Cheers!

Friday night we went to the lot, parked the car, and walked around with a beer to celebrate the future site of our new home.

 It felt bigger. We have real trees, grown up trees.

We talked about what it might look like.

Next week we hope to meet with the architect to talk about design changes that might need to take place as a result of the new lot.

But this is real. It's happening.

The first part of our tiny house dream has come true.

Going once... going twice...

I'm pleased to announce that we have quite the update for you today! But first, let me rewind. The last post I made was that we were on hold. Someone else had submitted a proposal before we were able to. We knew that was always a possibility, and as it turns out, the process was more challenging than we anticipated (definitely designed for builders not regular humans - they wanted an actual list of every material going into the house, where you were buying and how much it cost, which wasn't an ideal for two people who wanted to used a lot of reclaimed and re-purposed items). Anyway, there were tears, and we started looking for other options... privately owned lots or really anything that didn't have to do with the City of Minneapolis.

We knew we were in a bit of a time crunch due to the school trying to plan their curriculum, but certainly this was a big decision that we weren't going to rush into. We weren't willing to compromise the location of our long term home. 

Our builder recommended that we check out the upcoming Hennepin County real estate auction of tax-forfeited properties. There was a cute little lot in the same neighborhood of Minneapolis, not that far from the original lot. I will admit I scoffed initially. City owned? No thank you! Until Brent did some research. We found out that the way the auctions works are pretty simple. You're the highest bidder, you win the lot. Period. Still have to go through normal procedures for building permits and such, but that's it. 

Friday morning Brent headed down to the auction with a cashier check with our earnest money in hand. We all figured emotional, anxiety-ridden me would be of no help at the auction so I went to work. At 8:30am (auction started at 9am) I got a call from Brent. Closing is immediately following the auction for the winning bidder. Two problems. One, the checkbook was at home. Two, I wasn't there to sign. So I hopped in the car and headed back downtown. Grabbed the checkbook and booked it through the streets of Minneapolis, while I got updates from Brent about how crowded the room was getting. By the time I got there, I was a sweaty ball of stress, but I made it before the initial item. 

There were more than 50 properties for sale that day. Ours was in the middle of the list. So we sat and watched. Some properties got no bids, some had bidding wars. It was stressful. That doesn't even sum it up sufficiently. Our hearts were beating out of our chests. 

Finally our lot came on the screen: 

Brent was ready. I was just trying not to pass out. Brent made the initial bid. We heard going once... going twice... and inside our heads for a brief moment we allowed ourselves to think that we would get it for the minimum bid. Then someone from across the room took the next bid. Back and forth, back and forth. Then they passed. And inside we got excited again, and then behind us came the next bid. Back and forth, back and forth. 

At this point I must say we were nearing the dollar amount we had set as our limit. So I could really just hear my heart pounding in my ears. Back and forth. Back and forth. And then they passed, and we heard, "going once... going twice... sold! To bidder number..." and Brent held up his number and that was it. We gathered our things, walked out the door, and dared to breathe. 

Then there we were, signing the papers and writing a big check (and check half as big as the one we would have had to write if we got the original lot). Official land owners in the City of Minneapolis. 

Tiny house dream back on track.

On Hold

Well, our tiny house dreams are officially on hold. The lot is no longer available. The lot we designed the house around.

I'm not sure what the next move is going to be anymore.

Every bone in my body said we had to have the proposal submitted by the end of October. Brent went to call today, and of course, it was too late.

It's still our dream to build a tiny house, but perhaps Minneapolis isn't meant to be its home.

We shall see.

(If you know of any lots near the Beltrami area of NE Minneapolis, please let us know.)

A First Glimpse

Last night, we had a meeting  at Northeast Social with a member of Team Tiny House, our architect, John. He sketched out a couple things with us before, so we had a vague idea of what this initial drawing would look like.

Basically, our objective is to get a set of drawings done so that we can start the approval process with the City of Minneapolis. Once we submit everything, the lot gets taken off the market - so no one else can try to buy it while we are in the approval process. This would be huge. Obviously.

The concept is two car garage, living space on top of that and roof top deck on top of that. The living space will be 500 square feet - the minimum required space by the City. This is different from the initial vision Brent and I had, We had thought we would do all one level - no stairs - except for maybe a possible loft area, which would be a guest sleeping area. However, during the first meeting with John, he saw our view of the skyline and suggested we go up, and it seemed silly not to take advantage of the great location.

Last night we talked a lot about the interior space, while we were there, but really a lot of that will come later once this first hurdle (City approval) is cleared.

We have another meeting set in a couple weeks. By then, we might have the drawings ready to submit to the City. In the meantime, we have to work on collecting everything else we need for that first step.

Seeing it all on paper last night made us even more excited! We know it's going to be a long process, hence this blog - to remind us along the way of how far we've come.

Five Hundred Dollars and a Signature

Monday was a big day in tiny house dream land. We had a meeting at Dunwoody College of Technology to meet with more members of Team Tiny Dreams.

