Housing in the 21st Century -- or -- Back To The Future!

Newly homeless after a disaster, Newly minted homeless college grad, Chasing that elusive "enough for a down payment"

Just plain beating yourself up over "your" failure to game our culture, our society, the labor pool, employers, and get the golden ring?

Stop already!

For all but the few decades after WWII, mostly in the Western world, humanity lived in multi-generational households.

For a brief time in the Western world an unparrelled growth in those in the middle class, thier income, their wealth, their nations prosperity allowed single generational "Nuclear Family" living to briefly become the norm.

Instead of pursing what is now all but a dream to most, embrace the past and humanities NORMAL state of multi-generational housing.

Yes

I am first to admit the realities of the 21st century do not mix well with traditional multi - generational housing, throwing us all into the same space at the same time, love it or leave it, my way or the road, we've all lived through it.

However, buildings are far more flexible than the people living in them.

Adapt your buildings to your living circumstances, to multi-generationalsim, to...

The New Nuclear Family!

Live under the same roof, but not in the same space.

Create seperate and shared space.  Use quality construction and materials to help you keep seperate, in the same building.  Use responsive, flexible MEP systems that don't subject all to the will of the one.  Build for low energy, low maintaince, low cost.

When you are done you'll have a warren of nests for all the nuclear famillies who have gathered back together.

You'll have also saved endless rent, mortage interest payments, higher utility bills.

Reveal in the New Nuclear Family!

Where to live - How to live

You CAN live in less! Sharing a house

Phasing It

Cutting out the bank

Low Budget

No Budget

No loan

Where to live - How to live

What if you're bunking with your extended family or friends?

Even worse, what if you have to make due with the half a house that's left livable?

There's an idea on how to improve your living conditions as soon and as cheaply as possible.

There's an idea for fixing up what's left of your house

The theme is giving everyone a bit of space, which I should make whatever the situation bearable, if not ideal.

Cutting out the bank

The common thread is keep  costs low.  Not only because you may not have money now, but to save you money in the long run.  Borrowing money is great, enables much good in the world.  However, it causes much pain too.  By sharing a house, living in less, building bit by bit, you can reduce or eliminate the need to borrow as much.  It's not just some esoteric good thing, you borrow less, you pay less interest.  You could save ONE HUNDRED to TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS in interest costs by growing your home yourself rather than buying it lock stock and barrel.  Money that you should put into your retirement fund, and that should grow into as much as FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS by retirement time.  Well, it's a theory.

Flood

Recovery

and

Mitigation

Following examples are based on real life situations, but every situation is different, so think hard before copying these, and figure out how to make them work for you (Or email me, more than happy to offer advice).

!STOP!  

Flood Barriers

Trying to tell Mother Nature what to do