Alternative (Free) Housing

[Bob B]

I have worked my way into a sweet little deal everyone should know about. This valley is FULL of vacant homes, and I just moved into one and am staying here for free because the house is for sale.

The move took me from a tiny, low energy house where my portion was about 275 sqft, to a 2,400 sqft house all by myself. Here's how I'm making it a 'green deal'. When I moved in, the owner had left this house vacant with the thermostat set at 70 degrees, day and night!

I used the programmable unit to set it at 62 degrees in the day and off at night, so I am actually lowering the energy footprint by being here. The realtor reeled in horror when I told her the temperature I was keeping the house, but I promised to turn it up to the "Clueless American Hawaiin Shirt & Bathing Suit" setting if needed.

The house is on the Boise River, so a veggie garden (I am thinking if things really collapse this might be my permanent home) could be irrigated by buckets. The Southern exposure is blocked by big, useless Cottonwoods that could easily be killed by cutting around the trunks and removing the bark, to give the garden space light.

Check your local Real Estate office for opportunities to live in a 'for sale property', you might find an inexpensive new way to live. I'd heard about people doing this and it sounded like a pretty good deal. They get the property maintained and protected, you get a neat new pad.

[Caoimhin]

First, welcome to BSLC, Tom!

Secondly, I gotta ask...how is that even legal?   Unless you know the owner of the house wouldn't it be considered "squatting" and isn't that illegal?

[Bob B]

Leaving a house vacant is dangerous since kids like to break in and trash the place or use it as a play house. When commodities soar again, the risk of copper thieves will return, and they destroy houses pulling out the copper plumbing. Often insurance companies will not insure a vacant home, which puts the seller and bank at risk.

Many Real Estate companies will hook you up with a place to stay just so it is occupied. You just need to be aware that you might have to move on at some undetermined time. My present abode is a owner I knew that told me about what the insurance company said about not insuring the home if it was vacant. Viola! A free home.

There is an activist I read about who moves homeless people into vacant homes that have essentially been abandoned, that is a little questionable legalwise...

[Caoimhin]

That's pretty cool, Bob!    Good tip.  I wouldn't doubt that opportunities such as yours will increase over the next several months.  For someone who is mobile it sounds like a pretty great deal!

[JMaus]

sweet!