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If my wife and I had lived in one of those for our first two years of marriage, we could have saved up one heck of a down payment for our first house.

drcode 12y ago
I'm guessing, like most people who have more resources than refugees, you and your wife would prefer living somewhere with a bathroom, indoor plumbing, and a refrigerator.
mahyarm 12y ago
Your house down payment is usually mostly the value of the land underneath the structure, not the structure itself.
- YokoZar 12y ago
  This depends very much where you live. In some places with very expensive property markets the structure can be as low as 20% of the cost of a home (a typical downpayment amount) -- conversely, with low property/land values, the quality of the building itself can be most of the value. A side effect of high land values is that the relative cost of teardowns/rebuilds is much lower, so you tend to see more replacement of the buildings themselves unless there are other regulations in place blocking that.
Someone1234 12y ago
Likely but the real problem with doing so is actually land. Even if you own some many cities take issue with non-permanent domiciles that are lived in for long periods (not least of all because you escape housing tax, and aren't up to "code"). However several people have done what you're suggesting by: - Living on a boat (either out at sea, moored just off-shore, or at a marina). This can range from being cheaper, to being much more expensive. - Campervan, or enclosed truck. They often park semi-legally overnight and move every few days to escape harassment. Bathrooms are problematic (gym? work?). - Camping (i.e. just tent and woods). This often escapes harassment (since you aren't in a city) but you are limited by water, and often travelling to/from the site is time consuming if you wish to work. - Living at work (if possible). Likely legal but can get you fired thus homeless. - Living a hotel. Some people have claimed that they can live in a hotel for less than the cost of a mortgage + utilities + taxes + other expenses. Ditto with some cruises. YMMV. - Living in a foreign country. If you work remotely living abroad or in the middle of nowhere can cost a LOT less than living in a big expensive city. PS - In general being homeless is "illegal" in most US cities. You'd get harassed, maybe even arrested, just for being without a fixed address. Most cities will try to run you out of town (literally and figuratively).
- 15155 12y ago
  - RV? RE: Shower/bathroom - PlanetFitness is popular amongst vagabonds from what I hear - $10/mo and has many national locations.
  - DenisM 12y ago
    Costco sells cheap gym memberships as well, I think I saw one for $350 / 2 years.
- munificent 12y ago
  > Campervan, or enclosed truck. They often park semi-legally overnight and move every few days to escape harassment. Bathrooms are problematic (gym? work?). My neighborhood has had an increasing influx of these in the past few months. At first I figured, "Live and let live. If this is all they can afford until they get back on their feet, more power to them." Since then, I've learned that the solution to the bathroom problem is often "shit in the alley behind my house", and their daytime activities typically consist of dealing and doing drugs and scattering trash. I ran out of sympathy right around the time I found a used needle near the front yard where my toddler likes to run around and play.
  - Potando 12y ago
    Sounds like your problem is drug users/dealers, not people with mobile homes. I hope you wouldn't also want to push out the good ones who aren't causing problems. You can just consider that you now live in a bad neighborhood. Some people have this from their permanent house neighbors too.
- Obi_Juan_Kenobi 12y ago
  Cheapest way to live in Berkeley, CA is on a boat. $7.74 per foot at the marina, and you get access to bathroom and showers. If you're willing to do some DIY, you can get a boat for a few grand. Plus, you get to sail around the bay! Obviously not everyone is cut out for that, but it's worked for a Ph.D. I know.
darklajid 12y ago
Or you wouldn't be wife and husband anymore. I'm joking and serious at the same time: Living in a very constraint space is certainly not for everybody and - as far as I understand - highly taxing. I'm sure I could live in a sparsely decorated minimum sq hut - alone. I have the world's best wife, but stuff us into a place like that and over time only one will come out alive..

drcode 12y ago

I'm guessing, like most people who have more resources than refugees, you and your wife would prefer living somewhere with a bathroom, indoor plumbing, and a refrigerator.

mahyarm 12y ago

Your house down payment is usually mostly the value of the land underneath the structure, not the structure itself.

YokoZar 12y ago
This depends very much where you live. In some places with very expensive property markets the structure can be as low as 20% of the cost of a home (a typical downpayment amount) -- conversely, with low property/land values, the quality of the building itself can be most of the value. A side effect of high land values is that the relative cost of teardowns/rebuilds is much lower, so you tend to see more replacement of the buildings themselves unless there are other regulations in place blocking that.

Someone1234 12y ago

Likely but the real problem with doing so is actually land. Even if you own some many cities take issue with non-permanent domiciles that are lived in for long periods (not least of all because you escape housing tax, and aren't up to "code"). However several people have done what you're suggesting by: - Living on a boat (either out at sea, moored just off-shore, or at a marina). This can range from being cheaper, to being much more expensive. - Campervan, or enclosed truck. They often park semi-legally overnight and move every few days to escape harassment. Bathrooms are problematic (gym? work?). - Camping (i.e. just tent and woods). This often escapes harassment (since you aren't in a city) but you are limited by water, and often travelling to/from the site is time consuming if you wish to work. - Living at work (if possible). Likely legal but can get you fired thus homeless. - Living a hotel. Some people have claimed that they can live in a hotel for less than the cost of a mortgage + utilities + taxes + other expenses. Ditto with some cruises. YMMV. - Living in a foreign country. If you work remotely living abroad or in the middle of nowhere can cost a LOT less than living in a big expensive city. PS - In general being homeless is "illegal" in most US cities. You'd get harassed, maybe even arrested, just for being without a fixed address. Most cities will try to run you out of town (literally and figuratively).

15155 12y ago
- RV? RE: Shower/bathroom - PlanetFitness is popular amongst vagabonds from what I hear - $10/mo and has many national locations.
- DenisM 12y ago
  Costco sells cheap gym memberships as well, I think I saw one for $350 / 2 years.
munificent 12y ago
> Campervan, or enclosed truck. They often park semi-legally overnight and move every few days to escape harassment. Bathrooms are problematic (gym? work?). My neighborhood has had an increasing influx of these in the past few months. At first I figured, "Live and let live. If this is all they can afford until they get back on their feet, more power to them." Since then, I've learned that the solution to the bathroom problem is often "shit in the alley behind my house", and their daytime activities typically consist of dealing and doing drugs and scattering trash. I ran out of sympathy right around the time I found a used needle near the front yard where my toddler likes to run around and play.
- Potando 12y ago
  Sounds like your problem is drug users/dealers, not people with mobile homes. I hope you wouldn't also want to push out the good ones who aren't causing problems. You can just consider that you now live in a bad neighborhood. Some people have this from their permanent house neighbors too.
Obi_Juan_Kenobi 12y ago
Cheapest way to live in Berkeley, CA is on a boat. $7.74 per foot at the marina, and you get access to bathroom and showers. If you're willing to do some DIY, you can get a boat for a few grand. Plus, you get to sail around the bay! Obviously not everyone is cut out for that, but it's worked for a Ph.D. I know.

darklajid 12y ago

Or you wouldn't be wife and husband anymore. I'm joking and serious at the same time: Living in a very constraint space is certainly not for everybody and - as far as I understand - highly taxing. I'm sure I could live in a sparsely decorated minimum sq hut - alone. I have the world's best wife, but stuff us into a place like that and over time only one will come out alive..