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Non- traditional home option
Recently, tiny homes have become a popular alternative to traditional homes. More states such as Arizona are allowing tiny homes to be built. Land owners who don’t want to spend a lot of money building a traditional single family home can build a tiny home instead.
One tiny home called a Yurt has become popular. These homes can be made similar to a traditional tent with few luxuries. On the other hand, some Yurts are more luxurious and can include such features as heat, refrigerators, air conditioning, power, kitchens, Living room, and bedroom spaces. Yurts are customizable to meet your needs. A beautiful Yurt can serve as a protective environment for your family.
Temporary or Long-term option
It is your Choice whether you are building a Yurt for temporary or long-term use. This gives the option to build a home quickly on your new land. How could it change your life to buy land and have a Yurt built within 30 days providing a safe, desert Haven away from Covid?
You have the option to live in your Yurt long- term. Another choice is to have your Yurt built quickly so you can move in right away and use your Yurt as a temporary home. In the future, if you have the resources to build a single family home, you could take down your Yurt, move it to another location, and build your single family home on that parcel of land.
Financial options
If you have the time and want to save some money, you can built a Yurt yourself by buying a kit from a local Yurt dealer. A second option is to hire a builder to build your very own Yurt for you. This will be a little more expensive, but might be worth it if your time is limited.
Yurts can be flexible, convenient, and provide a protective oasis for your family for years to come. Consider finding your ideal parcel of land where you can build and design your very own Yurt to meet the needs of your life and family.
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AZ county eases zoning regulations amid tiny house craze
Dive Brief:
- Pima County, AZ, home to the city of Tucson, has jumped aboard the tiny house bandwagon and established new regulations for houses less than 400 square feet, the Arizona Daily Star reported.
- The new rules allow tiny homes of any size, as long as they have permanent foundations, to be built anywhere zoned for single-family homes. It also eases up on building code minimum standards, such as those for egress, that aren’t necessary for a tiny home.
- In an interesting twist, tiny homes on trailers, whether mobile or not, now fall under more restrictive zoning rules in Pima County, whereas in the past, a “house on wheels” was the way to circumvent stringent zoning and building requirements.
Dive Insight:
Pima County’s move is just the latest sign of changing attitudes among municipalities regarding tiny homes. Last month, Washington, DC, changed its accessory dwelling regulations for certain neighborhoods so that homeowners-in-residence could build small structures on their properties and either rent them or use them for family or employees like au pairs. Housing advocates said the new rules will allow for more diversity in outlying DC areas and will help address the housing problems caused by the 1,000 new residents swarming into the area each month.
The tiny house movement has been making inroads in the U.S. housing market but has failed to establish a mainstream foothold yet. However, there are building plans galore floating around on the Internet for tiny houses, with architecture firms specializing in their design and even DIY packages from building material suppliers like 84 Lumber.
One of the greatest obstacles to more people taking advantage of the benefits of tiny living has been zoning laws. Developers like Colorado’s Sprout Tiny Homes, which is developing a 200-unit tiny home community in Salida, CO, have been working with municipalities on their permitting and zoning regulations in an attempt to educate and persuade them to allow tiny houses.
In addition, misconceptions abound in some communities when it comes to tiny houses. For example, neighbors of an $8 million planned tiny home community in Tallahassee, FL, protested the development on the grounds that it would attract “the wrong kind of person,” as the plan is for it to cater to low-income individuals. Neighbors have argued that this has the potential to make the neighborhood unsafe.
Click here to view original web page at www.constructiondive.com
A SHORT GUIDE TO UTILIZING YOUR PROPERTY
Imagine inheriting a marvelous piece of vacant land, or suppose that you finally took the plunge and bought yourself a new chunk of property. Either way, the next question is what to do with it. Many might respond that they would build on their dream property, settle down and keep it as a long-term investment. The truth is, that there are endless possibilities.
Although building on land or holding onto it as an investment are two great options, there are several other inventive alternatives for vacant land. Let’s look at the six most overlooked ideas for vacant land.
