as you state. There are other options.

[@-whackd]

There hasn't been a new mobile home park zoning approved in my region since the 70s. This is because incumbent boomers don't want low cost housing competing with their assets, they don't want their wealth to go down, and therefore municipal politicians make laws protecting them.

[@-whackd]

Way more people live in RVs than Tiny Homes, and they are cheaper to get used and come with every appliance you need, plus they're easier to move to different cheap areas like RV parks and BLM land.

[@aronmedders4353]

I think by limiting your discussion to only a single metro kind of misses the point. Getting outside of population centers is really what tiny houses are more about than the scenarios you talk about. Where you need to pack more people per acre, you aren't going to win without going vertical. In places like the southeast and rural Midwest where property is much cheaper, a tiny home can make a lot of sense. If I have the option of buying a few acres and putting a tiny house on it, that might be the perfect scenario for me. Creating a "tiny house park" gets much more feasible when property prices are lower and utilities are already available.

[@gothicpagan.666]

When the kids are gone, move into the tiny, rent out the main

[@claudiaroy9455]

Like this idea 🙌🏻👍🏻

[@normbograham]

The regulations for renting, are worse. If you rent out your house, you change your insurance classification. You can literally go financially backwards renting. We were literally told to purchace unique insurance, which makes our rv lot, a campground. The insurance change would be about $800/month.

[@michaelcavalier8750]

Tiny homes are ridiculously expensive per square foot.

[@b_uppy]

The prices are artificially high by design. Companies wanted their hooks in.

[@blackgriffinxx]

It all how you go about it. It only high because they way you go about it. Go buy a quonset hut for 16k. put a slab down for 3-4k the rest is up you. Try to keep cost low or make it nice as possible.

[@-whackd]

Much easier to just get a lightly used travel trailer or fifth wheel, if you have a truck (or can ask a friend to park it somewhere for you)

[@christianlibertarian5488]

That is because of the relative cost of things like plumbing compared to simple floor space. Say you want a new bathroom . The plumbing is mostly the cost of the labor and special fittings for each appliance. Doubling the square footage only requires adding a few more sheets of plywood and drywall. Plumbing runs get a bit longer, but doesn’t really cost much more.

[@b_uppy]

RVs are made to a lower standard (like anything certified RV) and deteriorate quickly. You can buy a THOW that is built to residential code that lasts better/longer. You could try to get something built to both RV and residential codes for better durability and the ability to park it more places.

[@mrStone024]

TBDV, most of the issues you bring up seem like great arguments for both moving out of California, and living in suburbs or rural areas. A lot of the code and zoning policies you mentioned are already incentivizing people to move elsewhere. People that are truly wealthy can live wherever they want and pay for a decent standard of living, but to the rest of us, California is over-saturated. Water is over-extended, the demand for land makes it too expensive, the state and local policies are too restrictive, and the cost of operating a car with California’s special blend of gasoline or PG&E’s expensive electricity doesn’t make commuting worthwhile.

[@Wolframandheart]

Only 10,000 tiny homes? What? You gotta double check that number.

[@RoyalFlush7096]

Triple or quadruple. They also are not incurable, no one will sell you insurance on them.

[@Valyn]

Text book definition. Not the perceived definition. Like he said most of what we think of as tiny homes are considered RVs, etc.

[@jstaffordii]

@@Valyn correct . He is only counting THOW tiny house on wheels category which are all technically RV's. In our area of Florida the minimum square footage for a permanent domicile is 600 sqft by building codes. THOW's don't meet that criteria .

[@katies6287]

There would be a LOT more if it wasn't illegal to park them in most places. Unfortunately NIMBYs have way too much power to keep housing unaffordable for most people.

[@648Roland]

Thankfully they changed the laws down here in Victoria, Australia allowing the construction of 'granny-flats' without council approval if below a certain area (68sq. metres?). My present home is up for sale, which when sold, will allow me to buy the adjacent block to my daughters where I'll be having my last home built by a company I was the draftsman for before retiring. Takes about 12 working days to manufacture and then deliver to be connected up to the services. 1,000 sq. m. block is a heap of garden to establish but sharing with my daughter makes it easier.

