This is neat, there are many farmers that face deficits and debt to large corporations and unfair standards and living conditions. I love the idea that farmers can live and work together maybe to find a way to produce a more profit and farmer friendly outcome while still yielding farm products to help stock grocery stores and feed people.
This is a little bit odd but it mimics another community in Georgia. It is more farm driven but the idea is very similar, sustainability, preservation of wild vegetation, and community. Thank you to Kristin for always finding these amazing finds.
@@livefreewrebeccabush That's the community I was reminded of. The philosophy behind it is great but the racial and wellness-spiritual integrity is under question. I hope it changes really soon, it takes on the personality of the leaders there and it's a business venture more than a community. I was almost blinded after leaving.
My husband and I tried to make a go of buying a farm and growing produce for farmers markets. But, we are both in our 60s and we didn't have sufficient capital to put in the infrastructure we needed, and although we did sell produce for a few years, we gave it up. The whole time we were there, I always knew that if only we had more of a community there on the farm it might have worked out, even as undercapitalized as we were. Community as part of these concepts is really really important. Isolation of small farmers is deadening. There are many people attempting many versions of this idea, this one has a lot going for it.
@@victoriabaker4400 yes, in the old days it was big families living in small villages ( as in europe). because it's too hard to do alone! People of all ages would love this to be revived. i intend to do it. Could also help solve the housing shortage and expensiveness . i would even have tinier units for homeless, but of course subsidized by funding. Live and work and eat good stuff. FOOD FOREST.
She said, "Imagine" if every neighborhood had a farm at the center!!! Yes indeed! That would be wonderful!! Mahalo nui loa for creating & sharing this! LOVE IT!
Here in Phoenix, AZ, one of the historical districts was built in the 1930's during the depression. The concept was a residential/farming community. The houses are arranged around a central green space, which was the community farm, probably around 5 to 8 acres in size. The houses, on the outer edges of the farm, made a horseshoe like ring around the farm. Each house sits at the front of the property and are small 2 bedroom, 1 bath home, and sits on an acre of land so there was enough space in each lot to have your own garden. From what I was told, the residents of the community were required to assist with the work on the central farm and the items grown on the farm were distributed amongst the community. What a great concept!! Today, the central farm is now a community grassy green space/park and I doubt very many of the homes grow any vegetables on their 1 acre lots.
I can easily picture all of those neurotic middleclass Americans saying "OMG! You mean I would have to touch the dirt to grow vegetables? Yuck! No way!!!"
Many people are now going back to rural community living. Partly because of not wanting to be in big cities anymore where the agenda is to control U.S. citizens! Get off grid! I have started a small community on my one acre. It's a peaceful, stress free way to live!
So much wisdom has been tossed aside by greedy, stupid developers, all for the sake of profit. It is my feeling and hope that the revolution this country seems headed for involves stepping back from the brink rather than guns.
My English/journalism teacher taught me the concept of "high content" words. This channel asks high content questions, bringing high content dialogue. Thank you
This is the best community arrangement I have seen yet!!! what a wonderful idea, gosh so many city folk have no idea where or how fruits and veggies are grown. the more local the better and healthier.
Would love to see more places like this for the homeless, retired, and minimum wage worker. This is still not affordable for many. The garden areas and fruit trees are a great idea.
WOW, Kirsten, This has to be the best video I've seen regarding tiny homes. What a brilliant idea. I've been wanting to buy land and have an off grid homestead, but doing something like this is an even better idea because it's creating affordable living spaces that are self serving for the community that lives there. This really fires my brain up. It could be a community of people that are all like minded and wanting to do better for the environment but still keep a social community setting. This totally is inspiring!!!!! Thank You!!!! Keep Safe, Peace, Happiness, Love and Laughter Always, Matt - Toronto, Canada
There are a lot of people comparing this to a "trailer park," and maybe in some aspects it is. But to someone who lives in a massive metropolitan area it looks really great. Comparatively, it buys much more than what $110,000 gets here. If it were me, I'd rent and see what it might feel like. Personally, I don't need a huge yard to maintain, I don't need a big house with too many rooms. I'm an outgoing person, so I don't mind meeting and knowing lots of neighbors. And those "tiny homes" don't remind me of mobile homes at all. Again, I'd really be interested in SEEING it all up close. In many ways, I think that the concept is forward-thinking.
I find it a really interesting concept too! I've lived in apartments forever, no yards and no community space. The average rent in my city for a 1 bedroom studio apartment is $1400 a month, more affordable rentals are run down and not well maintained. The median home price is $224 K. As a single person that makes less than $50 K a year, I'll most likely never be able to own my own home. This agrihood isn't a perfect system, I'm sure, but it sounds a lot more promising--on the surface-- than my current reality
@@AmyLynnification I hope you can find a solution that works for you. Having a small yard has been a blessing this past year. A place to go so I wasn't looking at the same four walls. Blessings.
The value, as I think you know, is not but the home, it’s garden, community center, entertainment, acreage to walk, produce store, etc. Also, people could save a lot more for a happier retirement without a big mortgage, travel, and feel more secure than live month to month.
I have been envisioning just such a community ❣️ I hope this video gets in all the right hands and Sparks a movement. I hope you will go back in a couple of years and share how it is evolving.
This has to be one of the coolest videos I have seen. What a great concept, agrihoods. They should be everywhere. We all need to stay connected to nature and our food sources. I love your videos, but Kirsten, this one was amazing. Keep them coming!! 👍🏻
Despite the negatives that dwellers don't own the land, the mixed use and commitment to open space and farming should be commended. Works for a lot of folk and creates a sense of community.
Absolutely a great sense of community here. More so than I’ve ever experienced in the suburbs in a single-family home, in a condominium, in a town home, or in an apartment!
I don't know of any tiny home community in which the residents own the land. It's not the norm, and it would be a MAJOR headache to administer. I think renting/leasing the land, which includes landscaping and maintenance and access to all the amenities, is a better model than individual landowners of small plots. Just in terms of actual management. If they were all landowners, all of them could weigh in on every single decision, and people who dissented could have the legal right to break off from the central community, and it could be extremely difficult to get rid of anyone who was antisocial and refusing to meet participation commitments. My experience is, better to have central ownership with happy tenants who own or rent their own tiny houses. That way if someone gets tired of living in the community, they can leave. If they own the land, they can become a stubborn refuser, which is just bad for morale and sucks energy out of such a project. Have seen plenty in my years on the planet that convinces me of this. If I lived in Austin I'd be attracted to this development for sure, but I'd want to know more about the nature of the developer's contracts and agreements with the farm folks etc.
Hello Kirsten, I've been a subscriber for many, many years and a huge fan of unique dwellings. Your stories are so much more than just a house story. I find myself watching to learn of the interesting information, on a multitude of topics, that the dwelling owners share. Excellent editing, beautifully shot footage, all while your family is in tow. Magnificent work. 💖💖💖💖💖
I love this! We are looking at doing something like this in BC. It makes so much sense to have local organic food and a community to support it. Love tiny homes and they need a community with amenities and supports. Well done!!!