SIX WONDERFUL ALTERNATIVE IDEAS FOR VACANT LAND
TREE FARM
If you have a nice, empty piece of vacant land, why not fill it with locally grown trees? Not only do you provide Mother Nature with some new plants, you also stand make a little profit off your vacant land by selling timber, such as Christmas trees.
STORAGE
Everyone has a little something that they need to tuck away for later, and with the empty space of your vacant land, why not use it to store of some extra stuff you have laying around the house/apartment? A small shed is easy to assemble and can store all of the recreational gear that you only use once a year.
CAMPING
Most locations (outside of city of limits) will allow short-term camping on your vacant land. Get out and explore your inner beast, and be one with nature camping on your vacant land.
WIND FARM
If you own a few hundred acres of vacant land with a heavy, steady amount of wind, you may wish to install some wind turbines. Or, you can sell it to the big companies and make some big-time money. However, many companies will allow you to rent your vacant land to them.
RENT/LEASE PROPERTY
Leasing out your vacant land is a great way to take care of the taxes owed each year, and perhaps to turn a small profit. A lot of large-acreage, vacant landowners enjoy allowing hunters and recreation enthusiasts to use their land, or they even let farmers rent their vacant land while not in use.
HUNTING
There are a lot of people who wish to live off the land, and what better use for your vacant land than to hunt on it. Hunting promotes a stable population of many wildlife species in areas across the nation. Make sure to check with your local rules and regulations to make sure that your vacant land location is suitable and legal to hunt on.
Read the whole article at Land University
After decades of endless debates and absence from the casino, the Hopi Community on Tuesday, 8th May 2018 officially became part of the larger Indian gaming industry. The Hopi Community’s reservation is situated in the northeastern part of Arizona and it occupies over 1.5M acres, touching part of Navajo and Coconino counties and is made up of different villages located on 3 mesas, according to the community’s website.
In 2016, the Hopi Community approved entering into an agreement with the beautiful state of Arizona. A year later, in November, the community former Chairman Herman G. Honanie and Arizona’s Governor Doug Ducey signed the agreement giving the community the freedom to either lease or operate casinos or gaming machine at their reservation.
This historical agreement made the community the 22nd and the last Arizona community to go into an agreement with the state. Before the agreement, the Hopi community was believed to be the only community in the entire state that was not able to get any revenue from or take part in tribal casinos.
According to Indianz.com, the imminent shutdown of the Navajo Generating Station, an over 2250 MW coal-fired power station located on the Navajo State in Page AZ, scheduled for 2019, served as the main reason for the former chairman decision to approve the agreement.
The Navajo and Hopi reservations in the northeastern area of Arizona are apparently coal-rich and both communities depend heavily on the incomes from this sector to assist them to fund their governments and offer the much-needed services.
9th May Associated Press News
According to a 9th May 2018 report by the Associated Press news published by the Navajo Hopi Observer, the communities have requested the federal government to help them keep the station from shutting down and in doing so, save their people from being rendered jobless.
In a press statement, the current Hopi chair, Tim Nuvanyaoma, purportedly stated that 85 percent of the community’s annual general income is derived from this sector.
In a written testimony to the Congress in April 2018, Tim argued, “The Hopi community is landlocked and income generation diversification is quite hard.” Continuing that, “The community lacks reliable electricity, clean water, and access to a fast and reliable internet. This is unthinkable in a country like the US – but it is the reality.”
Continuing on the Gaming Path
The Hopi Community, under the current leadership of Tim, has continued on casino gaming path created by the former chair. Under the agreement signed on 30th November 2017, which will be in effect for at least two decades, the Hopi community is allowed to own and run a maximum of 900 machines on its land or lease machines to other communities in Arizona.
According to a 2017 press release, there are 16 Arizona Communities that run casinos, with 5 of them benefiting from the casinos’ through lease agreements.