[@b_uppy]

Depends on how they're certified, who makes them etc. Think the plot of land thing is a distraction. Tiny home costs have risen disproportionately by more than 200% in my area. Big companies still want to get their hooks into you financially and so costs went up fast in the past 10 years as the movement got traction. That your friends have a roomy 1O' wide home, moving one wider than 8-1/2' does cost a lot because it requires special moving permits, 3xtra vehicles, etc. If made to RV standards they degrade faster. Depending on classification affects where they can be placed and that can create stress on the THOW (tiny home on wheels) owners if they are at a friend's place and local government kicks them out. Think placing them should be eased because many of the biggest costs/hurdles in housing are codes. Many of the codes have zero to do with safety and a lot to do with protectionism, and deliberately making home ownership harder.

[@practice4617]

Smaller buildings will have higher cost per sf, because there's less "space for the sake of space", which is less costly to build. A 20'×20' open concept home with a full legal walkout basement & 2nd floor (400sf/level, = 1,200sf total) would have a small footprint & still allow the ability to rent a floor out to help cover the mortgage, if desired/ needed. Keeping the roof simple would keep both short & long term costs down, while reducing the likelihood of leaks inherent in more complicated/fancy roofs.

[@SkepticalCaveman]

Why a tiny house, when a caravan is more portable?

[@savage.4.24]

I have said this. And some are just as nice if not nicer! And a caravan can not only be portable but it is often CHEAPER

[@secretweapon7764]

the only "solution" to the housing crisis is more density. Fitting more places to live in the same amount of space. Tiny homes can only do that if the lots are also tiny. A current city lot could support multiple tiny homes but city zoning doesn't support this. Changing zoning laws to support mid-size apartment buildings with mixed use neighborhoods would probably do a lot more to help.

[@-whackd]

The laws won't change. Incumbent boomers don't want their housing prices to go down because of competition. This is why a new mobile home park has not been approved in my region since the 70s. We either have to wait for a new pandemic to come through or expect old people and municipal governments to do the right thing (lol)

[@theairstig9164]

Manage an aging population. Then keep the 9M or so newborns who die every year alive. Then couples will want to have two children not seven or more. Give the people living in poverty food secure housing free of conflict and sanitation. Then look at housing density.

[@katies6287]

But tiny, dense apartments and condos could be built in big cities (that is one of the many good things that Japan does).

[@normbograham]

Or less people. Stop having kids. close the borders.

[@joshm3342]

I live in a city of 200,000 in L.A. County. I have never seen any tiny homes in my city, just new sub-divisions with homes that are staggeringly expensive. There ARE some older mobile home parks: one I checked had a $721 lease listed, which I assume is the monthly ground rent. Zillow had 1 mobile home listed at $40k. The next one was $120k, and they went up from there. Two parking spaces.

[@ranterraver5959]

You hit the nail on the head. We need to understand that sprawling suburbs are a nice to have, not a need to have, and that most of the infrastructure problems we have are caused by single family detached homes. We need to get away from this type of thinking, and focus most of our future housing development on density and affordable apartments, just like you said.

[@allocater2]

Two Bit da Vinci: "You can fit 600 Residents on an Acre" Also Two Bit da Vinci: Lives at 4 people per Acre.

[@EIGOmanOkamoto]

Good video. The higher cost per square foot is not a tiny home on wheels specific issue. Even if you build on a foundation, the smaller you nake the house the higher ther oer square foot cost will be. As for how to do a tiny home community, Incredible Tiny Homes communities in Newport Tennessee is the best solution to date. They have four communities of around 280 homes where people paid about $6500 upfront to get a lease on a lot to put their tiny home on. They were given 24 months free lot rent in exchange followed by 200/month. ITH used the money to install electric, water, sewer and Internet underground to all the homesites. In the end ITH spent around 10,000 per homesite but they kept the deal and these people are happy to live there. If all cities with single family subdivisions alliwed ADUs in every back yard for rental, this would help a lot.

[@OneWildTurkey]

Fads are almost always more expensive. Renting is a lot more work and risk than it seems on the outside. The best thing about renting is that you might be able to use it to help pay for the land - IF you're able to actually turn a profit. There are a LOT of extra expenses to being a landlord, if you want to be safe.

[@thinktoomuchb4028]

Anyone who has done some research on tiny homes is already aware of these issues. Cost per sq ft is meaningless b/c having less sq ft is the goal. Some build with reclaimed materials, some splurge on high-end fittings b/c the overall cost is still lower. These homes are an important part of putting less stress on the planet and local codes need to change to recognize that.

