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OMG We May Actually Do This!!!
I've been spending a lot of time researching Yurts and how conceivable it would be to actually like in one. Well, I mentioned to DH about buying property and building one and he was all for it! THEN he was telling this to his friend who currently lives in the Philippians but is thinking of moving back. He was interested in the area we are thinking of moving to and wants to come take a look at the town and what's available. We haven't said anything yet, but if he ends up with several acres we're going to see if we can do a "land lease" from him and get an acre for ourselves to build a Yurt House! He and DH are really great friends and I DH said he invited us to live in his home in the Philippians and DH doesn't think he'd bat an eye at letting us lease an acre from him! That is assuming we can break up the plot and he gets enough land.
But DH said either way he wants to do this. He likes that we can get 3+ acres and a 3 bed/2 bath home for under $100,000 turnkey using this method. It will be the difference between being home owners in 2010 over 2011. Yay!!!
Re: OMG We May Actually Do This!!!
If you have done the research and feel you can live in a yurt year round, then your next port of call should be to see if you are allowed to live in a yurt year round.
Can I suggest your next step to be finding out about the legalities? You should start checking with zoning to make sure a permanent residential structure is allowed, about septic/water/electricity/gas/phone, insurance, the works.
You mentioned this gives you 3+ acres and home for under $100,000. But earlier you mentioned your friend may be buying 3 acres, and leasing you 1. So I am a bit unclear as to what is going on here. But, getting a mortgage for a non-conforming, movable property on leased land isn't going to happen any time soon. And trust me, I don't care how much evidence to the contrary, the bank will see a yurt as a "tent" and therefore a movable (or non-permanent) structure. Banks have no imagination.
You sound soooooo excited. I just want to toss enough out there that you can get the research done now, so you know it is possible. And whatever hurdles you face, you can face them head on and take the time to deal with them. Since all of this is still in the "maybe" and research phase, now is the time to get that un-fun ugly stuff out of the way too. Besides, once you know you are allowed to do it, the dreaming of the yurt changes into the actual-we-are-really-doing-this-OMG-wow buying of your yurt! And that is way more fun!
Awesome! My parents tried to buy a yurt when I was a kid for the reasons you mentioned above.
But, as PP said, banks don't really want to finance tents.
GL and I hope there's a finance program out there that will make this a workable option for you!
The 1 acre versus 3 acres depends on if we buy the land outselves or lease from DH's friend. The Yurt wouldn't be financed, we'd pay out of pocket for that so the bank doesn't have anything to do with that. Plus, we are building a solid-wall yurt or a "Fortress Yurt" for at least the great room area which means it falls under the same category as a regular house, for the most part. The exterior walls are still canvas so we'll see.
I have researched zoning and there is a woman out there who actually provides you with a ton of information about that, and guides you in approaching the zoning people in your county so they understand what you are trying to do. I believe yurtinfo.org is her website, if you're interested. It's considered a permanent structure in most counties. Or if they view it as just a tent that's even better because you don't need permits to just built a tent where we're looking! But I don't think we'll be that lucky.
We are planning to have our home raised slightly by a wooden porch/foundation. Plumbing and electricity would run under the porch and up into the house that way. There will be interior walls, at least in the great room area (like I said, that will be solid walled all the way around) just like any other house.
There is one person I found who lives full time in a Yurt home in the same town we want to live in. They weren't active anymore on the message board I found them at, but I'm going to see if I can find some contact info and drop them a line to see what they had to do to get permits and whatnot. I just haven't been that proactive yet! This won't happen until AT LEAST October or November so I haven't been researching that much yet. Just enough to know it's do-able (or at least people have done it in my area) and roughly how much it will cost. The house itself will cost about as much as we've saved up for a down payment on a regular house, which is why we won't be needing a bank or at least not for everything (maybe to finance the kitchen and bath constructions but that's it).
That is so awesome and exciting! I hope you keep us updated as you go along.
DH and I are hoping to buy land and build a house. We have thrown around the idea of putting a mobile home on the land while we build but the yurt is a very cool idea. Have you come across anything in your research about how yurts do in cold and snowy climates?
Tired after a long morning of hiking and swimming.
Quite well from what I'm reading! You can heat them with a wood burning stove or even a space heater and they get really warm. A friend of mine lived in one once and said it would be freezing outside but nice and toasty inside. Though from what she said it's easier to heat it then it is to cool it. Which should be interesting in the summer, but I think we'll be able to manage. Maybe get a swamp cooler or something for the 2-3 days it gets really hot here.
Hooray! This is the best news ever! I love that there is already precedence established. Half your battle is done for you!
oh, and a ps- I would like, no actually, I DEMAND you blog every step of this if you do get a chance to do it because I would love to see the process and your final home all done!!