Alternative housing ideas

[911heaven]

Originally Posted by NYNick

Covid has changed everything and has especially caused people to reevaluate where they live and why. Zoom and working from home are the new normal. I'd love to see the statistics showing the number of relocations or real estate sales in the last 2-3 years versus pre-pandemic.

Even retired, we reevaluated our living situation and sold a property that we would never even consider selling, EVER, just 3 years ago. Now we are seriously considering selling another one we've owned for over 40 years. Never say never.

Still, location is always the key word. While multiple homes are a great way to dodge the weather, make sure you choose your locations and structures very carefully. Just like buying an old 911, you cannot do enough research into buying real estate. Hell, before I bought a condo in FLA I had developed spreadsheets outlining pricing, square footage, comps, taxes, time on market, bedrooms etc. Of course, I was in the RE business at one time.

So many of our friends have made stupid real estate purchases its commonplace. They let their emotions drive their decisions or relent to a one sided want from their spouse. Some have sold everything to move to Shangri-La only to discover they hate it long term and can't afford to move back. Happens all the time.

Be careful. Do your homework. Don't follow the masses.
Whatever you buy, make sure it has a great location.

You always have the best advice Nick. Wish I'd known you earlier in youth. Location X 3 they always say, then get fixed if financing. I heeded those rules I learned from my mentors/culture. The location thing here paid off for me being choosy and waiting poised in the right market with boots on the ground, knocking on doors. I don't think I made the right choice on fixed here however, even though you never mentioned that. I did fixed @ 2.68% on a 35 year @ 33.6 million yen then (2005). Still 16 mil to go but we make double payments every month and triple every 3 months. All my friends here expat/Japanese alike went variable @ now 0.9% etc. It never seems it will go up but it could in another world like we may see coming, but with the whole country on variable mortgages I don't see it happening.

Just to confirm your insights, I carefully picked and got great location for the money on timing and market. I made no mistakes there and can honestly say I love where I am country and city and would never want to move, at least in this country. Conversely, in this culture location means a little less in general. Land is priced accordingly in blocks on price in the cities i.e. close to a train station more valuable. Even so the location might stink and usually does! I'm living on an estuary overlooking the water in one of the two wealthiest residential cities in this country. I haven't ridden trains in decades. I drive where I want and got free parking on the beach front. Most people here don't have parking or a car. Many that do rent parking pay 150.00 a month just for that! So Yeah! Location is tops!!

[NYNick]

Originally Posted by Matt Monson

I want to get back closer to the ocean.

Did someone say ocean? We bought this place back in October. What you see is the Connecticut River as it flows into the Atlantic. It was in the same family for 85 years before we got it. We were very lucky to stumble upon it.

[Gideon911]

Originally Posted by NYNick

Did someone say ocean? We bought this place back in October. What you see is the Connecticut River as it flows into the Atlantic. It was in the same family for 85 years before we got it. We were very lucky to stumble upon it.

beautiful

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by Matt Monson

Not yet. I have 5 acres in Costa Rica that I’m going to build on and retire to in about ten years. Then I’ll sell my little farm, and buy a condo somewhere that I can come back to and host vacations for and with my then grown kids.

I have a couple of friends who have bought or looking to buy down there, including one who lives in Arvada.




He bought something like 30 acres down then, another already moved, and is looking to buy a small farm.
Another friend did exactly what Deems did, double lot, when he got divorced, she got the house, he got the lot with a shop.
And another friend did the same time, but on a bigger scale.

It was my friend and mentor taught me the value build a shop 1st, when you build a house, as while you are building, you have a secure place for your tools and building supplies. When he built this one,


On a navigable canal, right across the street from the St Johns River, in St Johns County, the goal was for his wife and him to sail around the world, lock everything up in the garage and rent the house while they traveled. Sadly, he never got to do that, as his wife hated the house, that he built himself, out of pocket to be her dream home. Well, they sold the house since she refused to live there, because she wanted to be new family in Ideal, Georgia. Well, he had 20 or 30 acres up there, and took a short cut on the shop, and had a metal building erected, fricking huge one, and got to work on building yet, another home, in the middle of nowhere, and like the one he built in Florida, it was a log home, but much larger . Sadly he never got to finish, as developed cancer, most likely from his tours of Vietnam, so he sold the big Cat, sold the mostly finished new house and property (dirt cheap too, sadly I didn't know that they were selling it so cheap, like a $100K) to someone who turned it into a hunting club. And on the boat thing, my father lived on his boat, down at the club, the final years of his life.