Great idea, that shows a wonderful place to start. My only suggestion would have been to stagger the tiny homes because the windows line up with the neighbors. Even setting the home back 15 feet would provide more privacy. Building around a farm is clever. Getting people back in touch with where their food comes from is important, IMO. Teaching people skills to help them grow food is even more important. Sunshine and some physical work will heal a lot of modern "diseases". I hope this catches on in other areas as a way to preserve farms and provide more affordable housing.
Awesome idea, bringing back the community that lives and works together. Where you can see where your food comes from and even for those that want to be part of creating this sense of commune community! We cannot survive without each other so getting to know your neighbours will be important!
Totally agree man, I find it ridiculous that people bash this idea so much, whether you're 10feet from ur neighbour or 50 feet, you will still have to get on with them. So why not combine community involvement? We should get to know each other better. The more you know about ur neighbor the more u can hopefully trust them and share with them.
@@drewcipher896 nope, trailer parks get a bad rap. Why can't you call it what it is, an actual community with farming as a way for people to connect? Not just poor people struggling to get by.
need to have tax exemptions... municipality and state taxes kills " Ideas "... find a low tax state and start one if you think it is substantially viable for your needs in life and retirement.
The whole concept is AMAZING!!!!!!!! I would live in an environment like that today!!!!! Someone tried to create a tiny house community here in New Zealand, but the regulations haven’t caught up yet to this concept, and they were denyed. Hopefully soon and with this concept in mind. Love it!!!!! It harks back to the way our Māori used to live in their communities ❤️
Food is CENTRAL to our existence. Mother Earth is not a "resource or asset". SHE is the source of all LIFE. Huge respect for folks working this out. Blessings Abound.
Kudos to what they're doing. It's a beginning. They're bridging some paradigms. The critics here might do better by creating/contributing something beneficial in a community rather than discounting these people's efforts & hearts. Love the farmers!
You can dress it up as a tiny home community, but the fact is that without individual land ownership and with an RV base under everything this is a really fancy trailer park. If there weren't the zoning restrictions on home size and land ownership, I guarantee you these residents would have loved an extra 200 square feet of footprint so they didn't have to crawl through an upper loft that was 3 feet high. The design of this park and these homes is just another example of the City of Austin's horrible, horrible zoning code. The owners and designers are to be commended for doing what the can with what they had, the homes do look very nice.
I love the idea of a tiny home. I’ve always lived tiny until 3 years ago and I do not like the 2000+sf. home I live in today. I am looking forward to getting back to that lifestyle.
@@le4905 They are but you're not going to get to the lowest prices with one off custom builds... Mass produced model homes are how you'd get the prices really low. There's just the problem of a generic design that won't fit everyone equally well and why so many demand custom because they want it their way... While there's also the issue of relative costs... In places where homes are hundreds of thousands on up to millions. The sub $100K homes start looking like bargains, especially when that includes custom designed for you service, which you generally never get with a typical home that you just hope fits you...
@@le4905 I used to think so, too. But if you look at a standard home and look at what's most expensive in one, it's not the bedrooms and hallways. The most expensive rooms in a home are the kitchens and bathrooms. Thats 80% of what a tiny house is. Hence the price drop not being perportional.
@ duffy Elmer I can understand if it's not for you. But to criticize it as a fancy trailer park is ridiculous. First, you're mostly right and fancy trailer parks can be fantastic. Second, by including the agri aspect they've made it so much more. This ticks off alot of boxes for me. Just saying.
These issues need to be addressed nationwide. Trailer parks need resident ownership & protection for residents. RVs & trailers should be mortgage-backed. Tiny homes must be legalized beyond the scope of being RV's. Small lots and placing multiple homes on one lot all need to be legalized. Especially after America lost millions of homes after 2008, it's easy to see why there's a housing shortage!
Doing this as a Homeowners Association would allow for that. Developer buys the farm, homes are built, sold as an HOA where the owners can choose to do the work of the HOA maintenance and earn credits toward their HOA fee (no tax). Homeowners run the HOA, so it is theirs. Start with a small 10-20 family farm Agrihood.
Interesting video Kirsten. My aunt has a friend whom I believe is buying one of these tiny homes in this community. I like the idea of tiny houses, (smaller carbon foot print and downsizing), and I like the whole farm aspect and get yourself outside mentality as it can help to engender a sense of community which I thing we have gotten away from as a society. My main struggle with this particular model is that one does not own the land that one's house sits on. What happens if the developer decides to sell the land to someone else who has other ideas for the land? Then what? That uncertainty would make me pause.
The filmmaker/photographer truly didn't know that butterflies are beneficial insects??? That question really surprised me. I applaud the couple for preserving this vital part of American heritage, and promoting organic farming & gardening. Many other aspects seem undesirable, however. The corporate takeover is disheartening to say the least. People do what they can. Bravo to the preservationist mindset.
This is fabulous, I would love to see this in my area - the suburbs of New York City. We used to have farms and apple orchards, now we have shopping malls and golf courses. I'd love to see the farms back!
Don't think I heard mention of another huge benefit (could have missed it) - all those residents working in the field together are becoming true neighbors and building friendships based on some common values. That's hugely different from most suburbs or developments (even built around a common amenity such as golf) where neighbors may never even meet.
These are just what we call park homes in the UK. Standardised designs you have to chose from without any ability to design your own place. The "owners" don't own the land they are on but rent it and I bet the freeholder demands a proportion of any eventual sale price and has to approve the new owners. Much less interesting than the one-off projects which are designed to the exact needs of the owner.
There are trailer park homes all over the USA. And space rental / HOA can be outrageously expensive. The only difference with this model is the farm centric aspect. Cool, but doesn't get people away from the large landlord scheme.
@@jeremiahsmomforever2844 don't assume that . i live in one of the most restrictive zoning states- Oregon. but lately the decades- old zoning and codes have been changed to accomodate tiny homes, and villages of them. so, it's changing but it takes people demanding it and working with city/ county planners.
While the idea is basically good, the prices are ridiculous and with so many homes it's going to be nothing more than a glorified trailer park. I really hope the idea of building communities around farms and markets catches on, but I hope it's not going to be just another incarnation of the suburb. I can't understand how most people encounter huge resistance from town boards when trying to build a small community, maybe off-grid, but these people seem to have no problem building hundreds of them.
Austin is ridiculous with housing costs. My friend wants to live in a tiny home community but was turned away because her home wasn't "new" enough and they told her she needed a new paint job which she cannot afford as a single mom. She's exactly the type of person that would thrive in this community but unless you make $80,000+ (did you notice the Mini Coopers parked out front of the tiny homes?) you will get turned away. Seems BACKWARDS to me.
You have to get Agricultural Zoned land with NO restrictions to do things like this. People need to move to rural areas to get to do this or fight the cities to change their zoning laws.
