Tiny House Podcast

While we have talked, more than a few times, about the concept of using tiny houses to help our homeless and disadvantaged citizens, today’s interview with Reverend Fowler is by far the most inspiring conversation we have had, to date. (Michelle even cried.) Most homeless communities focus on transition housing but the Cass Community Social Services program in Detroit provides a guaranteed inroad to tiny home OWNERSHIP! And these aren’t cookie cutter houses. Each one is as different as the challenges their occupants face. Listen in this week to learn how Faith (our new hero’s name) helped to bring together private donors to overcome the lack of subsidized funds, how she motivated an entire city to support the CCS mission, and prompted millions of internet viewers to “like”, share, and follow the now-viral videos featuring the impressive results of their hard work.

https://casscommunity.org/tinyhomes/

And, as mentioned in today’s podcast, here is a link to a recent MSN article featuring Michelle’s “Empty Nest”. We’re so proud!

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/homeandproperty/how-i-built-my-dream-home-for-just-a-few-thousand-bucks/ss-BBBK16L?li=BBoPWjQ#image=1

One of the best parts of attending the various tiny house events that occur, almost every weekend, is meeting all of the amazing people that make up this inspiring movement. And, Kari Cooper, certainly fits that bill. This fun and inspiring woman found peace, not in a tiny house, but in a yurt. Her mobile yurt, named “Gert”, came to her as a wedding present but keeps on giving; not only to her but to all who enter. At times, immobilized by health issues, her story echoes what we hear from so many of our listeners. They want a simpler life, a smaller life, a tribe on which to lean, a fun story to tell, a friend on whom to call, and a space to call one’s own. The strength of this tiny woman, the story of her creative journey, and her irreverent approach to life keeps her moving. And, maybe, her story might be the inspiration you need to make the next move towards the tiny life of your dreams too! You Go GRRL!

www.yurtgrrl.com

We often find that when we take time to walk, to talk, to listen, and to quietly contemplate our future; it’s easier to envision it. And this week our guest, Byron with Switchgrass Tiny Homes, proves our theory. And, although this tiny house builder’s plan started out quietly enough, with the recent addition of a son; his life hasn’t been quiet since. If you have been out and about at the tiny house festivals East of the Mississippi you have, no doubt, seen Byron and his hardworking crew giving tours and inspiring us with their clean designs. Their responsible and responsive approach to customer education, and their flexible approach to design, made an impression on Michelle who recently met Byron at a festival in North Carolina. Afterwards, she wasn’t a bit surprised to learn that the house she fell in love with there, didn’t make it back home. Someone else loved it so much, they bought it! As Byron says on their website: “Going tiny, isn’t just a move; it’s a move that will change your life…” and we couldn’t agree more.

http://switchgrasstinyhomes.com/about/

You don’t have to appreciate Marvel Comics to enjoy this week’s interview with the dynamic duo of tiny houses, Josh and Shelley. Long before their episode on “Tiny House Nation” aired, this young power couple was already moving their lives in a direction which focused on freedom, travel, and using their talents to help others achieve their dream. And if you think that living in a tiny house with someone would be a challenge, just imagine living AND working together WITH two dogs underfoot. With a lot of work, sweat, and tears, these two have carved out a pretty impressive corner of the tiny house world; and there is nothing “TINY” or “BASIC” about the thriving business they have created. Equally impressive is their refusal to sacrifice quality or what they love (Finally! We meet someone who loves shoes and clothes as much as Michelle does!?) Every time we see their 374 sq foot tiny house on wheels, or hear their story, we are even more convinced that this is a couple who is bound for bigger and better things and whose hard work will continue to reap BIG benefits. If you are looking for inspiration to pursue your tiny house dream but have more questions than answers, we know you’ll really love this week’s interview, as well as Josh and Shelley’s new book “Tiny House Basics – Living the Good Life in Small Spaces”

http://www.tinyhousebasics.com/book/

If you’re planning on visiting, living in, creating, or dreaming of a tiny house community; you have no doubt heard of our guest this week; Ross Chapin. His amazing vision, his dedication, and his book “Pocket Neighborhoods – Creating Small Scale Community in a Large Scale World” have created an opportunity to reshape the way cities approach planning neighborhoods. It doesn’t matter if the house is on wheels, or on a foundation; his ideas about how to create an environment of both connection and privacy are positively ground-breaking. (pun intended!) His style is simple, inspired by the idea of creating an environment that encourages sharing with our neighbors, and every feature of the spaces he envisions has a practical function; though many of them are not obvious. This is one of those interviews that you really should take time-out for. So, grab a cup of your favorite tea or coffee, settle into a comfy chair, turn off the ringer on your cell phone, and join us for a discussion with a guy who gives ideas on how you can create connection with others, one tiny step at a time, in your own community; no shovel required.

