q about the yurt post below

CarrieB.

so i'm confused. what is so great about living in a yurt? isn't it better to just live in a small home that already exists instead of building something new?

 maybe i am confused because i live in Wisconsin and its like 18 degrees outside and the idea of living in a tent doesn't sound like fun to me.

Tambcat

Yurts will be the new Green Living board trend. You heard it here first! Yurts for everyone!

Alisha_A

Hurrah for yurts!

I do want a yurt.

Well, what if there isn't a building where you want to live? Yurts are well-insulated, don't require all that a new construction does as far as costs and materials, and are easily changeable. Surely not for everyone but I think its cool.

CarrieB.

Alisha_A:

Well, what if there isn't a building where you want to live? Yurts are well-insulated, don't require all that a new construction does as far as costs and materials, and are easily changeable. Surely not for everyone but I think its cool.

i guess that makes sense. i am just a city kind of girl and love historic homes so I am probably not the kind of person who would ever want a yurt.

Alisha_A

A city yurt would be interesting!! I love historic homes, but I also love alternatives like the yurt. And I live in neither, oh well!

CarrieB.

historic homes do lend themselves to being very green. in our bungalow the windows are laid out so you don't need to use lights very much and so that the breeze can come through and cool it down. the thick plaster walls are like a themos trapping the heat or cold air inside.

jebuell

Part of our reason is because we can't get a home here.  We tried for over a year, offered on 7 homes (verbal offers on 2 more) and got turned down for every one.  Mostly because we only had $30,000 to put down and people were coming in with these 100% cash offers (mostly flippers).  We even offered $10,000 OVER asking once just in hopes that would get us the house, but they gave it to the person who offered $20,000 less BUT had 100% cash.  There's no way we can save up $250,000 more in only a year... we don't even make half that in a year!

So, yeah.  That's our reasoning.  Land is easier to come by here, and I don't know what our future holds as far as children and long term goals, so a Yurt is an easy way to be flexible with size (add a new bedroom for only $6,000!) until we are established and can either A) build or just live in the Yurt so that when we are gone it can go with us and leave the land mostly as we found it.

ETA: I wanted to add that the average home here in San Diego county STILL costs about $500,000 even after the collapse.  The houses we've been bidding on are between $220,000 and $275,000 and are mostly 2bed/2 bath or 3 bed/2 bath foreclosures that are in desperate need of AT LEAST $25,000 in repairs to make them liveable.  And I have low standards as far as what I see as "liveable"!  I *wish* we could live in Wisconsin.  I'm actually temporarily moving there for the summer and I was looking at maybe relocating and couldn't believe what you can get for $250,000 there!!!  Too bad the hubby shot down the idea.   

Tambcat

CarrieB.:

historic homes do lend themselves to being very green. in our bungalow the windows are laid out so you don't need to use lights very much and so that the breeze can come through and cool it down. the thick plaster walls are like a themos trapping the heat or cold air inside.

Ours most certainly is NOT green! Lol. Well, it does get a lot of natural light, but it can't hold heat or cold air forshit!

CarrieB.

jebuell:

Part of our reason is because we can't get a home here.  We tried for over a year, offered on 7 homes (verbal offers on 2 more) and got turned down for every one.  Mostly because we only had $30,000 to put down and people were coming in with these 100% cash offers (mostly flippers).  We even offered $10,000 OVER asking once just in hopes that would get us the house, but they gave it to the person who offered $20,000 less BUT had 100% cash.  There's no way we can save up $250,000 more in only a year... we don't even make half that in a year!

So, yeah.  That's our reasoning.  Land is easier to come by here, and I don't know what our future holds as far as children and long term goals, so a Yurt is an easy way to be flexible with size (add a new bedroom for only $6,000!) until we are established and can either A) build or just live in the Yurt so that when we are gone it can go with us and leave the land mostly as we found it.

ETA: I wanted to add that the average home here in San Diego county STILL costs about $500,000 even after the collapse.  The houses we've been bidding on are between $220,000 and $275,000 and are mostly 2bed/2 bath or 3 bed/2 bath foreclosures that are in desperate need of AT LEAST $25,000 in repairs to make them liveable.  And I have low standards as far as what I see as "liveable"!  I *wish* we could live in Wisconsin.  I'm actually temporarily moving there for the summer and I was looking at maybe relocating and couldn't believe what you can get for $250,000 there!!!  Too bad the hubby shot down the idea.   

 oh, wow. that makes a lot of sense then. you should move to Wisconsin. depending on where you are, you can get a lot of house for $250K.

And except for winter, its really nice here.

xnickerx

Tambcat:

Yurts will be the new Green Living board trend. You heard it here first! Yurts for everyone!

I am going to be the grouchy one in the corner and say Yurts are the new Geo-Domes.