@@quinosonic82 If those numbers are indeed true... then this is a scam. Only the well off can afford that. Doesn't seem fair since the rest of Austin is doubling and tripling in housing costs already. The middle class gets screwed every single time.
yeah that's what i saw...a trailer park. looks like more RVs than "tiny homes." i think not many people who have a lot of money are really creative or wanting to do things that don't fit into the system that made them rich.
Perhaps I spent too much time in southern California, but no way where I want neighbors this close anymore. Wait, did she say 90-105k for 399 sq ft or less? That's $226 per sq ft !!
Loosing farm land is obsoleutly devastating and very sad. It's nice that your incorporating the farm with tiny house's and getting the community involved along with educating about farm life. The down side in all these tiny house communities they do not provide enough space between each tiny house in all the tiny house communities.
Think of it as living in a tiny condominium with no neighbor above you below you or next to you on any side and windows on all four sides of your home, An organic farm outside your door, and a very tightly knit community of like-minded individuals.
@@ctwofirst6635 Yeah but good luck being near economic opportunity or the offerings of populous areas that many people actually like. Just because they like it doesn't mean you have to live there, and just because you like the kind of area you mentioned doesn't mean that city/suburban folks shouldn't try to improve the reality of their current situation.
Tiny houses are legally RVs. So at this point, it isn't a stigma to talk openly about trailer parks. Hopefully, an evolution of frugal housing can improve things for some people. There are other options for those who want or can.
I love the concept but agree with you. Seems like the RV and diveways take up a lot of space. Should alternate the streets and greenways. These are observations not meant to be negative on the whole development.
Yes I’ve often thought about that if we can have pullouts in RVs there must be a way to pull UP the roof lol. I’ve been wanting to start my own business involving affordable tiny homes of some sort now that my children are grown. My step brother owns a company that builds Tiny homes in Nelson BC ( and makes some of the best multi purpose furniture in the business, his furniture was even recently featured in “Living big in a tiny house”his homes have been on the show as well He’s so artistic ) I wonder if that’s something I could do. Hmmmm lol. It would be great being able to expand up and out in a “traditional” tiny home Maybe more appealing to the people that do need more space. Interesting lol.
The outline of the intention of this place sounds great and the sentiment expressed is spot on as far as farming and nature. However, what strikes me as odd is the housing and restrictions. Being classed as an RV park as far as residency is concerned seems contrary to actual community. I'd rather see natural built housing (straw bale, cob, recycled lumber, hempcrete), land and home owner owned, rather than industry produced cookie cutter offerings and elimination of restricting the size of dwelling (while emphasizing "build no more than your needs"). A real community needs all manner of vocations, even in a community where farming is primary. Check out Community First to see what I mean. Although it's a community for the homeless, there are many who aren't homeless who'd love to live in a community like it. Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is another one to check out (not for the homeless, but for those desiring a sustainable lifestyle with appropriate housing). The one in this video seems like it would appeal to upper middle class "wannabes"...odd that the woman mentions diversity in farming and nature, but the human element of diversity is absent. Oh, well, at least it hands down wins out against the fake and elitist typical suburban mcmansion lifestyle.
17:53 - honestly, the BEST tiny home tour.. Shows what to expect w/ 2 children living in the real world. I honestly appreciate that her home looks lived in. She is a working mom & wife, w/ 2 active kiddos that are also doing remote schooling. It is nice to see what a tiny home truly looks like for a younger couple that has kids. 🥰
That bald kid running with his dog was so random 😂 So yeah, this is one of many different models for tiny home living. Not a fan of land rent, but I'm sure that could evolve over time.
Texas and Tennessee are the hub right now for tiny home living. All of these homes look amazing but costing $90,000.00 to $105,000.00 seems pretty expensive and not cost effective.
This is a dream/goal of mine. I’ve written out the plan and am working on how to build it as a transition community for the homeless. I also want one for single parents and their children. I have a big plan drawn up. Thank you for sharing this video. It’s confirmation that I can make it happen. 🙏🏾❤️
I've been thinking about the potential of ideas like the one you explain. If you decide to work on it, drop us a comment to see if we can visit during the process. Best,
Sophia, check out “Community first village”, also in Austin Texas. The brain child of Alan Graham, founder of mobile loaves and fishes. They do have a Facebook page.
Well, I have to comment on this one. Over the years I've watched the majority of your videos, and loved the majority. But this one is the best by far. It was a WOW video and what an education!
I’ve had this idea!! Sadly no capital.... Already some tiny homes in this area over 50 years old.... gonna try, try, try! Starting with a garden on church grounds. South Tx. Those tiny homes, I’m sure don’t have tiny prices 🥺
This is a great idea: a tiny home community at the boundaries of an organic farm. (We were in a group of people decades ago that discussed this idea, but we realized that it wasn't going to happen until the economics forced it to happen. The economics have finally forced Americans out of their super-sized comfort zones & resource guzzling over-sized homes.) So, to improve this approach even more, we need local governments to upgrade their zoning regulations and building codes. A tiny home community is not a trailer park - the subcultures are totally different demographics. And tiny house owners are making the sensible, conscious choice to downsize and live more affordably & sustainably - a lot of them probably love the idea of an organic farm a hundred yards away. That said, making them rent a super tiny parking pad is just another way to disempower people and keep them "under control". Some well thought out community covenants could do that just fine, and some people will want, and be able to afford, a larger parcel of their own. As with many things in the modern world, The System is always a few steps behind and acting to make positive change more difficult for the innovators. Still, this shows what a greener, less expensive and more sustainable lifestyle could look like in the 21st century. I wonder what the per capita carbon & resource footprints of these residents are like compared to the median in their county? I bet they are having far less negative impacts on their environment than the more normal lifestyles in the area. And that would be a change for the better...
don't even worry about carbon, it's a chimera. a figment. a popular fad. The Earth climates change all the time and always have. if you are growing a lot of green things, you are doing good for the local climate and keeping temps down in your neighborhood. Creating oxygen for humans to breathe in your living space. deforestation over thousands of years, in the old world is the main culprit of desertification. They are beginning to re-green and carbon dioxide helps grow green things better. as for ownership. People have been grouping together and forming land ownership co-ops for decades. There's an eco village that did it eons ago, it's on youtube.
Just for clarification... If you want a tiny house to be RVIA certified it needs to conform to those requirements, including being under 400 sq ft. RVIA is a trade organization, so these are not codes, it's an industry standard. Local governments may use those industry standards in their codes and ordinances... but truth be told there is no law or code that says tiny houses have to be a certain size - yet.
I was under the assumption to qualify for an RV park tiny houses had to be under 400 sq ft (except perhaps for Florida) though this was only because I'd heard it enough times so thanks for the clarification.
@@kirstendirksen I think it just depends on the location. I suspect 400 sq ft is being chosen as a result of the RVIA classification... like the tail wagging the dog.
