alternative housing

[Andre1969]

This is gonna sound kinda weird, but I think it would be cool to build a replica of the Ingalls' house from "Little House on the Prairie". I wonder if anyone's ever done that before?

It would be way to small to serve as a residence for most people, but I think it would be cool as a vacation/retreat home or something.

[Nords]

Originally Posted by Andre1969

This is gonna sound kinda weird, but I think it would be cool to build a replica of the Ingalls' house from "Little House on the Prairie".* *I wonder if anyone's ever done that before?

Well, it's not quite Michael Landon, but it's close...

[razztazz]

Me, I'm fine with that, with some exceptions. I'm not willing to live with housemates, or without indoor plumbing. But I would even be okay with, say, a trailer or a manufactured home. Has anyone here done that--what are the disadvantages? (I'm thinking lot-rental fees, poor resale value, lack of equity, etc...Are there more?)

Ok. I just left a nice toney apartment for a manufactured home/ mobile home in a "trailer park" not private land.

It beats an apartment. Less than half the rent. Will it appreciate? Who the F cares. It's cheaper than renting was, in a few yrs you'll make back what you paid for it just in the cost differential PLUS even if it does depreciate you get something for it when you leave rather than nothing. Besides this rent vs own crap always somes down to lifestyle issue anyway, not pennies

Does it "outrank" a regular house/condo? Maybe. It's cheaper! And it has many of the pluses of a house. Yard, more of "your own space",* while avoiding the pitfalls of renting (or even buying certain condos)* *nobody thru the walls/ceiling.

It also has some of the pluses of renting: You are not out on a public street. You are in effect in a gated community for people who otherwise cant afford to live in a gated community. Lots of senior and semi senior citizenry here. Pack up and leave for 4 months every yr in the Winnebago for Texas and Florida. Nobody bothers their stuff.

Also there is a clubhouse with TWO swimming pools. I'm new here so I'm not sure but I believe one pool is grown ups only.* Thats pretty easy 'cause there aren't many units here with small kiddletts

This was an option I should have consdiered yrs ago. Too bad in 30 yrs I wont be able to say "I can live for* "FREE"* in my paid off house. (At the age of G/D EIGHTY friggin yrs old!* snik..snik... pffft... ha ha ha)

[tikitoast]

Good points, razztazz. I love the pool idea too.* Right now we're stuck in the Hipsterville Wasteland Apartments with reality-show twenty-somethings on every side, blasting Radiohead through the walls, throwing their matches and butts on our porch and filling our lungs with their Hibachi fumes. We'd trade them for a quiet communty of seniors any day

[razztazz]

One caveat tikitoast...

My park is not a "Seniors" park. But various types of people tend to drift towards certain housing arrangements. You'll almost always find oldsters in these places. Too many yrs with their own place they can't accept the dea of an apartment with people upstairs or through the kitchen wall but they can't handle the upkeep of a regular house anymore.

Just take a look at several parks. Like any neighborhood you get a feel from the general ambience of the place.

There ARE bad ones. The term "Trailer Trash" exists for a reason but like every neighboorhood is different so are Trailer Parks.