RE: Adding more housemates = economic solution?

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RE: Adding more housemates = economic solution? - 2/22/2009 8:10:56 PM

ThatDamnedPanda

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Vendaval

Those tiny houses are an interesting concept. I have also considered an RVfor traveling around the US and Canada.

I was just thinking about that this afternoon. You know I'm back in Santa Monica this week, and I go down to the beach a couple of times a day. It's just a couple blocks from my hotel. And every time I go down there, the parking lot at the end of Ocean Park is roughly a quarter full of RVs that you know people are living in. It's their whole home; they've got bicycle racks for their bikes, satellite dishes, most of them even have generators that they haul out into the parking lot and fire up to run their appliances. I'm the kind of person who's always thinking about backup plans, and I have to say, if worse comes to absolute worst over the next few years, there may be something there. Just out of curiosity, I think I'll walk over and strike up a conversation with a couple of them when i go rollerblading tomorrow morning. I'm interested in how it works out for them.

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RE: Adding more housemates = economic solution? - 2/22/2009 8:21:15 PM

Vendaval

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Hi Panda,

When gas prices were really high many of the "snowbirds" (retired folks living in their RV's) were thinking that they might have to settle down. They use various routes and regions for different parts of the year depending on the climate changes. And of course you need to know the places where you can empty septic tanks and pick up supplies. There are also security and theft concerns in a more fragile structure like an RV.

You can sell or put most of your non-essential stuff in storage and hit the roads. It may be fun for a summer or you may dig it for a few years. I suggest renting one for a while before making a full purchase.

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RE: Adding more housemates = economic solution? - 2/22/2009 9:13:32 PM

ThatDamnedPanda

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Yeah, it's certainly not something I would do on a whim. I was just thinking absolutely worst-case scenario - economy completely collapses and anarchy prevails for years on end, would that be an economically viable way to live? For about $10,000 plus the cost of insurance, maintenance, gas, and a Hawaiian hula girl bobbly-thingy on the dashboard, you'd own a home nobody could repossess and that you could move to whatever part of the country might have somewhat better economic conditions at any given moment. Very unlikely it'd ever come to that, but, back in 1929 nobody saw the 30s coming either. Just something to ponder.

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RE: Adding more housemates = economic solution? - 2/22/2009 9:14:58 PM

Vendaval

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Sure. You have to explore all the potential options.

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RE: Adding more housemates = economic solution? - 2/22/2009 9:43:35 PM

Hippiekinkster

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Here's a clearinghouse/directory of intentional communities. The Farm is not far from me, and they're my kind of people. Hard to get in, though, I've heard.
http://www.ic.org/

I seem to recall a forum on HipForums.com about converting old busses, etc. into driveable housing. I've though about that myself. Big thing which is an obstacle for me is pain management. I don't think there's any way I could use multiple pain docs since they are so -tight-assed about shit (TYVM, Nixon and Reagan, you fucks

). Seems like it would be a lot of fun, going around to music festivals and the like.

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RE: Adding more housemates = economic solution? - 2/23/2009 6:53:35 AM

hizgeorgiapeach

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My house is paid for - there is no mortgage payment. Utilities in this state are cheap, and so are property taxes, in comparison to dang near anywhere else in the US. The roommate I currently have - dad - isn't here to help ME financially, he's home specifically to die since he's only got a couple of months left at best, and HE couldn't afford where he was living previously in a nursing home.

I Hate having a roommate of any sort. I detest it. I loath it. I despise it. It stresses me out, causes anxiety issues, and tends to make me feel clastrophobic. I don't need one for My financial benefit, and things would have to become a LOT worse for it to come to a point where I Did "need" a roommate for My financial comfort. After dad dies, I will Not be having any roommates - preferably ever, and not for a very long time at the very least. IF one of my few very close, very trusted friends finds themselves in Dire need of a place to live, I'll consider allowing it - but only under very specific circumstances, and with the full knowledge on their part that this is My house, My rules, Period. If they happen to have smalls - they will have to look elsewhere, because I will NOT live with someone else's spawn. If they have pets, they'll have to make certain that those pets get along with My current pets before moving them in - because my pets come first, and all others come somewhere way down the line after that.

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RE: Adding more housemates = economic solution? - 2/23/2009 12:56:26 PM

Vendaval

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Sounds right to me, Rhi. Your house, your rules.

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RE: Adding more housemates = economic solution? - 2/23/2009 1:09:03 PM

MrRodgers

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quote:

ORIGINAL: hizgeorgiapeach

My house is paid for - there is no mortgage payment. Utilities in this state are cheap, and so are property taxes, in comparison to dang near anywhere else in the US. The roommate I currently have - dad - isn't here to help ME financially, he's home specifically to die since he's only got a couple of months left at best, and HE couldn't afford where he was living previously in a nursing home.

