Why Haven’t Tiny Houses Taken Off in Pittsburgh? (California: for sale, real estate)

[SteelCityRising]

While battling strep throat I’ve spent most of my day watching HGTV’s Tiny House Hunters on Hulu.

Pittsburgh has a plethora of smaller, vacant, city-owned lots. Wouldn’t it seem logical to buy one of these lots from the URA for pennies on the dollar and plop a tiny house upon it?

I am aware of the failed “Tiny House Experiment” in Garfield. With how popular this trend is becoming in many other parts of the country, though, is there any way to make it financially feasible here? Spending $150,000 for a basic tiny house when the entire point of a tiny house is financial freedom isn’t acceptable. How is this more affordable in more expensive places like Oregon and California than it is in Pittsburgh?

[North Beach Person]

I'd like to think that, although the City sometimes seems to have been overrun by hipsters, that most people living there are still pretty smart.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

I'd like to think that, although the City sometimes seems to have been overrun by hipsters, that most people living there are still pretty smart.

What is that supposed to mean?

Given rising real estate prices here and the dearth of 1-BR/1-BA homes on the market here at any given time it seems like there should be plenty of people interested in tiny houses. I would personally like a “bigger” (500-600-square-foot) tiny house, but I’m not paying $100,000+ for one when I see so many others in more expensive locations being had for cheaper. Oh, and I’m not a hipster.

Why is this city so tiny house-unfriendly?

[Paul2421]

because nobody can make enough money off of it and government doesn't feel the need to subsidize it. where land is cheap enough for it to make sense there are already inhabitable houses that can be bought in your price range.

basically you have a lot. unless you build four houses on that lot building one tiny house is going to cost more per square foot. they can get more money by building a bigger house. not sure if the lots can be broken up, but at that point you are better off building condos.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

What is that supposed to mean?

Given rising real estate prices here and the dearth of 1-BR/1-BA homes on the market here at any given time it seems like there should be plenty of people interested in tiny houses. I would personally like a “bigger” (500-600-square-foot) tiny house, but I’m not paying $100,000+ for one when I see so many others in more expensive locations being had for cheaper. Oh, and I’m not a hipster.

Why is this city so tiny house-unfriendly?

How much does the building lot cost? Add site prep. That's assuming the small lots are considered buildable as far as area.

Multiply that number by 2 1/2 to 3 1/2. That's the number most builders want to see as a selling price. If it's under that then an individual will have to buy the lot and build it themselves.

Most people do look at resale down the road so there is going to be hesitation to build a house, or anything, that's in reality a very small niche market and has all the earmarks of a fad.

I'll give a very local Southern Maryland example from here. A number of years ago a storm wiped out most of the old beach cottages on our waterfront. Many of the rebuilds ended up being two bedroom houses. A fair number have gone up for sale and have sat on the market for months and even years. The reason? Two bedrooms.

[PghYinzer]

I think it has to do with the lack of demand. Why pay $75k for a tiny house on wheels where you can #2 while sitting on your composting toilet/couch in your bedroom/bath/kitchen? You can pay 60k and get a small 3 bedroom house. One that is quite vintage even.

https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/.../pid_20894393/


I have always wanted a small, historically accurate/intact bungalow, but those are hard to find in Pgh. I have settled on the idea of perhaps building one someday using historical house plans, but at this point in my life it is very cost prohibitive.

[svband76]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

I'd like to think that, although the City sometimes seems to have been overrun by hipsters, that most people living there are still pretty smart.

Ha! Best response I've read in years.

[sealie]

Zoning and utility hookup costs and whatever you have to pay to make the lot buildable. Plus the URA may not want to sell to you for pennies on the dollar.

[Blue Shift]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Pittsburgh has a plethora of smaller, vacant, city-owned lots. Wouldn’t it seem logical to buy one of these lots from the URA for pennies on the dollar and plop a tiny house upon it?

I am aware of the failed “Tiny House Experiment” in Garfield. With how popular this trend is becoming in many other parts of the country, though, is there any way to make it financially feasible here? Spending $150,000 for a basic tiny house when the entire point of a tiny house is financial freedom isn’t acceptable. How is this more affordable in more expensive places like Oregon and California than it is in Pittsburgh?

"Tiny homes" don't conform to city building codes?

[Gingercoyote]

By the time one pays impact fees etc, the price of a tiny home on a city lot would be far more than most people want to pay.