[@guy_autordie]

Tinyhomes are, for me, transitional homes. It's a space where you can have your stuff and live. But people need to understand they always need more space in a form or another. They spend their day outside and come back only to eat and sleep. But if you have to spend your day inside you become oppress by the lack of depth/height, you need to breathe. Having a dedicated room for some stuff is a necessity.

[@42ckev]

Honestly it's just cheaper to take time off work, learn how to build your own and do it. You could easily build your own tiny home for 10k...the price you pay for shipping alone. Courses to learn to do this are like 1.2k a year so you could take 3 years learning 2+ trades that give you better job security in the future and it would cost you 1.2x6 = 7.2k, materials 10k, that way you could do carpentry and electrical trade certs and build your own home. You can get personal loans over 7k at 6.5% so it's already cheaper than those mortgages and you'd know exactly how to repair anything that came up because you'd know exactly how it was built. You'd have this built as you're studying and sure you'd need some tools but they're like 1-2k at most and you have them forever or sell them after. It would then just be a matter of land expense but the rest would cost you less than 20k all in. Equally if you have the skills to begin with, you could do it even cheaper, either way it's better than buying this nevernever home...

[@cameronf3343]

As someone fascinated by tiny homes for a decade for all their novel approaches to space efficiency and storage efficiency, I couldn’t live in one. However, they have made it that I believe I could have my dream house in 1600-1800sqft as opposed to the nearly 3000sqft average new build right now, which is an absurd size in a world where so many couples are intentionally or unintentionally childless. However I absolutely need a dedicated bedroom and a walled off office as a remote worker with ADHD. Little distraction potential is extra crucial for me, and I wouldn’t want any future kids being able to see my wife and I which obviously requires a dedicated bedroom. Long story short I think they’re very practical for singles or even for couples who don’t need “their own spaces” inside of a house. But for people who have or want a child.. it’s better to just get those dedicated bedrooms off the bat.

[@tvrv9774]

I've lived in a travel trailer since early 2017... In California for about 4 years. Even in the CHEAPEST areas I can find near enough to the southern big cities to find any kind of work worth doing costs about 1100 per month with everything included to park it anywhere long term. That goes up to at least 2000/mo in Los Angeles or San Diego. Tiny homes on wheels have the same rules/laws/etc as travel trailers. Which means in California it's very difficult to put them on a piece of land near cities. You CAN live in almost any area with an RV that you can just park on a piece of land though... because of loop holes pretty much. Some areas only let you live in a travel trailer for 6 months on the property while a permanent structure is built for main living. I personally think the huge problem is these issues. Next problem would be greed. The mark-up of tiny homes and travel trailers is horrendous. I tend to like travel trailers > tiny homes because of the built-in amenities and storage over what you get in a tiny home though.... Think about furnishing a tiny home ON TOP of the cost of everything else (have fun finding all the tiny crap you need to fit). Even still the size trailer I have is NO WHERE NEAR big enough for long-term living at 168 sq. ft. Kit houses or other small permanent structures are a much better approach imho than a tiny home. Moving tiny homes can be EXTREMELY expensive... Imagine 5+ dollars a mile + a fee just to show up. Also... owning a big enough truck is Very Prohibitively Expensive. All said and done getting a truck and fifth wheel for the best possible trailer setup would be in the 200k range (new). The sad part of California in this regard is 200k is what a .2 acre piece of land costs with Nothing on it, so going this route can still be a cheaper way to live in California than living in an apartment or mortgaging a house. When you get outside of California you can find places to park a trailer (at least while i was there before California) down to 400-500/mo with everything included. THIS is where it starts to make IMMENSE financial sense. Getting a remote job and finding something like this could be key to establishing stability and the ability for growth for the younger generations. Another point of mention is the Van Life culture. I wouldn't do it but it's sad how much financial sense it makes.

[@bcase5328]

States that have trouble insuring houses could benefit from having low cost shorter term housing like tiny homes. If a house can't be insured, it at least could be low cost and easier to replace. Developers are rarely building starter homes. Try to find a low cost two/three bedroom new house that is less than 2000 sq. ft.

[@katies6287]

Excellent point !!

[@omstout]

Build an ADU on your yard. Taxman will show up. And now lets talk about parking and rain runoff?