Imagine, just imagine, living on your own piece of Arizona Land and adopting a wild Horse or Burro to keep you company! What a huge difference from congested city life!!! Wow - check out our available raw land parcels
Breaking news from:
LAKE POWELL COMMUNICATIONS
The Bureau of Land Management today announced the launch of the Wild Horse and Burro “Online Corral”—a new website focused on connecting the American public with wild horses and burros available for adoption or purchase.
The BLM also announced the 2018 wild horse and burro event schedule, featuring nearly 70 events nationwide that focus on placing wild horses and burros in good homes. To access the 2018 schedule visit the BLM wild horse and burro adoption events page at: https://on.doi.gov/2wVItz0; the Online Corral can be accessed at: https://wildhorsesonline.blm.gov/.
“Wild horses and burros make great companions that are superb at performing a wide variety of tasks,” said Brian Steed, BLM Deputy Director for Policy and Planning. “I urge everyone to attend a wild horse and burro event or visit the new Online Corral to learn how to bring one home.”
The new Online Corral is geared toward increasing the number of wild horses and burros placed into private care each year. The website, which replaces a 10-year-old system, features a modern, streamlined interface that enables users to more easily find their desired wild horse or burro. It also includes new filtering features and an interactive web map. Users can now submit and track the status of their applications directly through the website. Approved applicants can browse available animals and participate in the competitive bid event that runs May 15-22. All animal bids start at $125.
Known for their intelligence, endurance and loyalty, wild horses, with the right training, are outstanding for ranching and trail riding and have successfully competed for awards in numerous fields from endurance riding to dressage. Wild horses and burros have routinely been adopted for important tasks such as patrolling the border and local policing. Read stories from recent wild horse and burro adopters and purchasers on the BLM’s Flickr page.
Wild horses and burros can still be adopted or purchased in-person at one of the nearly 70 BLM-hosted events across the country this year or by visiting one of 17 wild horse and burro off-range corrals. Event locations and dates are subject to change. Please contact the National Wild Horse and Burro Information Center at 866-468-7826 or wildhorse@blm.gov for the most up-to-date information. Potential adopters and purchasers should visit the BLM website to learn more about the rules and requirements for adopting or purchasing a wild horse or burro. To get started visit the BLM wild horse and burro adoption and sales web pages at: https://on.doi.gov/2fSrzJi.
Today’s announcements today are part of the BLM’s effort to confront a growing overpopulation of wild horses and burros on public rangelands and in taxpayer-funded off-range facilities. As of March 1, 2018, the wild horse and burro population on public lands was estimated at 82,000 animals, which is more than triple the number that public lands can support along with other legally mandated land uses.
“Finding good homes for horses and burros is a top priority for the BLM as we strive to protect the health of these animals,” Steed said.
There are many options for home construction on your Arizona Land
Here is another article in our series about building a container home on your Arizona Land. Shipping Containers are a fast and budget-friendly alternative to convention home construction and are a great idea for building a cabin, vacation home, or even your residence on one of our beautiful parcels of Arizona Land. Our land parcels are priced well below market value to start and with the added savings from this shipping container construction, your Arizona land purchase is, even more, budget friendly.
This article was originally published by Container Home Plans. They are a great source of ideas and inspiration.
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact us - YOUR ARIZONA LAND SPECIALISTS.
How To Plan Your Shipping Container Home
In today’s blog we are going to look at exactly how to plan the build of your new shipping container home.
As you already know, planning is the most important part of any project, and shipping container homes are no different. Have you ever heard the famous expression: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”
The average new home tends to run over its budget by around 15-20%, so it’s crucial you make a solid plan and stick to it, to avoid overspending whilst building your container home.
Not only do you risk overspending but you also risk the construction running over on time as well.
Let’s take a closer look at exactly how you should correctly plan your shipping container home.
Set Your Budget
The first and most crucial step to planning the build of your container home is to set your budget.
So first, sit down, and work out how much cash savings you have and also how much money you can loan from the bank. Add these two figures together and you have your total budget.
