Tiny Houses in the Bay Area (San Francisco, Sausalito: real estate, 2014, rent)

[ttocs99]

I've been really fascinated by the Tiny House movement, in fact, that's what I want to buy when I retire, a Tiny House, and move it to The Bay Area. Anyone know anyone who lives in one of these ? Or of any areas in the Bay Area that allow these ? I think you can have one of these in a trailer park, so I was looking into parking one near Sausalito if it's allowable. It won't be for several years, probably 10+ years, but I really like the idea.

Here's an example of what I want.

The Wedge Park Model RV by Wheelhaus | Luxury Rolling Cabins - Wyoming

Any ideas ? I THINK Sausalito has a trailer park but I'm not sure.

[bmw335xi]

I know a lot of people who expressed interest in living in one, but no one who has actually went through with it. I think these little houses are very interesting because they are quite luxurious inside. I think life would be more pleasant in an area with more land though. Since the inside living space is small, I would want a large outdoor space, but that's just me. As far as trailer parks go, my biggest concern would be the quality of the neighbors. If you do go through with it, let us know! I think they are pretty cool.

[Ruth4Truth]

There's a house in Marin that isn't on wheels, but it was built along the "tiny house' lines, though a little bigger. There's a "tiny house' company that also provides building plans for expanded versions of the tiny houses. Someone in Marin hired an architect to build one of those, but this couple bought land to situate it on. You can't just drive up and park it somewhere, as if it were a VW camper van, and live on the street or in parkland, or something. You need to buy land for it, or know people who will allow you to use their land and hook up to water and sewer. A trailer park would do, I guess you've figured that out.

[shooting4life]

I would rent a similar sized rv and go on an extended camping trip to get used to the size to see if it can work for you.

Some people can make it work, most who think they can, cannot.

[Tulemutt]

^^^^ This . I live in less than 70 sq ft on a small sailboat. Since forever. I love it. And I know many who have tried to live small and go crazy in no time.

[tanglenet]

You may just want to buy a vintage 1906 one:

1906 Earthquake Refugee Shacks - Western Neighborhoods Project - San Francisco History

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by tanglenet

You may just want to buy a vintage 1906 one:

1906 Earthquake Refugee Shacks - Western Neighborhoods Project - San Francisco History

Many of those have been updated in a major way, and sell for $1,000,000, give or take around $250,000.

[Ceece]

The problem is always the land. There are small (not "tiny on wheels") houses all over the Bay Area but they are still $$ because of the land. You may buy a tiny house outright, with cash, or build your own and have no mortgage...but you will pay through the nose for the right to park it somewhere and use utilities.

They are cute, but not a solution to anything.

[ttocs99]

I guess what I posted would be considered a trailer home. I believe there are trailer parks in Sausalito, which is where I would love to live, so I will look into that. Someone actually created a hotel complex in Wyoming with several of these, quite ingenious in my humble opinion. You could probably get the money back on your investment in a couple of years renting these out as hotel rooms or primary living quarters. All said and done, you can own your own home for around 100 grand and just have to pay for the trailer park slot and monthly for the hookups (electricity, etc).

I stayed at a hotel in Bridgehampton NY, and it looks like they connected a bunch of module homes to make this hotel.





This is what it looked like.

Of course, these so called tiny houses (the one I like is 400 sq feet, which is plenty big), aren't really for families, I would say at most for 2 people.

[ViolentDisasters]

From the haydays of the Haight to the Tech-induced real estate boom... RVs and buses have always been the quintessential SF tiny house.