I like the "farm at the center" concept. I'm concerned by the "equity only in the home", as homes on standard trailer frames are movable only in theory. A more open "bring your own structure" (Yurt/Tiny home/Dome, etc) might have less upfront cost/ work better in other places. However the critical factor seems to be Farmers interested in engaging in the project long term along with a supportive community which sees farms and associated spaces as true community resources. I've live in or visited a number of cities where the farms have sadly been transformed into housing developments. A surviving pond/grist mill was treasured in the odd case, but not the actual farm and all that went with it- you get food from supermarkets after all! I hope concepts like this and urban farms, partnered with Farm to Table reverse the trend. Thanks Kirsten and Family for sharing the story!
In a comment higher up, I spoke to the issue of the difficulty of administering a situation in which there are hundreds of landowners of small plots. I don't think anything would be gained by it. But the other thing is, this development/farm is within city limits. It has to meet city and state building codes and permits and zoning. There are plenty of ways to have a community, this is one way that can happen within city limits. To do what you're talking about, you'd need to be out in the country in a county that doesn't require building permits and doesn't have zoning. I've lived off-grid and out in the country for large parts of my life. In California, a development like you describe would get red-tagged and torn down-- been there and done that. In Mississippi, where I moved to help my late mother and now am living here for a while longer, there is no zoning outside city limits, and we were able to build my mother a tiny house with no permits required. On our country property, we could have created that type of community with no official interference. Whether it could or would survive socially is another thing entirely, since the general culture in this state is not exactly alternatives-friendly. Just saying, it's not that simple to just allow a bunch of unpermitted/unpermittable dwellings on a property.
Understand the concept/approach, and really appreciate what they are doing (awesome!). Although from the perspective of architecture there appears to be a lack of integration with the site between living and farming. The tiny homes (which I am all for) and farm layout are disconnected. A farm is where you steward and have a relationship with the land, and grow roots...the opposite of RV living. Find some architect students willing to come up with a layout and design for you.
These house, by all means, are not tiny. And people quickly fill it up with unnecessary stuff. I would love a community like that. Tomatoes and eggs farm fresh around the corner in walking distance.
@@elbob248 Like this..... "Green Acres is the place to be. Farm livin' is the life for me. Land spreadin' out so far and wide Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside."
Unaffordable housing. We tried to find something like this for my uncle but the $600/mo - which could go up - is just too much. It’s the mobile home community model. Nice idea for those who can afford it. Also it would be great to replace golf courses with community gardens and food sources.
Yea I think there are better ways to develop that this channel has featured. It's nice to see that they're doing something different though. If it wasn't for the lack of actual property ownership that goes with a (trailer) community like this, it'd be fairly ideal set up.
With this model you would own it, so the price would be fixed since you're paying a mortgage. But I agree with both you and Soltestament - there are better ways to do this. Like, houses with foundations and more space (I just cringe at the narrowness and multitude of neighbors). Or even just larger lots where people can put down foundations or bring in their tiny home on wheels.
Many of us who desire this lifestyle cannot afford the Austin price tag. There are better cities in Texas... much cheaper, less traffic. This is from a 6th generation Austinite :)
This is neat, there are many farmers that face deficits and debt to large corporations and unfair standards and living conditions. I love the idea that farmers can live and work together maybe to find a way to produce a more profit and farmer friendly outcome while still yielding farm products to help stock grocery stores and feed people.
This is a little bit odd but it mimics another community in Georgia. It is more farm driven but the idea is very similar, sustainability, preservation of wild vegetation, and community. Thank you to Kristin for always finding these amazing finds.
Yes! Our community was inspired by Serenbe in Georgia ♥️ you're spot on!
@@livefreewrebeccabush That's the community I was reminded of. The philosophy behind it is great but the racial and wellness-spiritual integrity is under question. I hope it changes really soon, it takes on the personality of the leaders there and it's a business venture more than a community. I was almost blinded after leaving.
My husband and I tried to make a go of buying a farm and growing produce for farmers markets. But, we are both in our 60s and we didn't have sufficient capital to put in the infrastructure we needed, and although we did sell produce for a few years, we gave it up. The whole time we were there, I always knew that if only we had more of a community there on the farm it might have worked out, even as undercapitalized as we were. Community as part of these concepts is really really important. Isolation of small farmers is deadening. There are many people attempting many versions of this idea, this one has a lot going for it.
@@victoriabaker4400 yes, in the old days it was big families living in small villages ( as in europe). because it's too hard to do alone! People of all ages would love this to be revived. i intend to do it. Could also help solve the housing shortage and expensiveness . i would even have tinier units for homeless, but of course subsidized by funding. Live and work and eat good stuff. FOOD FOREST.
She said, "Imagine" if every neighborhood had a farm at the center!!! Yes indeed! That would be wonderful!! Mahalo nui loa for creating & sharing this! LOVE IT!
@@bude6285 we are mostly low hourly wage by the hour serfs
No more corporate profits
Here in Phoenix, AZ, one of the historical districts was built in the 1930's during the depression. The concept was a residential/farming community. The houses are arranged around a central green space, which was the community farm, probably around 5 to 8 acres in size. The houses, on the outer edges of the farm, made a horseshoe like ring around the farm. Each house sits at the front of the property and are small 2 bedroom, 1 bath home, and sits on an acre of land so there was enough space in each lot to have your own garden. From what I was told, the residents of the community were required to assist with the work on the central farm and the items grown on the farm were distributed amongst the community. What a great concept!! Today, the central farm is now a community grassy green space/park and I doubt very many of the homes grow any vegetables on their 1 acre lots.
I can easily picture all of those neurotic middleclass Americans saying "OMG! You mean I would have to touch the dirt to grow vegetables? Yuck! No way!!!"
The one acre concept for each tiny home is great!
Many people are now going back to rural community living. Partly because of not wanting to be in big cities anymore where the agenda is to control U.S. citizens! Get off grid!
I have started a small community on my one acre. It's a peaceful, stress free way to live!
Thanks Carl. So many solutions just so little leadership. I guess we need to build it.
So much wisdom has been tossed aside by greedy, stupid developers, all for the sake of profit. It is my feeling and hope that the revolution this country seems headed for involves stepping back from the brink rather than guns.
Kirsten, you're doing wonderful work to spread the ideas. Thank you.
My English/journalism teacher taught me the concept of "high content" words. This channel asks high content questions, bringing high content dialogue. Thank you
"high content words" just sounds like the overuse of a thesaurus
Such a great idea! This couple are such wonderful educators! I hope we have these developed all over the country. Thank you.
I love the agricultural part of this video. This is the way humanity is supposed to live.
Wow! This is very inspirational. I could totally see living in a community like this--LOVE LOVE the combination of a tiny home community & farming....
OMG her family seems so precious! That clip where they're playing with the drone and laughing warmed my heart so much
This is the best community arrangement I have seen yet!!! what a wonderful idea, gosh so many city folk have no idea where or how fruits and veggies are grown. the more local the better and healthier.
Would love to see more places like this for the homeless, retired, and minimum wage worker. This is still not affordable for many. The garden areas and fruit trees are a great idea.
