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In my home city of Houston, Texas there are a lot of old "shotgun" houses from about 100 years ago which really are just a bedroom attached to a kitchen. The ti

In my home city of Houston, Texas there are a lot of old "shotgun" houses from about 100 years ago which really are just a bedroom attached to a kitchen. The tiny box in the front would not really qualify as a living room in most places. I wonder why we dont see new houses built at this size. Its not a tiny house, and totally liveable. I feel like a new one should cost between 50-100k$. Why do we only see mega houses being built.

bryanlarsen 3y ago
Those were built when land had little value. Today the land is worth far more than the house. Who would build a $50K house on $200K worth of land? We need a lot more 50-100K living spaces, but they only way we're going to get them is through density so that $500K worth of land can be split between 20+ families.
- wegfawefgawefg 3y ago
  Houston may be an anomoly but there are tons and tons of vacant lots everywhere. Many of them are only like 10-20k and 15-20 minutes from the city center. Usually in areas full of mexicans. But no houses on them!!
  - jen20 3y ago
    Houston is also an anomaly because there are no zoning laws to speak of, so if Houston wanted to do this (and it does in some areas!) it could.
    - wegfawefgawefg 3y ago
      Theres still tons of bullshit regulations. Cant even build a damn fence without getting a sign posted saying you get a fine. Or your own plumbing. etc.
- argiopetech 3y ago
  This may be true in high density cities, but it's not reflected in my recent house purchase (~4 acres, 1650sq.ft. manufactured house). I had always thought of the property as the valuable part, and I still value it more than the house (houses are replaceable), but, a) the value of the property is less than 10% of total purchase price, b) The mortgage broker did not consider the value of the land AT ALL when writing the mortgage, c) I don't own the property, I rent it from the county.
martythemaniak 3y ago
Depends on local market, but housing material doesn't contribute much to house prices. Land, permits, development charges, fees, make up an enormous percentage. You don't have much on labor. In other words, no one will buy a shack for $500k when a proper house would cost $600k
- wegfawefgawefg 3y ago
  Then we just have to trim down the regulation. A society can only afford regulation when it is wealthy. If people start getting broke again you have to be adaptable and remove it so the price floor goes down. Laws cannot be ratchets.
teeray 3y ago
Bedroom+Kitchen are relatively easy. The problem is bathrooms. If you have access to sewer, you’re in great shape—no problem. Otherwise, you need land for a septic system (tank and leach field). How much land you have, how well that land percs [0], underground obstacles, and regulations in your municipality all determine how expensive that system will be. They are usually in the 5 figure range, sometimes reaching the high end of that range if there’s limited space (requiring specialized equipment like a continuous air pump). [0] Percolation Test - how permeable the soil is to water. Often abbreviated to “perc test”.
- wegfawefgawefg 3y ago
  Well now we know the problem. Overregulation, and corruption. Id rather have a primitive toilet than be homeless.
  - teeray 3y ago
    Well, no, it’s public health. Innovation in plumbing over the past millennium has directly lead to drastic reduction in disease.
    - wegfawefgawefg 3y ago
      Of course. Much regulation comes with a quality floor increase and safety benefits. (Some of it is just corrupt regulatory capture. Companies trying to prevent competition via legislstion.) Even if you assume the regulation is with good intentions, when people become poor again you cant afford the high costs of the regulation, and it has to be removed for practicality, or exceptions for small low cost dwellings. Imagine if you mandated that all houses must have 3 bathrooms for public health. People would just dissobey. In the same way that all the poor people I know drive cars without car insurance, but risk losing their liscense which takes them to their only source of income. You cant wish problems away by making everything illegal.
      - teeray 3y ago
        It sounds like you’re advocating for housing the poor in shantytowns without proper sanitation. That’s an uncommon position to argue for, but I’m sure you can find some resources about why that is a less-than-desirable outcome for the poor.
nunez 3y ago
Also a Houstonian. Those are getting torn up and replaced with $1-$2M three story townhouses with the absolute quickness. But I agree with you. Those (relatively) tiny homes are cute.

bryanlarsen 3y ago

Those were built when land had little value. Today the land is worth far more than the house. Who would build a $50K house on $200K worth of land? We need a lot more 50-100K living spaces, but they only way we're going to get them is through density so that $500K worth of land can be split between 20+ families.

wegfawefgawefg 3y ago
Houston may be an anomoly but there are tons and tons of vacant lots everywhere. Many of them are only like 10-20k and 15-20 minutes from the city center. Usually in areas full of mexicans. But no houses on them!!
- jen20 3y ago
  Houston is also an anomaly because there are no zoning laws to speak of, so if Houston wanted to do this (and it does in some areas!) it could.
  - wegfawefgawefg 3y ago
    Theres still tons of bullshit regulations. Cant even build a damn fence without getting a sign posted saying you get a fine. Or your own plumbing. etc.
argiopetech 3y ago
This may be true in high density cities, but it's not reflected in my recent house purchase (~4 acres, 1650sq.ft. manufactured house). I had always thought of the property as the valuable part, and I still value it more than the house (houses are replaceable), but, a) the value of the property is less than 10% of total purchase price, b) The mortgage broker did not consider the value of the land AT ALL when writing the mortgage, c) I don't own the property, I rent it from the county.

martythemaniak 3y ago

Depends on local market, but housing material doesn't contribute much to house prices. Land, permits, development charges, fees, make up an enormous percentage. You don't have much on labor. In other words, no one will buy a shack for $500k when a proper house would cost $600k

wegfawefgawefg 3y ago
Then we just have to trim down the regulation. A society can only afford regulation when it is wealthy. If people start getting broke again you have to be adaptable and remove it so the price floor goes down. Laws cannot be ratchets.

teeray 3y ago

Bedroom+Kitchen are relatively easy. The problem is bathrooms. If you have access to sewer, you’re in great shape—no problem. Otherwise, you need land for a septic system (tank and leach field). How much land you have, how well that land percs [0], underground obstacles, and regulations in your municipality all determine how expensive that system will be. They are usually in the 5 figure range, sometimes reaching the high end of that range if there’s limited space (requiring specialized equipment like a continuous air pump). [0] Percolation Test - how permeable the soil is to water. Often abbreviated to “perc test”.

wegfawefgawefg 3y ago
Well now we know the problem. Overregulation, and corruption. Id rather have a primitive toilet than be homeless.
- teeray 3y ago
  Well, no, it’s public health. Innovation in plumbing over the past millennium has directly lead to drastic reduction in disease.
  - wegfawefgawefg 3y ago
    Of course. Much regulation comes with a quality floor increase and safety benefits. (Some of it is just corrupt regulatory capture. Companies trying to prevent competition via legislstion.) Even if you assume the regulation is with good intentions, when people become poor again you cant afford the high costs of the regulation, and it has to be removed for practicality, or exceptions for small low cost dwellings. Imagine if you mandated that all houses must have 3 bathrooms for public health. People would just dissobey. In the same way that all the poor people I know drive cars without car insurance, but risk losing their liscense which takes them to their only source of income. You cant wish problems away by making everything illegal.
    - teeray 3y ago
      It sounds like you’re advocating for housing the poor in shantytowns without proper sanitation. That’s an uncommon position to argue for, but I’m sure you can find some resources about why that is a less-than-desirable outcome for the poor.

nunez 3y ago

Also a Houstonian. Those are getting torn up and replaced with $1-$2M three story townhouses with the absolute quickness. But I agree with you. Those (relatively) tiny homes are cute.