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by Racerbvd

I have a couple of friends who have bought or looking to buy down there, including one who lives in Arvada.




He bought something like 30 acres down then, another already moved, and is looking to buy a small farm.

Nailed it. My 5 acres is zoned for 4 homes. It's jungle with a river running through it. I want to build a sort of eco-lodge and farm. I've got a college buddy who has been doing it professionally for about a decade in Belize, who moved over to Costa Rica during the pandemic. My plot is about a mile from coast, right next to Manuel Antonio on the Pacific coast. It's got surfing and sport fishing like you can't believe.

[mdj930]

Originally Posted by Matt Monson

Nailed it. My 5 acres is zoned for 4 homes. It's jungle with a river running through it. I want to build a sort of eco-lodge and farm. I've got a college buddy who has been doing it professionally for about a decade in Belize, who moved over to Costa Rica during the pandemic. My plot is about a mile from coast, right next to Manuel Antonio on the Pacific coast. It's got surfing and sport fishing like you can't believe.

Great plan I really liked the Manuel Antonio area for the short time I was there.

[mepstein]

Originally Posted by Gideon911

Brilliant. I've searched for a properties with two homes on one lot for years. I've seen a few decent properties but nothing that was really what I wanted. I do think what you did is genius. A detached garage can be expanded to a larger garage or turned into a home. Very cool.

In some places. Not everywhere.

[Gideon911]

Originally Posted by Racerbvd

I have a couple of friends who have bought or looking to buy down there, including one who lives in Arvada.




He bought something like 30 acres down then, another already moved, and is looking to buy a small farm.
Another friend did exactly what Deems did, double lot, when he got divorced, she got the house, he got the lot with a shop.
And another friend did the same time, but on a bigger scale.

It was my friend and mentor taught me the value build a shop 1st, when you build a house, as while you are building, you have a secure place for your tools and building supplies. When he built this one,


On a navigable canal, right across the street from the St Johns River, in St Johns County, the goal was for his wife and him to sail around the world, lock everything up in the garage and rent the house while they traveled. Sadly, he never got to do that, as his wife hated the house, that he built himself, out of pocket to be her dream home. Well, they sold the house since she refused to live there, because she wanted to be new family in Ideal, Georgia. Well, he had 20 or 30 acres up there, and took a short cut on the shop, and had a metal building erected, fricking huge one, and got to work on building yet, another home, in the middle of nowhere, and like the one he built in Florida, it was a log home, but much larger . Sadly he never got to finish, as developed cancer, most likely from his tours of Vietnam, so he sold the big Cat, sold the mostly finished new house and property (dirt cheap too, sadly I didn't know that they were selling it so cheap, like a $100K) to someone who turned it into a hunting club. And on the boat thing, my father lived on his boat, down at the club, the final years of his life.

Ah hate to hear that. All the work to never enjoy it, such a bummer. In CA, you can't build a shop before you build a house. Lots of things you can't do in CA. Shop first with a little apartment attached would be really cool. Keep all the building supplies inside, cars, lift, etc..live in the apartment until the house is finished.

livin on a boat down at the club sounds peaceful

[jhynesrockmtn]

The ability to develop a non residential structure on a vacant lot, I would assume varies by local jurisdiction. The two areas in WA state I've lived, including the very conservative east side won't allow it. I had to combine my 3 lots into one to build my little 1,200 sg. foot shop.

[mepstein]

Always pays to ask the wife what she wants unless you’re not planning on bringing her along.

[NYNick]

Your wife or girlfriend has to be onboard, 1000%, with any decisions. In fact, they should be joint decisions. Well planned, well researched and well thought out. It's then that you can jointly execute the plan and live with the results.

If you do your homework and are thorough, the results will be positive. If you don't, you're both to blame and shame on you.

These are life changing decisions. You better be sure they are what you both want and plan accordingly. More often than not these things go awry because it wasn't a joint decision and/or it wasn't well researched.

I've seen it happen to some very smart and successful couples. Those things don't matter. What matters is you're both on board and you do your homework.

Good luck!

[Gideon911]

Valid points. I wouldn't make any major decision without really taking the time to ensure my wife was happy and agreed. Big mistake there.