Word. I agree there’s some bold room for experimenting, specially to bring such concepts closer to those with real difficulties to get back on track.
You can buy a smaller tiny home towable with a pickup for around $60,000 and put it in the other half of the park.
i would love to do that. been thinking about it for a few years. getting lots of ideas. food forest, etc.
There is literally one of what you're talking about less than a mile away from Green Gate. Mobile loaves and fishes- community first village
You guys are awesome! I hope this takes off everywhere!!!
24:23 “It’s important to have beauty around you “
Exactly
WOW, Kirsten,
This has to be the best video I've seen regarding tiny homes. What a brilliant idea. I've been wanting to buy land and have an off grid homestead, but doing something like this is an even better idea because it's creating affordable living spaces that are self serving for the community that lives there. This really fires my brain up. It could be a community of people that are all like minded and wanting to do better for the environment but still keep a social community setting.
This totally is inspiring!!!!!
Thank You!!!!
Keep Safe,
Peace, Happiness, Love and Laughter Always,
Matt - Toronto, Canada
$8,400.00 US every year in rent alone
Love seeing this lady house where actual people are living and those messy pieces of stuff seem so cozy in a way.
Also showed how working space for creativity is essential in tiny house
Fabulous! Austin could use even more of these communities. Thanks to all who are involved and to you for bringing it to us.
The one in Austin is super overpriced.
@@worldchangingvideos6253 So what else is new in EVERY state in the USA?
@@JuliaB1955 Community First in Austin is a lot better nonprofit model.
There are a lot of people comparing this to a "trailer park," and maybe in some aspects it is. But to someone who lives in a massive metropolitan area it looks really great. Comparatively, it buys much more than what $110,000 gets here. If it were me, I'd rent and see what it might feel like. Personally, I don't need a huge yard to maintain, I don't need a big house with too many rooms. I'm an outgoing person, so I don't mind meeting and knowing lots of neighbors. And those "tiny homes" don't remind me of mobile homes at all. Again, I'd really be interested in SEEING it all up close. In many ways, I think that the concept is forward-thinking.
I find it a really interesting concept too! I've lived in apartments forever, no yards and no community space. The average rent in my city for a 1 bedroom studio apartment is $1400 a month, more affordable rentals are run down and not well maintained. The median home price is $224 K. As a single person that makes less than $50 K a year, I'll most likely never be able to own my own home. This agrihood isn't a perfect system, I'm sure, but it sounds a lot more promising--on the surface-- than my current reality
@@AmyLynnification I hope you can find a solution that works for you. Having a small yard has been a blessing this past year. A place to go so I wasn't looking at the same four walls. Blessings.
@@thisorthat7626 and tomatoes & chickens 😉
The value, as I think you know, is not but the home, it’s garden, community center, entertainment, acreage to walk, produce store, etc. Also, people could save a lot more for a happier retirement without a big mortgage, travel, and feel more secure than live month to month.
I have been envisioning just such a community ❣️
I hope this video gets in all the right hands and Sparks a movement.
I hope you will go back in a couple of years and share how it is evolving.
i've been thinking about it too. It must be time to do this! Change is in the wind.
This has to be one of the coolest videos I have seen. What a great concept, agrihoods. They should be everywhere. We all need to stay connected to nature and our food sources. I love your videos, but Kirsten, this one was amazing. Keep them coming!! 👍🏻
Important piece.
Another piece of proof that too many of us have too much stuff.
These tiny homes are stunning. They feel like old farm houses. Incredible.
Despite the negatives that dwellers don't own the land, the mixed use and commitment to open space and farming should be commended. Works for a lot of folk and creates a sense of community.
Absolutely a great sense of community here. More so than I’ve ever experienced in the suburbs in a single-family home, in a condominium, in a town home, or in an apartment!
I don't know of any tiny home community in which the residents own the land. It's not the norm, and it would be a MAJOR headache to administer. I think renting/leasing the land, which includes landscaping and maintenance and access to all the amenities, is a better model than individual landowners of small plots. Just in terms of actual management. If they were all landowners, all of them could weigh in on every single decision, and people who dissented could have the legal right to break off from the central community, and it could be extremely difficult to get rid of anyone who was antisocial and refusing to meet participation commitments. My experience is, better to have central ownership with happy tenants who own or rent their own tiny houses. That way if someone gets tired of living in the community, they can leave. If they own the land, they can become a stubborn refuser, which is just bad for morale and sucks energy out of such a project. Have seen plenty in my years on the planet that convinces me of this. If I lived in Austin I'd be attracted to this development for sure, but I'd want to know more about the nature of the developer's contracts and agreements with the farm folks etc.
in portland they own communally the land
@@elizabethbennet4791 more like a co-op.
Hello Kirsten, I've been a subscriber for many, many years and a huge fan of unique dwellings. Your stories are so much more than just a house story. I find myself watching to learn of the interesting information, on a multitude of topics, that the dwelling owners share. Excellent editing, beautifully shot footage, all while your family is in tow. Magnificent work. 💖💖💖💖💖
I love this! We are looking at doing something like this in BC. It makes so much sense to have local organic food and a community to support it. Love tiny homes and they need a community with amenities and supports. Well done!!!
Nice to see concepts and diverse flora flourishing symbiotically
Great idea, that shows a wonderful place to start. My only suggestion would have been to stagger the tiny homes because the windows line up with the neighbors. Even setting the home back 15 feet would provide more privacy. Building around a farm is clever. Getting people back in touch with where their food comes from is important, IMO. Teaching people skills to help them grow food is even more important. Sunshine and some physical work will heal a lot of modern "diseases". I hope this catches on in other areas as a way to preserve farms and provide more affordable housing.
Wonderful inspirational people shown at their very best by wonderful creative video producers. Thank you. 💖
This is a very great idea,for farmers,and building a community that all people can beneficial for everyone, great plan!.
Awesome idea, bringing back the community that lives and works together. Where you can see where your food comes from and even for those that want to be part of creating this sense of commune community! We cannot survive without each other so getting to know your neighbours will be important!
Totally agree man, I find it ridiculous that people bash this idea so much, whether you're 10feet from ur neighbour or 50 feet, you will still have to get on with them. So why not combine community involvement? We should get to know each other better. The more you know about ur neighbor the more u can hopefully trust them and share with them.
I wish there were way more communities like this.
You mean trailer parks near farms?
@@drewcipher896 nope, trailer parks get a bad rap. Why can't you call it what it is, an actual community with farming as a way for people to connect? Not just poor people struggling to get by.
need to have tax exemptions... municipality and state taxes kills " Ideas "... find a low tax state and start one if you think it is substantially viable for your needs in life and retirement.
@@drewcipher896 lol ya
There will be.
The whole concept is AMAZING!!!!!!!! I would live in an environment like that today!!!!! Someone tried to create a tiny house community here in New Zealand, but the regulations haven’t caught up yet to this concept, and they were denyed. Hopefully soon and with this concept in mind. Love it!!!!! It harks back to the way our Māori used to live in their communities ❤️
Food is CENTRAL to our existence. Mother Earth is not a "resource or asset". SHE is the source of all LIFE. Huge respect for folks working this out. Blessings Abound.