[@bkucenski]

Land, ordinances, and utilities are the biggest issue. Looking at mobile home lots, it's the rent that is absurd. I bought an abandoned house in Georgia for $14K and had it removed for $6.5K. But I can only put a stick built house on the land. It's going to take the government buying up large swaths of land, dividing it into 0.025 acre lots with utilities and then having no middlemen so that all you need to pay for is the tiny house or manufactured home and the property taxes. No HOA's or land managers. There's no reason a mobile home park owner should be collecting more than a hundred dollars per month per lot. It's just greed.

[@HandyC]

Where I come down on the debate is save yourself all the hassle and just buy a van, live in that, nowhere officially and save every penny you can until you can afford land and bricks to build a proper one... Then rent it out and travel the world in the van and live off the rent... Anything ever goes south, you come back to your home and end the rental contract. Signed, sealed, delivered. If you really really like tiny homes, put one in the corner of your now built / rented property and continue renting the brick one.

[@jameswilson5165]

For these prices, it would be much wiser to just look for a large camper with pullouts. These can be horribly expensive if bought new, but a 5-year-old one, gently used, can be quite the bargain and, if needed, easily moveable. And if you want far cheaper land, move. Now, a Tiny home community built for the elderly to INVEST in buying a lifetime lease built for mobility issues would be great. A lot of us who are now in our elderly years, finally convinced that we will never be millionaires, are looking around at our now 80-year-old tract home, well knowing that things are going to break that we cannot afford to fix and are now too old to do it ourselves, would seriously take a look at one of these communities. The goal of almost everyone past 70 years old is to finish life in the iconic, 'warm, dry and well-lighted place.'

[@erinmcdonald7781]

Truth! However, I think Gen X retirees/potential ones are the current demographic Wall Street, think Blackstone, are looking to roll. Until we can get corporate investment firms out of residential housing we're going to face this uphill climb.

[@33yoal]

One of your best videos! I was stuck in so. Cal. until I retired 5 years ago. Lived in Santa Clarita in an overpriced townhouse with taxes over 4k a year, hoa fees almost 400 per mo., Moved to somewhere in the southwest to a manufactured home that cost me a whopping 23k! Rents are now about 400 per mo. Why should anyone buy a tiny house when manufactured, modular, are available with less restrictions than a tiny house...

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

Such a great point and thanks for sharing real numbers!

[@WalterRiggs]

I grew up in tiny homes. We called them “trailers”. It’s not an adventure. It’s a nightmare

[@katanaridingremy]

I think it’s weird to assume that anyone actually expects tiny homes to solve the housing crisis. That sounds like a line a sales person would give perspective buyers but that’s it. I would imagine the biggest issues with housing are developers stuck in their old ways of building and not build with the energy saving standards and renewable energy ready in mind. Also the biggest threat being the investors buying up properties and overinflating the value

[@kenmcclow8963]

I looked a lot at tiny houses, but unless you build your own, or buy from a low cost builder like ITH, they turn out to cost a lot. Before I ever looked at a house, I would solve the land issue on where to put it. There are tiny house communities in Texas and South and North Carolina, otherwise you are looking at rural land, or renting space. I have settled on small houses instead. I’ve found lots of post World War Two houses built in the 1945-1960 era in older suburbs. Most of them are 500-750 square feet. There are also houses built in the pre car era so they are usually very narrow lots and back to an alley where the horses stable was, now garage. Some of them have the kitchen and bathroom together when indoor plumbing was added. The advantage is they are often in a walkable neighborhood compared to the newer spread out suburbs with single family zoning deserts divided by multi lane roads with strip malls.

[@user-hm5zb1qn6g]

Tiny home is chattel; therefore, will depreciate, like a car or trailer home. Chattel depreciates. Land appreciates. We need tiny titles (or tiny land). Chop a 60 x 120 foot suburban lot into quadrants and sell 4 titles with 4 tiny homes, then you've got something.

[@nicsxnin6786]

If anyone in a tiny house wants to leave California they should consider if they are heading to a state with tornadoes and strong storms because those are not safe in Texas and many other states.

[@JohnDoe-np3zk]

On a serious note my county allows ADU of I wanna say 912 sf max. Im thinking about adding one.

[@psnyder73]

What would the cost be without so many regulations?