It was pretty cool to walk into a big conference room and sit across from three builder brains all excited about our project and wanting to help! At the end of the meeting we signed our design contract with John Dwyer, our architect, and talked layout. We could potentially be ready to bring something to the city by the end of the month, which would be amazing. Once a design is submitted, "our" lot is taken off the market - and that would allow us to breathe a sigh of relief as we navigate all the red tape associated with buying a city owned lot.

Also at the table was Heather Gay, Program Manager to the Construction Management program. Let me tell you, this lady is going to keep things moving. She's all about figuring out the next steps. Today she wanted to talk "Building Performance." I probably gave her a blank look, not knowing what she was asking. But basically she wanted to know what our goals are - besides just having a house.

She mentioned the smaller footprint and environmental benefits as one of the things she likes about the tiny house movement. We agreed with her, of course. Then I added two additional things. A smaller mortgage to be paid off more quickly so we have more money for travel and things (which I've mentioned before when we were trying to pick a lot). And two, minimal maintenance - this includes cleaning, yard work, anything that will keep us from fun.

It was fun to explain that side to the team, and I think they appreciated the perspective. For them, this is a great teaching experience and they want to help their students understand the "buyer" perspective.

The final member of the Team is Andrew Nelson of A-Squared - our general contractor. He comes to the table from a different perspective, but it was great to hear why he was interested in being involved in the project. He doesn't want to be pigeon-holed doing kitchen and bathroom remodels forever. He appreciates the diversity of this project and being involved with something out of the ordinary.

Perhaps the best thing is that everyone at the table sees the bigger picture - both of the tiny house movement and the value of helping it arrive in Minneapolis. I'm very thankful that this team has come together, and I have no doubt that they are the right people for the job. Our house will be on the large end of what is considered "tiny" but being in the city was part of our Tiny House Dream, and I believe we have the team we need in place to navigate these waters.

The Money Puzzle

Today we met with a team about our financing options. We knew it was going to be a little more complicated than a traditional build since there are so many oddities to this project. Regardless, the duo we met with (The Dave Hill team with Bell Mortgage) were extremely helpful (and patient!).

I've worked with Dave in the past, as have friends and family of mine, so I already knew he was great to work with. I just didn't know if he was the expert for this kind of project. However, they have the right people in that office and between them - our questions were answered.

I'll admit, we left feeling pretty good about things. We both have credit scores over 800 (woo!). More importantly, if things go as planned, our monthly payment will end up being about 1/2 of our current monthly payment for a 15 year mortgage (double woo!).

We have our list ready for things we'll need from the build team. Hopefully meeting with them next week, and if the contract is signed, I'll be able to tell you all about that element.

Tomorrow Brent is hopefully going to talk to the people at the City to get some questions answered from that end.

Slow and steady. We'll get there.

p.s. If anyone has any leads about incentives related to building green, please send them our way as well!

It Takes a Village

We had our first meeting last night with the Architecture professor, and I feel really good about it. It sounds like members of the administration (particularly the PR people) are pretty excited about this project.

Hopefully we'll be getting design contracts soon so he can get started on some drawings, and hopefully we'll have plans to present the city before too long so we can get the approval process started.

The build may take longer than originally expected. It sounds like it will be over the course of two semesters. However, he anticipated it may save us about 1/3 of the costs, which would be pretty awesome. To be clear, that wasn't our intent in forming these partnerships. The intent was to find a group of people willing to think outside of the box, who didn't want to build us a "regular" house with smaller square footage (because that isn't the goal of what we're doing). Plus I like the idea of having so many people involved. I like being connected to the community.

Next on my agenda is setting a meeting to talk to someone about financing. Brent is going to set a meeting to find out who we need to talk to regarding surveys, utility access, etc.

It's going to be a process... it's going to take a village to make this happen... but in the end, it's going to be amazing and worth it.

Tag Team

My epiphany might pay off. My chat with the one of the Senior Professors in the Architecture program was very promising. As in, our build could maybe be part of one of the design studios for next spring (read: reduced labor costs for us!).

We have a meeting next week to sit down with him.

This post is not expressing my enthusiasm properly, and I know that. However, I'm trying not to jinx anything. Yet the idea of having students involved in this makes me crazy excited. It's part of why I love Tiny House Nation so much. The whole idea of raising awareness outside the status quo.

More than that, we want to be a part of our community and the neighborhood we live in. So having a local school be involved in our dream project, is like icing on the cake.

p.s. We've got more bags ready for Goodwill!

Design Epiphany

We were sitting at the Twins game last night, talking tiny house with some family. My almost sister is going to college at the U this fall and moves in next week, so that was swirling around in the back of my mind. And then like a ton of bricks, it hit me!

Why not reach out to the local architecture programs to see if they have any connections or if they have students who would be interested in helping out. So this morning I sent an email to the U of M, Dunwoody and HCTC. In less than 10 minutes, I had a response email from a Senior Professor in the architecture departing saying he wants to help! His email conveyed enthusiasm that rivals ours, which is amazing.

I'm feeling good about this lead. Plus, the city should love that we're involving a local school in this project.

Wish me luck - I'm calling him this afternoon!