What a great idea! I am in love with this community. It's genius.
Kudos to what they're doing. It's a beginning. They're bridging some paradigms. The critics here might do better by creating/contributing something beneficial in a community rather than discounting these people's efforts & hearts. Love the farmers!
Agree.
nothing new here...
@@yousurf374 Perhaps, but at least they're doing /building/ contributing something to the betterment of their community. Hats off to them!
@@jannewlove725 but this is not new.......
@@yousurf374 OK you win..
I'm a big fan of your work, love your family.from UK ❤🇬🇧
Thanks Fabiola. We love making the videos.
@@kirstendirksen This one was a treat thanks to the hosts’ attitude and authenticity.
I have never been to the US but it is my dream if I go is to go to Texas. I can live and work here in this farm for the rest of my life.
Wonderful that atleast a few people have started to wake up and save nature and live life along with nature instead of closing down agriculture.
You can dress it up as a tiny home community, but the fact is that without individual land ownership and with an RV base under everything this is a really fancy trailer park. If there weren't the zoning restrictions on home size and land ownership, I guarantee you these residents would have loved an extra 200 square feet of footprint so they didn't have to crawl through an upper loft that was 3 feet high. The design of this park and these homes is just another example of the City of Austin's horrible, horrible zoning code.
The owners and designers are to be commended for doing what the can with what they had, the homes do look very nice.
I love the idea of a tiny home. I’ve always lived tiny until 3 years ago and I do not like the 2000+sf. home I live in today. I am looking forward to getting back to that lifestyle.
COA doesn't care about its residents. It only cares about money!! Small homes should be so much cheaper but they are not!
@@le4905 They are but you're not going to get to the lowest prices with one off custom builds... Mass produced model homes are how you'd get the prices really low. There's just the problem of a generic design that won't fit everyone equally well and why so many demand custom because they want it their way...
While there's also the issue of relative costs... In places where homes are hundreds of thousands on up to millions. The sub $100K homes start looking like bargains, especially when that includes custom designed for you service, which you generally never get with a typical home that you just hope fits you...
@@le4905 I used to think so, too. But if you look at a standard home and look at what's most expensive in one, it's not the bedrooms and hallways. The most expensive rooms in a home are the kitchens and bathrooms. Thats 80% of what a tiny house is. Hence the price drop not being perportional.
@ duffy Elmer I can understand if it's not for you. But to criticize it as a fancy trailer park is ridiculous. First, you're mostly right and fancy trailer parks can be fantastic. Second, by including the agri aspect they've made it so much more. This ticks off alot of boxes for me. Just saying.
This is exactly what we need. MORE small scale farmers living with the environment and LESS large scale monoculture.
This is brilliant, such a win-win situation!
Love the idea, this is what we would like to create but maybe with more self building and community areas!
What a Beautiful place to live!
YAAAAAAASSSSSS!! Just imagine if the center was not a stupid golf course but something that taught and brought people together. wow..
Loved this place... The woman wearin Specs was so fun to listen coz the way she was talkin about the place made to Buy and Shift there to Live...
I dont want to rent forever! A community like this but owning my lot will be ideal.
Exactly. Rents aren't usually locked in. HOAs can skyrocket. Concept is great for the farmer, but more renting just sucks.
These issues need to be addressed nationwide. Trailer parks need resident ownership & protection for residents. RVs & trailers should be mortgage-backed. Tiny homes must be legalized beyond the scope of being RV's. Small lots and placing multiple homes on one lot all need to be legalized. Especially after America lost millions of homes after 2008, it's easy to see why there's a housing shortage!
Doing this as a Homeowners Association would allow for that. Developer buys the farm, homes are built, sold as an HOA where the owners can choose to do the work of the HOA maintenance and earn credits toward their HOA fee (no tax). Homeowners run the HOA, so it is theirs. Start with a small 10-20 family farm Agrihood.
You always find the most wonderful people to share with us!
I believe this is what we are moving towards....this is our living present and future lifestyle
Interesting video Kirsten. My aunt has a friend whom I believe is buying one of these tiny homes in this community. I like the idea of tiny houses, (smaller carbon foot print and downsizing), and I like the whole farm aspect and get yourself outside mentality as it can help to engender a sense of community which I thing we have gotten away from as a society. My main struggle with this particular model is that one does not own the land that one's house sits on. What happens if the developer decides to sell the land to someone else who has other ideas for the land? Then what? That uncertainty would make me pause.
That's the advantage of your house being on wheels. Your location may change, but you can keep the same house.
This is an amazing concept. I would love to live in a place like that.
I wanna move there. That's such an amazing concept
Would LOVE to see more of these communities, ohmygosh HOW AMAZING 💗💗💗💗💗
Love this community. Bravo.
The filmmaker/photographer truly didn't know that butterflies are beneficial insects??? That question really surprised me. I applaud the couple for preserving this vital part of American heritage, and promoting organic farming & gardening. Many other aspects seem undesirable, however. The corporate takeover is disheartening to say the least. People do what they can. Bravo to the preservationist mindset.
How exciting to be part of a developing community like this. Sometimes, I want to run away somewhere and start over, this would be a nice place to go.
This is fabulous, I would love to see this in my area - the suburbs of New York City. We used to have farms and apple orchards, now we have shopping malls and golf courses. I'd love to see the farms back!
Don't think I heard mention of another huge benefit (could have missed it) - all those residents working in the field together are becoming true neighbors and building friendships based on some common values. That's hugely different from most suburbs or developments (even built around a common amenity such as golf) where neighbors may never even meet.
Is that place real? What an amazing proyect! Thanks for sharing this fair company!
What a fantastic idea, wish we would do more of these type of development. Just need a little more space between the tiny homes to have a small yard.
people need to get together and plan thier own. this one was planned in advance before the people got involved. do it as a co-op.
Congratulations 🎉Regenerative Farming is where it's at.
5:19 Did not expect to see two trebuchets in this video lol
These are just what we call park homes in the UK. Standardised designs you have to chose from without any ability to design your own place. The "owners" don't own the land they are on but rent it and I bet the freeholder demands a proportion of any eventual sale price and has to approve the new owners.
Much less interesting than the one-off projects which are designed to the exact needs of the owner.
same in North America too... This video thinks it has invented THE WHEEL.
There are trailer park homes all over the USA. And space rental / HOA can be outrageously expensive. The only difference with this model is the farm centric aspect. Cool, but doesn't get people away from the large landlord scheme.
@@getenlightened ALL THIS IS , IS A BUILT IN CUSTOMER BASE... TINY HOMERS ARE MOSTLY VEGAN... VEGGIES FOR SALE.
Beautiful Proyect, thanks for sharing.