[@MrWaterbugdesign]

The numbers never made sense for Tiny Houses. Living in a van also isn't cheaper that a house on a lot. However there is one type of Tiny Home that does make money. That's the Tiny House instead a standard house. I've been living this way for 22 years. Buy a standard size dump fixer in a decent area. Remodel 1 bed room and live there. Boom, Tiny House. Then I remodel the rest of the house slowly over several years. Most building materials are salvaged. Remodel so you have a large bedroom with a separate entrance and its own bath and move into that. The rest of the house can now be rented, or sell the entire house. Separate entrance units are very popular with buyers. I'm working on house #4 now in N Central Phoenix.

[@Jerry-ko9pi]

Instead of getting a Tiny home, people should get a RV trailer or Motorhome. You can also get a VA loan for a motorhome too.

[@robinmarie8213]

People out here in east Texas have been buying cheap land for a long time. They live with their family in a tent on their unrestricted land for a few months while they're building what is nowadays called a tiny house. Then they just keep adding rooms until they have a normal size house. Tiny houses don't have to be so expensive. But resourceful people know how to make their own way.

[@bryanhickman7663]

So that's CA, but where is it a good place? From the video, one would assume TN. Let's hear more on where one CAN do well with it Ricky.

[@TwoBitDaVinci]

the problem still is houses per acre.... and the how low that would be ... leading to more sprawl.. more need for cars etc...

[@bryanhickman7663]

@TwoBitDaVinci Ricky, I see SO Many people on YT, particularly the ones doing YT videos on Solar installations, that just plunk down an array on their land. I live in a highly populated area of Illinois (northern Chicago suburbs). I would not be allowed to place an array or tiny house here. But my cousin lives in a podunck place in Southern IL (think Carbondale suburbs) who can do just about anything with their land, and get plenty of that land at

[@cynthiabroockman1752]

Incredible Tiny Homes in Tn, mentioned, has developed tiny homes communities in TN, last I heard also in Nevafa I think n maybe somewhere in SC You buy thr lot n pay monthly utility/infradtructurr fee - they have YT channel.

[@lauriviik]

​@@bryanhickman7663Does Illinois forbids to park travel trailer on your property? Thats land of the free for you, what a joke.

[@bryanhickman7663]

@lauriviik I do not believe the state does but may now. We had my Uncle's trailer on my parents farm for years and years. No one ever said anything.

[@josephstevsns9506]

I think one of the problems with our housing crisis is, the fact that cities require a minimum square foot of a house nowadays usually to be over 1500 square feet. back in the 50s and 60s it was not uncommon for 7 to 800 square foot homes to be built. that is the perfect size for a single person a new family and even an elderly person who wants to downsize. I think we need to look more into building smaller homes, that in return would be more affordable for a large range of people

[@My_home_entertainment_system]

These prices are crazy, I could go live on my boat In Kemah TX for 350 a month

[@Mordred478]

Maybe if some or all of the tiny houses can be 3D printed (I know this is going on in some places) the cost of construction and thus the ultimate price of the house will go down, but all of the other inherent costs are still there, from property tax to rent or mortgage, electricity to internet, etc. Can't eliminate cost.

[@HorthornNZ]

I would live in a tiny house if the next tiny house was 100yds away. I would also need to buy another for the kids!

[@jared_per]

You bring up other types of housing, like apartments and medium density apartments. Sadly, this type of development is often illegal in the US and it leads to something called the missing middle problem, where you'll see small buildings right next to basically sky scrapers. I agree that problem needs to be solved, and I think that would put a huge dent in the housing shortage.

[@lindakingsley-gx2td]

Banks don't like them because the banks don't make enough money off of them. Also most are vacation rentals. The big corporations want to make America a renters nation. A movable home is the best way to help people have something and not be on the streets.

[@nobodyinparticular983]

Here is the deal: Tiny living is absolutely becoming a reality. Have you seen the size of new build apartments? Sheesh!

[@jryland6]

Yep, I’ve seen them. You feel like you’re living in a cave. NO BACK DOOR, BACKED UP TO ANOTHER APARTMENT, PAPER THIN WALLS & MOSTLY HORRIBLE INCONSIDERATE NEIGHBORS, RIDICULOUS PROPERTY MANAGERS. What a nightmare.

