US turns to smaller homes

[HarveyDarkey]

Run time: 02:33 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQlwAU9WR9w   Posted on YouTube: December 26, 2010 By YouTube Member: AlJazeeraEnglish Views on YouTube: 304   Posted on DU: December 27, 2010 By DU Member: HarveyDarkey Views on DU: 2061

 
From giant rural homes to tiny houses, many Americans have been downsizing their costs and lives because of hard economic times.

The growing trend to move into smaller homes is seen as a way to free up resources to inject more funds into education and healthcare.

Rob Reynolds reports from California.

[Mira]

1. Fascinating. Recommended. n/t

[Warpy]

2. McMansions here just aren't selling all that well

because nobody wants to heat and cool the damned things. Houses in my area, post war "crackerbox" single family houses, are still selling pretty well to empty nesters, downsizers, and people moving back into the city to cut their commutes down.

While I often toy with the idea of downsizing still farther, it would likely be to another trailer. Tiny houses like the ones in the video just don't have space for a 2 floor looms, spinning wheels, and all my fiber.

[Anakin Skywalker]

3. If only they were doing this from years ago.....

instead of ruining the market with their bloated McMansion supersize crap!

[JHB]

4. And it wasn't even as if this was an available option...

...In my area developers were building McMansions, "luxury" condos, and nothing else. There was no cheaper option what was allowed to compete.

[Concordia]

5. Americans should have never been moving into McMansions en masse

I know it's the "American dream" to have a big fancy house and all, but the amount of scorn heaped upon smaller homes over the last 10 years (both in old and new homes) was nothing more than pure propaganda. There is nothing wrong with smaller homes, if that is all you can ACTUALLY afford.

[axollot]

6. Tiny homes like this would have problems w.zoning. My brother

lives in a Katrina Cottage and had a hard time finding land he could put it on. They are only slightly bigger than this home. Full kitchen, bath and master. For a single man and 18yr old daughter it's more than enough!

Cheers
Sandy

[dotymed]

9. In my area

they put these small buildings on skids, they are not permanent structures and by-pass most building codes.

[theophilus]

7. It's about damned time! Now, several families go together and buy up

the "cheap" mansions and divy them up and live together in a community! Unfortunately many of them have no yard to speak of. Frak zoning laws. They must be changed to allow clothes lines and gardens. Pigs and chickens. We need to change quickly or many will suffer dramatically.

[The Wielding Truth]

8. $50,000.00 that seems like a lot of money for a wooden pup-tent.

[Atypical Liberal]

10. I agree.

For that sort of money why not buy an RV?

You're also probably going to run into zoning and or HOA restrictions about where you will be allowed to put one of these things.

[adigal]

11. Maybe the McMansions will be torn down

and farm land put there instead, because we may need the local farm goods if it all hits the fan!

[AtheistCrusader]

12. My dream is to build my own home.

My 'dream' home is not larger than my current 1200sq foot rambler/A frame.

It's actually somewhat smaller, and arranged more efficiently, with optimizations around heating and cooling.

[SmileyRose]

13. California.

The "Tiny House" thing is a niche market for old hippies, and that's fine. As far as the whole country downsizing, maybe ever so slightly. I can tell you in my neck of the woods there's no huge demand for the plentiful supply of 1000 sq ft or less homes.