This is the dream!! I’m actually looking forward to open something like this in my area
This is my dream too. I would love to see this in the Garden State
Me to we need that here but Nebraska will never let it happen
@@jeremiahsmomforever2844 don't assume that . i live in one of the most restrictive zoning states- Oregon. but lately the decades- old zoning and codes have been changed to accomodate tiny homes, and villages of them. so, it's changing but it takes people demanding it and working with city/ county planners.
While the idea is basically good, the prices are ridiculous and with so many homes it's going to be nothing more than a glorified trailer park. I really hope the idea of building communities around farms and markets catches on, but I hope it's not going to be just another incarnation of the suburb. I can't understand how most people encounter huge resistance from town boards when trying to build a small community, maybe off-grid, but these people seem to have no problem building hundreds of them.
Austin is ridiculous with housing costs. My friend wants to live in a tiny home community but was turned away because her home wasn't "new" enough and they told her she needed a new paint job which she cannot afford as a single mom. She's exactly the type of person that would thrive in this community but unless you make $80,000+ (did you notice the Mini Coopers parked out front of the tiny homes?) you will get turned away. Seems BACKWARDS to me.
yeah! 90k bucks for 37m² is way too much... it's over 2400 $/m², and you don't even own the land.
You have to get Agricultural Zoned land with NO restrictions to do things like this. People need to move to rural areas to get to do this or fight the cities to change their zoning laws.
@@quinosonic82 If those numbers are indeed true... then this is a scam. Only the well off can afford that. Doesn't seem fair since the rest of Austin is doubling and tripling in housing costs already. The middle class gets screwed every single time.
yeah that's what i saw...a trailer park. looks like more RVs than "tiny homes."
i think not many people who have a lot of money are really creative or wanting to do things that don't fit into the system that made them rich.
Perhaps I spent too much time in southern California, but no way where I want neighbors this close anymore. Wait, did she say 90-105k for 399 sq ft or less? That's $226 per sq ft !!
Yes yes she did.... You can build for cheaper!
Yep . Could of just repurposed a trailer park .
Totally awesome...
But...price is way too high!
Agreed, the price is way too high for the amount of space you are purchasing.
Loosing farm land is obsoleutly devastating and very sad. It's nice that your incorporating the farm with tiny house's and getting the community involved along with educating about farm life. The down side in all these tiny house communities they do not provide enough space between each tiny house in all the tiny house communities.
Think of it as living in a tiny condominium with no neighbor above you below you or next to you on any side and windows on all four sides of your home, An organic farm outside your door, and a very tightly knit community of like-minded individuals.
@@briancollins3177 It's all about her profit.
Love the farm as heart of the project. Better than a golf course, tennis courts, or a swimming pool-which all cost $$! every year.
There are swimming pools on the original RV side, so it's the best of both worlds!
It has costly and wasteful pools.
At a price tag of 90-105k, this is a very attractive, albeit not perfect, housing idea. Inspiring and room for improvement.
You can buy a whole house with a large lot in plenty of lower income areas in the flyover states for less money.
@@ctwofirst6635 Yeah but good luck being near economic opportunity or the offerings of populous areas that many people actually like. Just because they like it doesn't mean you have to live there, and just because you like the kind of area you mentioned doesn't mean that city/suburban folks shouldn't try to improve the reality of their current situation.
“If you build it, they will come.” 😊
I would love to live there! I'm an older aggie and have been looking at tiny houses.
This appears ideal for many to live in smaller spaces but yet have the largest outdoor areas. Amazing!
Love this idea but houses are just too close together. It looks like a trailer park.
Tiny houses are legally RVs. So at this point, it isn't a stigma to talk openly about trailer parks. Hopefully, an evolution of frugal housing can improve things for some people. There are other options for those who want or can.
it IS a Trailer/RV park.. period.
Methinks we shouldn't judge people who live in trailer parks.
@@madeinkonada Agree.
I love the concept but agree with you. Seems like the RV and diveways take up a lot of space. Should alternate the streets and greenways. These are observations not meant to be negative on the whole development.
This is the ideal neighbourhood, my dream life. Thanks so much! It is so inspiring.
those loft ceiling heights could be raised higher after being moved to the site
Yes I’ve often thought about that if we can have pullouts in RVs there must be a way to pull UP the roof lol. I’ve been wanting to start my own business involving affordable tiny homes of some sort now that my children are grown.
My step brother owns a company that builds Tiny homes in Nelson BC ( and makes some of the best multi purpose furniture in the business, his furniture was even recently featured in “Living big in a tiny house”his homes have been on the show as well He’s so artistic ) I wonder if that’s something I could do. Hmmmm lol. It would be great being able to expand up and out in a “traditional” tiny home Maybe more appealing to the people that do need more space. Interesting lol.
The outline of the intention of this place sounds great and the sentiment expressed is spot on as far as farming and nature. However, what strikes me as odd is the housing and restrictions. Being classed as an RV park as far as residency is concerned seems contrary to actual community. I'd rather see natural built housing (straw bale, cob, recycled lumber, hempcrete), land and home owner owned, rather than industry produced cookie cutter offerings and elimination of restricting the size of dwelling (while emphasizing "build no more than your needs"). A real community needs all manner of vocations, even in a community where farming is primary. Check out Community First to see what I mean. Although it's a community for the homeless, there are many who aren't homeless who'd love to live in a community like it. Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is another one to check out (not for the homeless, but for those desiring a sustainable lifestyle with appropriate housing). The one in this video seems like it would appeal to upper middle class "wannabes"...odd that the woman mentions diversity in farming and nature, but the human element of diversity is absent. Oh, well, at least it hands down wins out against the fake and elitist typical suburban mcmansion lifestyle.
Love all the ideas for the barn - permaculture classes, gatherings!
I’d love to live in a community like this. 💗
17:53 - honestly, the BEST tiny home tour.. Shows what to expect w/ 2 children living in the real world. I honestly appreciate that her home looks lived in. She is a working mom & wife, w/ 2 active kiddos that are also doing remote schooling.
It is nice to see what a tiny home truly looks like for a younger couple that has kids. 🥰
That bald kid running with his dog was so random 😂 So yeah, this is one of many different models for tiny home living. Not a fan of land rent, but I'm sure that could evolve over time.
Option to buy land over time could promote a sense of mutual responsibility (one is vested in personal property and health of place overall.)
@@nicolasboullosa 👍
This has got to be the greatest neighbourhood out there!
I agree
It's a trailer park.
Texas and Tennessee are the hub right now for tiny home living. All of these homes look amazing but costing $90,000.00 to $105,000.00 seems pretty expensive and not cost effective.
Excellent video - Thanks!
What a wonderful idea!!
This is a dream/goal of mine. I’ve written out the plan and am working on how to build it as a transition community for the homeless. I also want one for single parents and their children. I have a big plan drawn up. Thank you for sharing this video. It’s confirmation that I can make it happen. 🙏🏾❤️
I've been thinking about the potential of ideas like the one you explain. If you decide to work on it, drop us a comment to see if we can visit during the process. Best,
Sophia, check out “Community first village”, also in Austin Texas. The brain child of Alan Graham, founder of mobile loaves and fishes. They do have a Facebook page.