[@nobodyinparticular983]

@@jryland6 250 square feet or less for a studio apartment, and then they charge extra for parking. What???

[@rmar127]

Generally love your content, however i think you may be missing the point on this one. Whilst you are correct that tiny homes aren’t the solution to the housing affordability crisis, They most certainly PART of the solution. By making the video hyper focused on LA, you have completely dismissed a myriad of other factors that can make tiny homes a viable option.

[@BlazinTigger]

solving the housing crisis isn't hard it's just "financially devastating" to property owners. the housing crises is a direct result of zoning laws and building restrictions. allow people to build housing, housing shouldn't have zoning restrictions at all. I understand not wanting a factory built in a neighborhood, but if someone wants to build housing next to a factory that should be fine. minimum lot sizes need to be outlawed, companies can only build big expensive houses because if you build a small house you have a huge lot that you can't do anything with so you lose money, might as well fill that lot with a big house and get more money. Americans treat housing like a retirement account, so why would you want more housing built around you, all that will happen is your retirement account will lose profit, so people vote to keep new affordable housing away.

[@tscook10]

I think the useful part of the tiny home idea is the idea of efficiently using interior space. Most modern homes have extremely poor space utilization (single use rooms like formal dining rooms, or just huge square rooms that don't fit the use case.) these principles can be applied to a "modest house" to make it feel and work like a much larger house. So unless you're hosting 20+ people, a 1000sqft house can feel more than sufficient for a full family, whereas the average house, as you said, is almost twice that size. If the single family home suburbs are going to exist we can at least right-size our homes to make them affordable.

[@Morpheus-pt3wq]

Honestly, i can imagine myself living in a prefabricated small home. What do i need? A bed, bath, kitchen, some storage for both food and clothing and some space for PC Hardware (I don´t need TV). It would also possibly solve the housing problem and show middle finger to all the developers, who strive to make expensive condos no one can afford to live in.

[@reallyjimreally8210]

Hi Ricky, I own 15 archers in Florida about a half hour from a major city. I built a 16ft by 32ft cabin on my land. About halfway through construction I decided what the heck I'll make it two stores. I was already out of the tiny house range, but I was building it myself and owned the land. No one could hice me an apartment free or a condo. I don't like people on top of each other. I like to spread out. I know a lot of people who don't want to live in the city. I have zero interest in living in California. All of the states need to be more open to smaller home construction. I, for one, moved out of a 2700 sqft house in a subdivision and never looked back.

[@CB-pf5lb]

Damn, I'm always impressed about how expensive things are in the USA.

[@jimmybee4893]

2 major problems in housing is #1 Building codes and local regulations of what you can do on your own land. #2 is corporations are outbidding people for homes and vacant land for investment purposes and not to live there and be a member of the community.

[@jimmybee4893]

Another Problem is the county I live in has an old house size on the books from the 1950's that minimum is 400 Sq Ft house So anything smaller than that can't be occupied as a residence.

[@bonniewatson178]

I’m a firm believer in owning the ground you live on, because when you rent or lease land you can be refused a new lease. And there’s cost involved just like everything else but if it’s your property you can always expand to a larger home. The cost of rent can pay for your land. And every person doesn’t buy or build with goal of selling, plus the land value alone will increase.

[@CK1000ism]

The Not So Big House was a response to builders building more and more sqare footage that had no real purpose (three different family rooms, gift wrap rooms, etc). Her book suggested that you were better off with perhaps less square footage and could instead put money into increasing the quality of the build. So it wasn't even really about cost savings. It was about how people would be happiest in their spaces.

[@tealkerberus748]

What we're taught here is that 60% of family homes will have someone with mobility / accessibility needs living in them within the design life of the building, and it costs about 22x as much to retrofit these features after the fact as it does to build them in from the start. So no, if your tiny home isn't fully wheelchair accessible, I don't want it.

[@fountainvalley100]

The cost of land and utilities far outstrip the dwelling’s cost. Tiny homes are just a version of mobile homes. Mobile home parks rents are climbing.

[@estherstephens1858]

Several months ago I saw a YT video about “affordable homes”. I believe it was in Arizona. Yes, the homes were smaller in square footage (maximum of 1000 sq ft or so) but the homes cost over $340-$350 per sq ft. MY opinion was those homes were NOT so affordable after all. THAT’S CRAZY!!!