I Hate having a roommate of any sort. I detest it. I loath it. I despise it. It stresses me out, causes anxiety issues, and tends to make me feel clastrophobic. I don't need one for My financial benefit, and things would have to become a LOT worse for it to come to a point where I Did "need" a roommate for My financial comfort. After dad dies, I will Not be having any roommates - preferably ever, and not for a very long time at the very least. IF one of my few very close, very trusted friends finds themselves in Dire need of a place to live, I'll consider allowing it - but only under very specific circumstances, and with the full knowledge on their part that this is My house, My rules, Period. If they happen to have smalls - they will have to look elsewhere, because I will NOT live with someone else's spawn. If they have pets, they'll have to make certain that those pets get along with My current pets before moving them in - because my pets come first, and all others come somewhere way down the line after that.

Good for you and you may live on unscathed by this impoverishing of America. I have the same situation with a 'dying' relative. This relative lived through the great depression and there was 7 entire families living in one row house. No men around...ever. They we ALL...ALWAYS working or looking for work.

Thing is...this is NOT temporary it IS the future in America. There will be more and more people living in smaller and smaller households. How do you think the rest of the 3rd world makes it ?

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RE: Adding more housemates = economic solution? - 2/23/2009 3:17:23 PM

came4U

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quote:

People do need to be aware that many towns have ordinaces regarding how many non-family members can reside in a dwelling.

you are right again Katy.

I checked locally just for kicks and voila, 2 maximum in my hood by city bylaw. Besides my basement has no windows so that isn't legal to reside in either (by fire code).

edited: its WINDOWS not widows lol.

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RE: Adding more housemates = economic solution? - 2/23/2009 6:10:37 PM

hizgeorgiapeach

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It's one of the reasons that I may very well end up Not selling this house and moving after dad dies. It's paid for, it's free and clear - if I sell it and move someplace else, that would no longer be the case - and in this houseing market (not to mention financial state these days) that's not a particularly intelligent decision to make.

The last two times I've had a family member foisted on me (other than dad) it has gone Really Badly. It's been my brother the moron. When it was at my old place (11 years ago), before our grandmother the bat signed it over to me, I was already living there when he suddenly needed a place to live because he and his gf at the time broke up. He was already a drug addict, and I didn't want him living there - I simply wasn't given much choice by The Bat, since the house was still in her name - though I was assured that it would be up to me if things weren't working and he had to move out. (HA!) I went into the garage one afternoon to find nearly a dozen used hypodermic needles left lying around from him shooting up out there. I demanded that he leave, he refused, our grandmother the delusional twat backed him and refused to let me kick him out - despite the fact that he was putting the property at risk of being confiscated on drug charges, putting my handicapped spawn at risk of being taken by the state, and putting me at risk for potential jail time even though I wasn't using drugs and I was desperately attempting to get him out. This time, he was already living here with dad when I moved back in state at dad's request. He simply came out of the closet about his continued drug use, and his alcoholism, as soon as dad's stroke happened - and started threatening my life daily until I moved out. I didn't move back in until I had him evicted by the court because he was tearing the place apart around him.

Situations like that, and various crap I've had to put up with in the past from live-ins when the relationship ended and I told them to get out of my house - are a large part of the reason that I detest having a roommate of any sort. It has Always been My place - not theirs - with live-ins, and that's been part of my safety valve for myself - my personal "out" if things weren't working - that they had to go, rather than me having to find a new place to escape to. As it is, I'd probably trust a complete stranger who asked to rent a room before I would anyone in my family, or most of my aquaintances - and trusting strangers isn't something I'm likely to accomplish.

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RE: Adding more housemates = economic solution? - 2/24/2009 4:28:37 PM

Jeptha

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quote:

ORIGINAL: hizgeorgiapeach

My house is paid for - there is no mortgage payment. Utilities in this state are cheap, and so are property taxes, in comparison to dang near anywhere else in the US. ....

That's the thing; I'll have my house paid for, but the property taxes here in my city will eventually be more than the house payments were.

I may have to move eventually, so hopefully I'll be ready for life in small town america when that time comes.

I understand the concept of "military clean" that Aneirin mentioned.

I've lived in this house for 8 years, and the one year in the middle when I had a roommate was the only year there have ever been mice in the house. (Partly because I did some "mouse proofing" after the event, but I think the extra stress of even an average-messy roommate brought them in.)

PS: love that little Tumbleweed house! I've got enough carpentry to make something like that (though perhaps not as cute...), but I need more space for various projects. Maybe if I made several of those...
That was an early dream of mine, to buy some land and dot it with little shacks, and share the costs and benefits of the land with friends.
(Zoning being a big challenge to that, of course...)

< Message edited by Jeptha -- 2/24/2009 4:33:44 PM >

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