@@briancollins3177 yep, I follow them on Instagram. I love it!
@@briancollins3177 Far better and more beautiful nonprofit concept.
Well, I have to comment on this one. Over the years I've watched the majority of your videos, and loved the majority. But this one is the best by far. It was a WOW video and what an education!
It's a trailer park.
Pretty much for people who are very social, love the farm aspect of this plan though.
I’ve had this idea!! Sadly no capital....
Already some tiny homes in this area over 50 years old.... gonna try, try, try! Starting with a garden on church grounds. South Tx.
Those tiny homes, I’m sure don’t have tiny prices 🥺
This is a great idea: a tiny home community at the boundaries of an organic farm. (We were in a group of people decades ago that discussed this idea, but we realized that it wasn't going to happen until the economics forced it to happen. The economics have finally forced Americans out of their super-sized comfort zones & resource guzzling over-sized homes.)
So, to improve this approach even more, we need local governments to upgrade their zoning regulations and building codes. A tiny home community is not a trailer park - the subcultures are totally different demographics. And tiny house owners are making the sensible, conscious choice to downsize and live more affordably & sustainably - a lot of them probably love the idea of an organic farm a hundred yards away.
That said, making them rent a super tiny parking pad is just another way to disempower people and keep them "under control". Some well thought out community covenants could do that just fine, and some people will want, and be able to afford, a larger parcel of their own. As with many things in the modern world, The System is always a few steps behind and acting to make positive change more difficult for the innovators.
Still, this shows what a greener, less expensive and more sustainable lifestyle could look like in the 21st century.
I wonder what the per capita carbon & resource footprints of these residents are like compared to the median in their county? I bet they are having far less negative impacts on their environment than the more normal lifestyles in the area. And that would be a change for the better...
don't even worry about carbon, it's a chimera. a figment. a popular fad. The Earth climates change all the time and always have. if you are growing a lot of green things, you are doing good for the local climate and keeping temps down in your neighborhood. Creating oxygen for humans to breathe in your living space. deforestation over thousands of years, in the old world is the main culprit of desertification. They are beginning to re-green and carbon dioxide helps grow green things better.
as for ownership. People have been grouping together and forming land ownership co-ops for decades. There's an eco village that did it eons ago, it's on youtube.
Just for clarification... If you want a tiny house to be RVIA certified it needs to conform to those requirements, including being under 400 sq ft. RVIA is a trade organization, so these are not codes, it's an industry standard. Local governments may use those industry standards in their codes and ordinances... but truth be told there is no law or code that says tiny houses have to be a certain size - yet.
Don't worry, Austin will get right on that code ordinance if they havent already.
Thanks for the clarification, Michael, we’ve been reading you and Lloyd Alter for years now. Keep the good work.
I was under the assumption to qualify for an RV park tiny houses had to be under 400 sq ft (except perhaps for Florida) though this was only because I'd heard it enough times so thanks for the clarification.
@@kirstendirksen I think it just depends on the location. I suspect 400 sq ft is being chosen as a result of the RVIA classification... like the tail wagging the dog.
Congratulations guys. Because if the hurricanes, we can’t do something like that over here in Florida.
Great idea.
Love the diversity of the homes on this one.
I like the "farm at the center" concept. I'm concerned by the "equity only in the home", as homes on standard trailer frames are movable only in theory. A more open "bring your own structure" (Yurt/Tiny home/Dome, etc) might have less upfront cost/ work better in other places. However the critical factor seems to be Farmers interested in engaging in the project long term along with a supportive community which sees farms and associated spaces as true community resources. I've live in or visited a number of cities where the farms have sadly been transformed into housing developments. A surviving pond/grist mill was treasured in the odd case, but not the actual farm and all that went with it- you get food from supermarkets after all! I hope concepts like this and urban farms, partnered with Farm to Table reverse the trend. Thanks Kirsten and Family for sharing the story!
In a comment higher up, I spoke to the issue of the difficulty of administering a situation in which there are hundreds of landowners of small plots. I don't think anything would be gained by it. But the other thing is, this development/farm is within city limits. It has to meet city and state building codes and permits and zoning. There are plenty of ways to have a community, this is one way that can happen within city limits. To do what you're talking about, you'd need to be out in the country in a county that doesn't require building permits and doesn't have zoning. I've lived off-grid and out in the country for large parts of my life. In California, a development like you describe would get red-tagged and torn down-- been there and done that. In Mississippi, where I moved to help my late mother and now am living here for a while longer, there is no zoning outside city limits, and we were able to build my mother a tiny house with no permits required. On our country property, we could have created that type of community with no official interference. Whether it could or would survive socially is another thing entirely, since the general culture in this state is not exactly alternatives-friendly. Just saying, it's not that simple to just allow a bunch of unpermitted/unpermittable dwellings on a property.
Understand the concept/approach, and really appreciate what they are doing (awesome!). Although from the perspective of architecture there appears to be a lack of integration with the site between living and farming. The tiny homes (which I am all for) and farm layout are disconnected. A farm is where you steward and have a relationship with the land, and grow roots...the opposite of RV living. Find some architect students willing to come up with a layout and design for you.
Hmm. I don't experience it that way at all.
This is wonderful for children. It let's them see where real food comes from.
I'd love if this idea caught on.
These house, by all means, are not tiny. And people quickly fill it up with unnecessary stuff. I would love a community like that. Tomatoes and eggs farm fresh around the corner in walking distance.
399 sq ft is tiny when the average American house is almost 2k sq ft
@@YachtsOnTheReg7 which is excessive by all means. And 2k sq are quickly filled up with unnecessary stuff.
It’s like a green acres themed trailer park, kinda neat actually haha
Exactly how is it like Green Acres?
@@elbob248 Like this.....
"Green Acres is the place to be.
Farm livin' is the life for me.
Land spreadin' out so far and wide
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside."
Great episode, so inspiring!
Unaffordable housing. We tried to find something like this for my uncle but the $600/mo - which could go up - is just too much. It’s the mobile home community model. Nice idea for those who can afford it. Also it would be great to replace golf courses with community gardens and food sources.
Yea I think there are better ways to develop that this channel has featured. It's nice to see that they're doing something different though. If it wasn't for the lack of actual property ownership that goes with a (trailer) community like this, it'd be fairly ideal set up.
With this model you would own it, so the price would be fixed since you're paying a mortgage. But I agree with both you and Soltestament - there are better ways to do this. Like, houses with foundations and more space (I just cringe at the narrowness and multitude of neighbors). Or even just larger lots where people can put down foundations or bring in their tiny home on wheels.
@@bmccuan I guessing you would own the tiny home and rent land to put it on?
Many of us who desire this lifestyle cannot afford the Austin price tag. There are better cities in Texas... much cheaper, less traffic. This is from a 6th generation Austinite :)
@@le4905 Taylor is a whole lot better, for one.
Such an amazing place!! I love the history of the farm.