You then need to allow for a contingency fund of 20%. A contingency fund is a reserve of money that is used when you meet unexpected expenses/delays during the construction of your home.
It’s a sad reality of home building, but the majority of builds overrun and cost more money than originally expected.
Let me show you how the contingency fund is calculated with a total budget of $150,000. Twenty percent of $150,000 = $30,000.
So your budget to build your container home would be $120,000 and you would have a contingency of $30,000.
Decide and Finalize Your Design
Here comes the really fun part, it’s time to actually design your shipping container home. You need to calculate your budget before this step so you can plan realistically.
You can design anything, from a single container tiny house, all the way up to a three story mansion! The combinations of shipping containers are nearly endless, and they can be designed perfectly around what you need from your home.
If you are short of ideas or are looking for inspiration, make sure to check out our pack of 20 plans.
I find the best way to plan is to think about the logical questions first before you start worrying about: “how many shipping containers should I use” and “how should I layout the shipping containers”.
Instead you should be asking yourself questions like: “How many bedrooms do I want” and “what will the home be used for”.
Remember, the more specific your answers are, the better your design will be.
It costs a lot of money to change your mind about the design halfway through building your container home.
I remember a friend of mine, who was building their own container home, decided to remove an internal wall of their container. Subsequently they decided they didn’t want the open plan room and put the wall back in. In total the changes cost them $5,000 in wasted material and time.
Better planning would have avoided this expense!
Who Will Build It?
Once you’ve decided on the design of your shipping container house, you need to think about who will build it.
Lots of people choose to build their shipping container home themselves. This is far cheaper and I think it’s also far more rewarding. If you want to build a shipping container home yourself, you need to think about whether you have enough relevant experience and practical skills.
If you don’t have the practical experience, or don’t have enough time, then you should instead think about hiring a contractor to build the home for you.
Contractors tend to be more experienced and can build the home in a shorter time, but they will be far more expensive. If you’re thinking about employing a contractor, make sure to:
- Ask for references.
- Do they guarantee their work?
- How long does the guarantee last for?
- Do they have liability insurance?If you decide to hire a contractor, make sure to read our article on how to find a contractor.
Where Will You Build Your Shipping Container Home?
So you’ve set your budget, designed your container home and have decided who is going to build it, it’s now time to find a piece of land that meets your needs.
The reason I tell people to design their container home before they find land, is so they design the actual shipping container home they want and don’t design a container home which is restricted by a particular piece of land.
To find a plot of land I prefer to first, identify a particular area that you are interested in. This area should be no more than 15 miles across- any bigger than this and it becomes increasingly time consuming and more difficult to research.
Whilst you can look online and use websites such as Zillo, I still prefer to find pieces of land the old fashioned way- you can sometimes get an absolute bargain!
I’d simply drive around the area which you have identified and then look for any ‘for sale’ signs. Another thing I like to do is speak with the locals there. They are often much more in the know, and know of land that might be for sale before it hits the real estate listings.
Once you’ve found a piece of land that you’re interested in, make sure you speak to the local zoning/planning department.
You need to talk with them and establish how likely they are to grant you a building permit to build a shipping container home in their district. If at this point the local planning department seem very against the idea, it might be for the best to find a piece of land in another district instead.
Is Your Shipping Container Home Viable?
The final question you need to ask yourself is: “is your shipping container home viable”?
Viable can mean many different things, but here it means: do you have the required skills and resources to build a shipping container home.
If you’ve been reading this blog for any period of time, you will know that building a shipping container home is hard work and requires a variety of skills and resources.
Clearly, the two most important resources you will need are time and money. Then you will need the DIY knowhow and ability to convert the shipping container into a home, or, enough money to hire someone to covert the containers for you.
It’s also important to consider where you are going to get your building materials from before you start building.
For instance, if you are planning to build a shipping container home, but live 1000 miles away from the nearest container depo, then perhaps it isn’t viable for you to build a shipping container home. This would cost you a lot of money and also take time to get your containers delivered across such a distance.