www.pocket-neighborhoods.net

Tiny Houses come in all shapes and sizes but building most tiny houses doesn’t require the complex mathematical calculations like building a yurt does. Lou, with Octobie, must be a genius. Michelle can hardly wrap her brain around designing in dormers for her tiny house. Lou builds copulas. Michelle finds compound miter cuts intimidating; for Lou it’s another day at the office. His yurts are beautiful, efficient, unique, and we love everything about these eight-sided tiny houses. If a different kind of tiny, suits your fancy, and you’re interesting in a space NOT on wheels, you should listen in this week as we chat about the challenges of building these uncommonly-wood but truly-amazing structures.

http://www.octobie.com/

There is nothing tiny about the vision of Jon Staff, our guest this week. And, “impressive” does not even begin to describe what he and his team have created for their guests. If you’re lucky enough to live in Boston or New York, you have no doubt heard about this amazing new way to unplug and unwind in one of Getaway’s tiny houses. So many of us live such harried lives. So many of us get caught up in our day to day lives and don’t make downtime a priority. We know we should, but there are so many details to work out; which is oddly ironic, isn’t it? And while many people in the tiny house movement don’t need convincing of the value of simplicity, many do. Picture this. It’s been months since you did something just for you. So you decide to splurge and book a weekend in a tiny house in the mountains. You don’t even know where it is, really. But on Friday morning you receive an email with a song list. You listen and unwind as you find your way to your weekend oasis. Once you arrive, you find everything you need to do nothing; even the firewood and some groceries. There is no wifi, no TV, and a lockbox for your cell phone. We don’t know about you but the podcast crew can’t wait till Getaway “gets” to the West Coast and we too can live this tiny weekend-off-the-beaten-path dream. Thank you, Getaway House, for making downtime more accessible and making us think twice about spending another weekend tethered to our cell phones.

https://getaway.house/

Oregon is such a great place to call home. But finding an affordable home option is not so easy in this amazing state of ours. Can you believe that over 50% of the houses that sold in Portland in the past two months, sold for OVER the asking price? It’s a fever-pitched real estate market that is crowding out first time home buyers, and leaving renters to question if they’ll ever have a place to call their own. And, we know that Portland is not alone and if there ever was a perfect situation in which to launch a new company who helps first time homebuyers think outside the traditional foundation-based-box, we think our guest this week has found it! It’s not often that we have the opportunity to interview our guest in the studio so this chat with Covo Tiny Houses’ founder, Tyson, was a real treat for us. And, speaking of treats, Michelle also had the opportunity to see their latest build at a local event in the Spring. If you’re looking for an advocate to help you navigate the complex world of tiny house finance, design, and placement; listen in! We know you’ll come away with some great information to help you take the next step on your path to tiny house ownership.

https://www.covotinyhouse.com/

Tiny Houses are often offered up as a solution to homelessness. And while the Podcast Crew may have varying opinions on the subject, we can all agree that our guest this week has the best idea we’ve heard yet. No so long ago, Alan Graham left the comfy confines of his Westlake Hills home and took to the streets to hang with the people who inhabit them. It is a routine Graham has had since 2003, when he began hosting “Street Retreats” as part of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, the Austin nonprofit he co-founded in 1998, whose mission is to restore dignity to homeless people through food, clothing, and camaraderie. But, in all honesty, our favorite contribution of the Mobile Loaves & Fishes organization is the Community First Village. It is a 27-acre community in East Austin that provides affordable, permanent, small houses for the homeless. And, in exchange for modest rent, paid through wages or disability checks, residents have access to features like a medical facility for health screenings, an outdoor movie theater, and, perhaps most importantly, WiFi. We were inspired and impressed by this unique solution and we know you will be too! Hey! Alan! Keep up the great work!!

http://mlf.org/

If the past three years have taught us anything, they have taught us that the lack of legal and welcoming spaces for tiny houses has kept the tiny house movement from blossoming into the bustling industry it should be. So many people want to live in a tiny house but are hesitant to build one, for fear of not finding a spot to park it. Our guest this week recognized this opportunity, and seized it by recently launching “Try It Tiny”; an online resource which connects tiny house enthusiasts and occupants, with landowners and tiny house owners. Listen in this week to hear how this hustling entrepreneur finds listings, about her challenges of launching a new website, and how she hopes to change the landscape of America and perceptions of the possibilities that tiny houses provide. Whether you want to park your tiny house in someone’s side yard for a month, stay on a back lot for a year, or simply try a tiny on for size; “Try It Tiny” will no doubt be the go-to place to meet your needs. We agree with Maggie, providing connections to places to park tiny houses will spur the movement along like no other effort can; and we’re excited to see it happen!

https://www.tryittiny.com/