800 ft^2. isn't that small. Okay, yeah. It's small, but it's not uncomfortably so. Your parents likely raised you in something about that size.

Just maybe I drove too quickly through Flagstaff, and just maybe I am missing the point of a place like that... But isn't the point of a place like Flagstaff, not living in a 800 SqFt home?

So they're just going to open a bunch of trailer parks?

So what? Flagstaff's beautiful.

what flagstaff housing crisis...OOOOH the one in the rest of the nation?

Beginning with the tenants of the town of Harlow.

/a little obscure

I lived in a place like this in Japan. It's not too bad, so long as you aren't one of those motherfarkers who absolutely must buy every cool new toy or gadget you see. How many of you move out of the front of your TV or computer screen anyway?

Let's see, how many undesireables can we cram per acre over here?

the two bedroom, one bath, no garage houses built by Levit in long island after WWII were a little over 600 sq ft

800 sq feet would be great for a couple with one child, or seniors on limited income

they also are going to have way smaller utility bills,

Hmmmm, home theater for my 50" HDTV, or bedroom for infant son? Decisions, decisions....

Skwidd: I lived in a place like this in Japan. It's not too bad, so long as you aren't one of those motherfarkers who absolutely must buy every cool new toy or gadget you see. How many of you move out of the front of your TV or computer screen anyway?

It seems to be the dominant train of thought here in Europe, though probably more for reasons of energy costs than of land availability. And really, as long as you're not a damn packrat, you'd be surprised at how little space you actually need.

Daikiki: 800 ft^2. isn't that small. Okay, yeah. It's small, but it's not uncomfortably so. Your parents likely raised you in something about that size.

That's slightly larger than my parent's living room...

/Well, couple hundred square feet, but still
//You people and your non-vaulted ceilings.

ummm, why not just build townhouses/brownstones on the same property? They are usually about the same size (800-1200 sq.ft.) and can have more units per acre than individual houses. Just give front and back yards, and don't skimp on the soundproofing between units/houses.

This will also save on materials used if they are worrying about being 'green'

What an idiot, it snows in Flagstaff, you're going to want to be indoors for a good part of the year.

Hasn't he heard the housing bubble has burst and that prices are coming down rapidly?

A reasonably sized family home is 1200 to 1400sq feet.

Paolo Solieri thinks its a nice start. Head about 2 hours south of Flagstaff (new window) and you'll really see high-density population structures (new window) for the sake of large usable outdoor space.

My house is 782 square feet, so I'm getting a kick out of your replies...


Double wide.

There are developers in a nearby town that proudly sell houses of such size, with about 3 feet of space between, for "starting at $125,000."

What is this...Europe?

We're currently living in an 850 sq ft house here in west Fort Worth and are loving it. When we lived in Phoenix (glendale), we lived in a 1600 sf house. Way too much to clean and gave us way too much space to cram needless stuff. We downsized A LOT to move into this small house. It's gorgeous with hardwood floors and a nice yard for under $600 a month.

It was the best decision we've ever made. We're looking to buy our own small home out here in the same design. River Oaks ftw!

what flagstaff housing crisis...OOOOH the one in the rest of the nation?

It's particularly bad in Flagstaff. Think very little in between shiatty student housing and high-end luxury homes.

/lived in Flag five years
//would move back if there were jobs

In other words, let developers build small affordable Levittown type housing that real people can afford and conveniently live in, instead of a bunch of McMansion farms designed to keep poor people and minorities out, while lining the pockets of realtors and mortgage brokers on sales/loans that they know their clients can't afford.

Great idea. Wish it had been tried 20 years ago.

Skwidd: I lived in a place like this in Japan. It's not too bad, so long as you aren't one of those motherfarkers who absolutely must buy every cool new toy or gadget you see. How many of you move out of the front of your TV or computer screen anyway?

As long as I have room for a bed, a bathroom, and a kitchen (stove, fridge, and sink with at least enough counter space for a dish rack), I'm content and happy. I ended up converting my apartment around the standards of the living room being the only main room, and the bedroom being storage.

If I ever make it to Japan, I'm not going to be too worried about housing. Outside of being a six foot tall white chick who will likely run into every ceiling in the country. Yech.

/I don't invite people over
//but, then again, I don't have room for a Warhammer table either, so I don't know why else they would come over

Pleisa: what flagstaff housing crisis...OOOOH the one in the rest of the nation?

It's particularly bad in Flagstaff. Think very little in between shiatty student housing and high-end luxury homes.

/lived in Flag five years
//would move back if there were jobs

This. I loved visiting Flag when we lived in Phoenix. So beautiful but so out of reach. There's a reason why they call it "Poverty with a view". Unless you're making serious bank, you're living in a shiathole.

tudorgurl: Pleisa: what flagstaff housing crisis...OOOOH the one in the rest of the nation?