Building Tiny

Building tiny isn't like building a normal house in a small space. That wouldn't work. That would feel small. The key to tiny house success (we think) is multi-functional spaces and pieces so that there is less in the tiny space, making it feel larger.

I've spent more time than I care to admit googling tiny house builders in Minnesota. Except there aren't any. So this is our current challenge. Finding a builder who has custom design experience and understands the specific challenges to tiny house living.

I've talked to one contractor. He's excited about it. He thinks tiny homes are on the way to becoming "the next thing." But I don't know if he gets it.

We're supposed to have a sit down meeting with the two of them and the two of us. Make sure they are clear about matters to us, the budget, and find out what sort of ideas they have for our tiny house. I talked to him Tuesday... I'm still waiting for him to get back to me with some meeting options.

My guess is we may have to meet with more than one builder, but we have to start somewhere, and this guy came highly recommended. Of course, I'm not patient, so waiting two days to get dates/times to even set a meeting seems crazy. I'll give it to Monday. Then it's time to call the next guy.

We're willing to take the time that's needed to do this right, but now doesn't seem like one of those stages I should be "waiting" at.

If only we were in Portland or Vancouver, where tiny houses are already much more popular, and builders with real life tiny house experience exist. If you know of someone in the vicinity of Minneapolis who could help us, please! Let us know.

Dream Lot

Looking for lots is not easy. It's not like searching for a house. For some reason, it's more difficult. We would find one that sounded good and do a drive by. Too small. Weird shaped. Bad neighborhood. Trashy neighbors.

Hours were spent on the couch with Brent looking up lots and me searching the lots on google maps. You'd think there was a better way. One day he changed the price range a little just to see what happened...

and the most wonderful lot appeared. Wooded. Great neighborhood.

We talked to friends about it and they were shocked it was the price it was for the area it was in. It seemed too good to be true.

We fell in love. We drove past it. Then we walked past it. We loved it.

Until we didn't, which didn't take long.

Because we realized the whole point of building a tiny house was so that we could have less, do more. Pay off the mortgage faster. Lower monthly payment. And while this lot was a steal at $150,000. It was at least $50,000 more than we planned to spend on the lot and house together (on the high side!).

So we moved on and went back to searching city owned lots (which come with their own challenges that I will get into another day). Now we found one (again) that we like. Good size, end of a cal-de-sac, great location. There are some sacrifices, but we'll get to that later.

The point is... we have to keep reminding ourselves of the big picture when building tiny. The financial freedom that will come with it (sooner than later) is among the top so a $150,000 lot, no matter how perfect the neighborhood, is not, in fact, perfect.

Between Then and Now

We were friends in college. We partied together, passed notes in class. But that isn’t where this story starts. Fast forward to February 2012, Brent and I reconnected. The previous year I had moved from a 4-bedroom house in the suburbs to a 1-bedroom apartment in Uptown. I was loving everything about being back in the city, walking everywhere, not getting on a highway to go to work. My tiny 510 square foot apartment became a gathering place, which is the opposite of what I expected. I thought my days of entertaining were over!

At that time, Brent was living in a 3-bedroom house in the suburbs on almost a ½ acre lot with two roommates. He moved out there for his job at the time, but had since moved on and was mostly working in the Twin Cities. He hated the time he had to dedicate to mowing the lawn. He told me how he wanted to sell the house once the economy started to improve.

That spring I lost my job. The company I was working for went out of business. Luckily the next month my lease was ending. He told me I could move into his house (knowing I would be cleaner than his roommates) until he sold the house. Almost a full year later, he put the house on the market and four days later he had three offers.

To say we weren’t prepared is an understatement. We didn’t know where we were going to move, other than back to the city. There were four points we were unwilling to budge on: in Minneapolis (downtown or certain areas of Uptown), dog friendly (because Napa wasn’t going anywhere), washer and dryer in unit and garage parking (off-street at an absolutely minimum). This was surprisingly hard to find without spending more than $2,000/month. Finally we found a place in Loring Park. The catch: we couldn’t move until four weeks after the close date.

We contemplated options. We could stay with friends or family, but that felt like a long time to not have our own space. So we did the unthinkable. We went on Priceline and entered a price and the area near my work, and we moved into a hotel room for three weeks. I kid you not. This was our life.

Yes, we had our stuff stored in my mom’s garage and my dad’s big trailer, but there we were. Two adults and a dog living at La Quinta Inn. The one and only positive in this, is by the time we moved into our 1-bedroom apartment, 707 square feet felt palatial.  

We’ve been here over a year now. We love city life. We love not having a yard, having a small space to clean and maintain - so many perks. We learned we don’t love property management companies or neighbors, which is when our plans to buy a condo were blown out of the water.

So we landed on an even better idea. Find a lot in the city. Design and build a tiny house that suits our needs. Make it green. We’ll be able to pay it off, be debt free, and have the time and money to travel and go on all the adventures we’ve been dreaming about.

That brings us to now. We found the lot (we haven’t bought it yet). We’re investigating contractors. We’re ready to take the next step in our tiny house dreams! Join us on this crazy adventure!