Tiny House Podcast

Luke Iseman is one of those people who when he hears “no” he says “hold my beer”. After an appalling realization he and his partner was spending an ENORMOUS amount of their take-home on rent in the Bay Area, Luke got creative. He found a vacant lot he eventually bought, and put a container home on it. Not long after, he had a small colony of intrepid, super-smart, artsy tech people who joined him. Together they thumbed their noses at the area’s stratospheric cost of living….until the city got involved….

That was almost three years ago. Today, Luke has beat the city and is building an impressive business that not only put a (tiny) roof over his head, but also others seeking relief from some of the highest housing costs in the United States. https://boxouse.com

Today we’re doing more off gridding with a heaping dose of authenticity (and facial hair) with Doug from the YouTuber duo “Off Grid with Doug and Stacy”. Omagosh what a show. Doug opened his 600 square foot cabin to us, a cabin he and his wife built all their own, after living as city slickers most of their lives. Having been successful entrepreneurs then getting sick and tired of being sick and tired, they deliberately bought a bunch of land in a zoning and planning district where “we don’t have any of that (planning and zoning) NONSENSE up here” and build their own tiny oasis. It’s complete with all the creatures you might want for feed stock, rain catchment, heat, comfort and...get this NO ELECTRICITY (in the traditional sense). It’s a show worth listening to twice! Sit back and tune in. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChit3QKk051fCsqliwVrbuQ

Andrew Bennett is a craftsman through and through, having roots literally back to the Mayflower. You could almost say he’s kin with Jesus too. Because of the way he lives his life, how he gives unflinchingly to others, and, though he doesn’t like washing feet, he believes things most of us have given up on. “Your best return on investment is through people”: a golden nugget from this master builder who went from remodelling vintage homes to today building teardrop and Shepherd wagons for the tiny traveling nomad. With a crew of three veterans, a wife who uncshools his two kids and his mad skills, Andrew has carved out quite a comfortable little niche for his family, a niche he strongly recommends we all consider as a way of making humanity better than it was when you got here. Check out this week’s podcast. But be prepared to have your life changed. http://trekkertrailers.com

Ahem. We’re still scratching our heads on this show. We’re still wondering how we ended up pulling this one off. Maybe it’s because land use planning and zoning is so endemic to success of tiny houses that, no matter what community you’re talking about, you’re going to come up with interesting subject matter. In this episode we chat with ADU consultant David Wade. He plies his trade in Eugene, Oregon helping local ADU and Tiny House advocates navigate quagmire-like hoops making up Eugene’s land use regulations. David gives tips for other communities doing the same, suggesting that organizing and being vocal are critical to grass roots success. So is knowing who you’re up against: for sometimes, your neighbor may be your worst enemy.

What is Emerson Street House? Well we never really found out because our interview with intrepid Diane Freeney, Wall Street banker turned community advocate, roamed so far from housing and tiny houses, even we lost our way. It was a great conversation nonetheless, ranging from praising President Donald Trump, lambasting the construction trade, solving education in the US, building communities, and most interestingly: how not to build a passive solar home. Join us for one of the wildest conversations we’ve had in a l-o-n-g time. Even we were surprised. It’s a wild and woolly walkabout through what lights Diane’s fire on this episode of Tiny House Podcast! https://emersonstreethouse.com

Luke Kamtz is a bold individual. In 2017 he hung out his (tiny) shingle as the latest tiny house builder, dubbing his company “Kamtz Tiny Houses.” Luke’s courage doesn’t end there, he also believes he can do what few have figured out: make money while building custom tiny houses. Like a little Aussie shrimp, we put Luke on the barbie for a bit and grilled him about why he thinks he can do what few have succeeded in doing. We talked differentiation, construction lessons learned, his first demonstration tiny which has received its share of recognition and reward. Then the conversation turned to the big (tiny) bottleneck: land use planning and zoning. It’s the tiny tech talk episode. http://kamtztinyhomes.com

If there is one company that has the greatest potential of unseating Tumbleweed as the largest, best known company in the tiny house community, it’s tiny house developer Sprout Tiny Homes. Nearly from the get-go, Sprout set their sights not only on the one-home-sale retail market, but also on the larger opportunity represented by full-blown tiny house developments. As a result, they are in the process of developing 200 unit communities, complete with planned community designs promising to significantly increase live-ability and desirability. Alan Kirchhoff, Sprout representative shares both Sprout and his own perspective on living tiny, how tiny homes for the homeless are affecting tiny house reputations, and of course, codes, zoning laws and the economics of building 200 homes at a time. http://sprouttinyhomes.com

#136 Getting Squared With A New Tiny Builder With Scott Wilson by Bigfoot Podcast Network

#135 Navigating to Nowhere? – with Michael Fuehrer

Our guest this week proves that you don’t have to be an interior designer to live in a lovely, comfortable, and impressive space on wheels. While attending tiny house events in Washington, Texas, and Florida; Michelle noticed an increasing number of Schoolies joining the party! And, known to go where the party is, Michelle met our guest this week and was immediately comfortable in his space; a renovated school bus. What tiny houses lack in mobility, busses more than make up for! Imagine. Just get in the driver’s seat and GO! What are the unique challenges of driving and parking these funky houses on wheels? What motivated Michael to renovate a bus, instead of an RV? How easy, or hard, are they to drive and heat and occupy? And, what do his parents think? This professor on wheels has a lot to teach us so sit down, be quiet, and take notes. There WILL be a quiz!!

www.navigationnowhere.com

What IS a tiny house? Don’t worry, we won’t be arguing the fine points of this concept this week. We will, however, once again be happily welcoming a simple living, tiny space occupying, couple to chat with us about overcoming the challenges of living small and on the road full time. Intrigued? Our guests this week have some really GREAT ideas about how you can too! If not right now, make a plan to listen in later and be sure to check them out on Instagram so you can keep up with where they’re off to next.

www.instagram.com/TheFrugalRVer