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!