[Gideon911]

I sold parts to a guy who is almost surely on this forum. Can't remember his name off hand. I admired the guy..owned his own commercial fishing boat and did that for like 40 years..now retired. He has some killer Porsches too. Just spending an hour with him gave me some vision for something unconventional. He bought some land in a very nice area. He then hired barn builders to construct a 950 sqft house and an 1100 sqft shop for around 100k (including windows, doors,etc). Property is close to the beach, so he preferred metal, plus it was much cheaper than stick built. He had to spend quite a bit to move dirt since it was on a hillside. He lived in a fifth wheel on the property and did a lot of the work himself (plumbing, electrical)

[911heaven]

Originally Posted by mepstein

Always pays to ask the wife what she wants unless you’re not planning on bringing her along.

I have a nephew, Jason who was adopted by my older sister since she couldn't have children. Actually second adopted child. Anna is my niece. Jason said to me back in say 2005 -- Happy wife, happy life! I never thought about it then. He'd married and just had a child, bought a new house in the trough at a good deal in Fernley NV. I came home on a trip, visited them, took them out to a top breakfast local restaurant on me.

Take it back a few years when Jason was still in HS. I brought in a few containers of JDM parts, gave him and his friends a job at minimum wage to unload the containers. Then I gave him some late model Type R Honda floor mats as a present for his USDM Civic. He was over the moon! I had a hard time getting these guys to work! I said stop looking at all the f-ucking parts and work!!

Not long after he married, had the kid, his wife run off with a woman. The Lesbian took him for the house and the kid. Those words happy wife, happy wife still ring in my ears to this day, and I have tinnitus! I never for a minute even then thought about the wife. She was pretty hidious looking and I had my suspicions about her.

He worked, and former wife at Amazon in Fernely for several years. Jason quit not long after due to exploitive work environment (Bezos). He went on to get his commercial truck driver's license. That's what he does now I think. Haven't been home or asked my sister in detail.

[Racerbvd]

Before the pandemic, I was looking for some property, basically a place out of the way, where I could storey enclosed trailers, maybe a container or two to store parts in, far enough and big enough to set up a gun ran, kinda a place to get away too.
I finally found a place that fit most of my desires, about a hour away, finally set up a time to go check it out in person.
[img]http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads26/Screenshot_20220729_111338_Gallery1659107352

10 acres, a steel building, RV hook ups, trails, several small out buildings,






The shop didn't have electric run to it yet, but there was power on the property. They had a really nice 5th wheel, that they used on weekends, as they live in Jacksonville. And they had the RV hook ups for family reunions they hosted once a year. The property and building (not including the 5th wheel , tractors and 4 wheelers not included) $135K, if I wanted it with everything, $180K.
Since no one had expressed any real interest, I figured I had some time, so instead of going to my bank, I figured I would sell the 88 Carrera, that way my monthly expenditures would be the same as what I was currently paying for storage and rent. The next day someone jumped on it.y loss.

[cellison]

Interesting topic. I was born and raised inside Atlanta (1960) and we currently live north of Atlanta. We have thought about moving to futher north (N.GA or western NC) and have lake front property. We have thought about build a home using several shipping containers or a pre built stick/metal framed modular type home (not a mobile home) and assemble on the property. That would limit the number of lakes we could build on so it may not be feasible.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by cellison

Interesting topic. I was born and raised inside Atlanta (1960) and we currently live north of Atlanta. We have thought about moving to futher north (N.GA or western NC) and have lake front property. We have thought about build a home using several shipping containers or a pre built stick/metal framed modular type home (not a mobile home) and assemble on the property. That would limit the number of lakes we could build on so it may not be feasible.

Have you considered a log home kit?

[NYNick]

We met this young couple when we were in Alaska a few years ago. I admire their audacity and pluck. They both have skills and work where they go. The bus was/is very cool and they built it themselves. They have since had a child but they're back on the road!
https://www.instagram.com/roamingwilsons/

[Unobtanium-inc]

I have the best of both worlds. My house is near a major city, Albany, NY. So it has good health care, airports, stores, etc, basically good infrastructure. It back up to acres of woods so I essentially have two neighbors, long term owners who are very nice.
We have a lake house in NH about 2 hours away, very pretty, quiet and more land then I know what to do with. I floated in the lake all day and may do some bass fishing in the morning.
My advice to anyone looking for a place to live is make sure it has the things you need or will need in the future. If grocery shopping is a two hour round trip think hard or if finding a doctor is a three hour round trip, think even harder.
Also pick a place that lowers your stress, not ups it.

This shot was taken today, that's the view from my house in NH.

---Adam

[Reno775]

Is Detroit still selling fixers for 5k?