Tiny homes & communities:

When I saw my first tiny home advertised back in the day, I thought it was a great idea. The tiny homes that drew my attention 20 years ago were the ones that were permanently set on foundations. These tiny homes were real property, as opposed to the tiny homes on wheels that are licensed as vehicles and mostly located in leased parks. Since I was interested, it made sense to check into the feasibility of a land development project for tiny homes. Was it worth it and could it be profitable?

Local tiny home project:

I tracked down a nice 60+ lot project in Lacey, Washington. It was a community of Park Models with various “woodsy cabin” architectural styles set on concrete stem wall foundations. It was a nice project (and already sold out). The developer was an on-site resident and gave me some of the up’s and down’s that he had experienced. I never got around to doing a tiny home project at that time, but it seemed to be a solid idea. Things have changed a lot since then and today it seems like an even better idea. We’ll see why in a minute.

I stayed in a tiny home park model for several days on a bass fishing trip one summer. The resort had about a dozen set up as private cabins. Mine was about 430 sq. ft. of living space with an upper loft accessed by a fold-down ladder. You could use the loft for storage or as a bunk room. I didn’t have any problem at all with the feel, but everything in a tiny home is a scaled-down version of a standard size as you would expect. Everything - fridge, stove, closets, cabinets, bathroom…etc. The fishing resort had the good sense to put a wrap-around porch around their tiny home “fishing cabins” and being able to sit out on the porch added a much needed extra dimension and a more spacious feel.

That was 20 years ago and many things have changed to make today’s tiny homes a potentially viable option. Think about it:

An aging population.
Folks downsizing for economic reasons.
Empty nesters.
Zoning laws that are rapidly changing to encourage accessory dwelling units (ADU’s)
Higher density zoning within the urban growth boundaries.
…and I think most of all - the quality and livability of Tiny Homes has dramatically improved.

Let’s take a look…

The showcase of Tiny Homes:

(Before we start, I have no affiliation of any kind with the companies mentioned below.)

My opinion for the top pick for tiny home design and durability is Tiny Homes By Design. They produce several different architectural options that go from modern to farm house and they will work with clients on custom designs. They also feature a detached office option. They are a Florida company and above all, in my opinion, they represent that their design and builds are hurricane resistant. You can click to see all of their details in this link:

Tiny Homes By Design:
https://tinyhomesbydesign.com/real-estate/house-for-sale

As far as materials and construction efficiencies are concerned, take a look at this article I just came across about the Cube 2 by Nestron. Up until now I have never heard of them but the unique design, cost, materials and production methods make me want to look further. Maybe you might too and here’s a link to the article:

Cube 2 by Nestron: https://nestron.house/product/

Another viewpoint on the emergence of tiny homes as a viable trend can be found on this LinkedIn post by Ezid Barajas last year. You have to be a LinkedIn member to access this one.

People shifting to Tiny Home Communities Due To COVID
Ezid Barajas | Aug 11, 2020
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/people-shifting-tiny-home-communities-due-covid-ezid-barajas

With vast improvements being made in design, materials and construction, Tiny Homes are much more structurally sound than years ago when I first saw them. They also look a heck of a lot better architecturally! In addition, the economic and demographic conditions currently lend themselves to a more affordable, scaled-down and simpler way of living for many.

How could tiny home communities improve?

What I don’t care for in the Tiny Home communtities I have seen and researched is lot size, along with the lack of storage space and covered parking. I toyed around with this in my mind and I went back to an old school solution for cost efficient parking - carports.

Another problem issue is storage. A fundamental concept of Tiny Home living is getting rid of all your crap beforehand and not accumulating more. At the same time, even with the designs that have storage lofts, there is little room for even basic stuff.

A possibly better set up!

I am going to meet with a Tiny Home builder and research the possibility of developing a community. There are a few key things that I want to do, so that it is very unique and marketable, including:

Larger lots than typical (1/4 acre).
Homes on foundations or pad set. In other words, anchored.
Detached storage shed(s).
Wrap around porches with bench storage.
Covered parking.
Common ammenities.
HOA and CC&R’s.

Tiny Home Communities

A current trend for some developers is buying and converting mobile home parks to Tiny Home communities. MHP conversion can work and so can stand alone placement on regular lots. What I don’t see much of is land developers doing a dedicated Tiny Home plat, but I think this will change. I plan to be part of it! A parting thought is another hot trend in real estate that ties into tiny homes: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s).

See this article for more details:

ADU’s In Land Development:
https://www.landdevelopmentrealities.com/home/2020/7/28/adus-in-land-development

Good luck and stay safe.

Contact me at: ldr@landdevelopmentrealities.com