I went to a tiny home festival last weekend, and I looked at a used RV this weekend. While the RV wasn’t in as good of shape as the owner put in the ad (the words “death trap” come to mind), the trip has gotten me thinking about my future living situation.
Based on my income, I’m really paying too much for the apartment I live in, regardless of how much I like it. So downsizing or making different choices makes some sense. Moving into an RV is one way to go. But I’ve also thought of buying a small house that is reasonably priced. As long as it is structurally sound (unlike that RV), it’s sure to be a good investment. Property values are bound to go up in this neck of the woods.
And if I want to stay in St. Pete, buying makes sense. Moving into a small house would allow me to be a better environmentalist. I could put a metal roof up. I could capture rainwater. The city gives me a blue bucket for recycling. I could get a composting toilet, solar panels, etc… Things that I don’t get to choose with apartment living… Some of them have garages! Maybe I could turn that into a mother-in-law suite and rent it on Air BnB!
My main thing
with buying would be a down payment. But I’ve been reading that sometimes you don’t need such a large one. I might be able to save that up in a year.
So the plan now is to … well … plan. Plan for next year when my lease is up. Perhaps I’ll buy a home. Maybe I’ll go the RV route.
Small living, instead of tiny living, might be the better way to go for me. The idea of a yard is particularly appealing.
I’m up for small living. Trying to do a 400 SF or so Accessory Dwelling Unit (AKA Granny flat) in a friend’s back yard. Seminole Heights is the only Tampa neighborhood that (legally) allows non-family members to use an ADU. Figure I can build it for $50K & use land rent to pay down the principal, so that the property owner winds up with the ADU. Requires more thought.
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