It's particularly bad in Flagstaff. Think very little in between shiatty student housing and high-end luxury homes.

/lived in Flag five years
//would move back if there were jobs

This. I loved visiting Flag when we lived in Phoenix. So beautiful but so out of reach. There's a reason why they call it "Poverty with a view". Unless you're making serious bank, you're living in a shiathole.

Reminds me of our trip to Hollywood....and LA.

He says he has had countless discussions with developers, Realtors and contractors and believes the total cost for each home is between $157,000 to $165,000.

800 sq ft. That's about 75 sq metres. I hate to break it to this guy, but I can get a house built that's twice the size for around $130K, by a good builder. Unless US contractors are substantially more expensive than Aussie builders, I'd say he needs to try a bit harder.

darth_shatner: Unless US contractors are substantially more expensive than Aussie builders, I'd say he needs to try a bit harder.

They are.

I think I could share my 1 bed, 1 bath, 800 sq ft with one other person if we were having lots of sex to keep me docile.

My first house was 400 square feet. Kitchen, living room, bed room, and bathroom. It was actually quite liveable for the two of us.

/ We were armless, legless, lint-sucking, coal-mining stumps. And we LIKED it.

800 sf? That's an upgrade for most folks out there.

MBooda: 800 sf? That's an upgrade for most folks out there.

BWAAAHAAAHAAAAAA!!!

/looks like my aunt-in-law's trailer
//yes...a trailer

jjorsett: My first house was 400 square feet. Kitchen, living room, bed room, and bathroom. It was actually quite liveable for the two of us.

/ We were armless, legless, lint-sucking, coal-mining stumps. And we LIKED it.

There's enough room for another three fourths of a person!

My apartment is 400 square feet, plenty big enough for two people. Of course, that's two people who spend all their time on the computer.

talk to a local indian

I currently live in a 150 sqft studio, though I'm upsizing a bit. The new place is prob around 800 all told, and it's plenty of room. I think the main consideration is that it's kinda hard to entertain when you don't really have room to put a table and chairs.

Water resources are a major problem in AZ.
People with high incomes buy homes with lots of acreage, put in lawns and pools, and can afford to waste huge amounts of water to keep the lawn green.
Well-to-do people are the cause of the water problems. They can afford it, so they use up huge amounts of water.
The people on fixed incomes or who can barely afford a place to live, are stuck paying high rates for scarce water. They essentially compete with rich people for the water.

My folks live very comfortably in one of these...455 square feet of living space when extended.

meh. Because of land costs in Vegas, they're starting to pop out 3 story homes, above ground.

yup, 22'x40'. garage + laundry room on ground floor, kitchen + living room + 1/2 bath on the 2nd floor, and a small master + 2 rooms + masterbath + full bath on the 3rd.

I can't believe people are buying them .

I bought my grandparents house. It's just over 900sf. They had six kids. It will be tough for me to sell unless I add a second bathroom.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2007/04/27/carollloyd.DTL

nicotine_addict

No joke, driving out onto the rez North of town is a really eye-opening experience when you're brought up to believe that 800 sqf is unlivably small.

My house is 900 square feet--a perfect square, 30 feet on each side. Last week a guy in a thimble wanted to let him spend the night.

400 sq foot rent controlled studio in manhattan. $1200mo. score!

You should of seen the apartment I lived in Japan. I could stand in the middle and vacuum the entire place without moving my feet.

nicotine_addict: talk to a local indian

How?

TheAbstractor: In other words, let developers build small affordable Levittown type housing that real people can afford and conveniently live in, instead of a bunch of McMansion farms designed to keep poor people and minorities out, while lining the pockets of realtors and mortgage brokers on sales/loans that they know their clients can't afford.

Great idea. Wish it had been tried 20 years ago.

Amen to that

Since I was little, all I ever wanted was a tiny house. I never cared for the huge sprawling wastes of space that people are conditioned to desire.

One of these (new window) would be more than ideal for me (770 sq feet). Although an additional basement would be nice no matter what size house it is. For band practices and such....

btch_cakes: 400 sq foot rent controlled studio in manhattan. $1200mo. score!

1100 sq ft. 1 bedroom for $479

//ah the upside of midwest living

My 800 sq ft apartment in L.A. just rented for $1300. a month.

If you don't count my basement (which technically doesn't count) and my loft upstairs (because it quickly becomes knee-walls), my house is only ~850sq ft. My wife, me, our son, our dog, and our cat. We're comfy. A little small, but I'm 25, and it's MINE.

junge altman: the two bedroom, one bath, no garage houses built by Levit in long island after WWII were a little over 600 sq ft

800 sq feet would be great for a couple with one child, or seniors on limited income

they also are going to have way smaller utility bills,

We used to call these starter homes.... a perfect place for a pair of newlyweds..... small house with a big yard for the kid to play in. Don't know why we ever moved away from that model.... it worked pretty well.