The last key thing you need to consider is building permits/planning permission. It’s a sad truth, but in certain areas of the world you just aren’t going to get a building permit to construct a shipping container home. If this is your local planning departments’ stance, then you’re going to have a hard time changing their minds.
Conclusion
You should now be able to plan your new shipping container home, from setting your budget all the way through to identifying a piece of land.
When setting your budget, make sure you allow for a contingency fund of 20%, this will cover you in case you have any unexpected costs during the build.
To design your container home, think of the logical questions first, such as: “how many rooms do I need” and “what will each one be used for”. Then you can work from that and calculate how many containers you require.
Make sure you decide who will be building your container home. Many container home owners have built their own home, however this doesn’t mean you have to. Think about whether you have the time and DIY knowhow to get the job done.
You now need to find a piece of land. My favorite technique is to speak with the locals because they will be able to tell you about land that’s available before it hits the real estate listings.
Click here to view original web page at www.containerhomeplans.org
Build your Vacation Home, Cabin, or just a Get-A-Way on your own parcel of Arizona Raw Land. Here is the first in our series of articles to help you. Please contact us if you have any questions or wish to know which of our parcels of Arizona Raw Land would be suitable for this type of home - YOUR ARIZONA RAW LAND SPECIALISTS!
How To Build A Shipping Container Home With A Small Budget
One of the most common reasons why people want to build a shipping container home is because they can be built very cheaply.
In a recent blog post we discussed the cheapest shipping container homes ever built- and some were built for less than $30,000!
However, this isn’t to say that the price is the only reason to be living in a shipping container home. There are lots of reasons why you should live in a container home and for many it is due to recycling unused materials and being environmentally-conscious.
To build a shipping container home on a tight budget, you need to be savvy and know exactly where you can skimp and save money- but also, where you need to spend your money to get the best results.
Want to learn how to be savvy and save your money? Keep reading…
Plan, Plan and Plan
One of the most common reasons why people want to build a shipping container home is because they can be built very cheaply.
If you want to build a container home whilst on a tight budget, the first thing you need to do is plan– and plan well.
If you don’t have your plan well mapped out then how are you going to know if you are doing well or not throughout your build?
You won’t.
You will be improvising throughout the building process hoping for the best. This is no way to build a home and you will likely run into serious problems along the way.
There are two key elements to planning.
The first is to plan your budget. Decide how much money you have to spend on building your home new.
Only with a thorough plan can you hope to build your container home on a tight budget.
Don’t Make Silly Mistakes
The easiest way to lose money when building your new home is to make silly mistakes.
The most common mistake I see with container homes is removing too much steel out of the containers when modifying them.
You know why people remove too much steel?
Because, they haven’t planned properly and don’t know exactly what they want their container home to look- so instead they experiment and end up cutting too much steel away.
There is nothing worse than wasting materials which you’ve already paid for- especially when you’re on a small budget.
I can still remember having to rebuild the fireplace when I built my first home- it cost me several thousand dollars and I still get upset thinking about it now!
If I planned properly and wasn’t rushing, I’m sure I would have avoided that mistake and saved my money…
Make sure you read 5 mistakes to avoid when building a shipping container home - coming soon!
Which Are the Cheapest Containers to Build With?
One of the largest expenses when building a shipping container home is actually purchasing the shipping containers.
Choosing the right containers is absolutely crucial to both your budget and the success of your project.
The first decision you need to make is whether to buy new or used shipping containers.
Now, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to which type to buy- however I can give you some good reference points to think about.
Firstly, I’d only buy used shipping containers if I could see them before I purchased them. I know quite a few people who have purchased used containers without seeing them first and the containers were really beat up when they arrived!
Not the best start to a home build is it…
Also, whichever type of container you buy (new or used) make sure that they are all the same brand. Manufactures use slightly different measurement tolerances when making the containers, so building with different brand containers can sometimes be difficult.
Personally, I find the most cost effective containers are ‘one-trips’. One-trip containers are shipping containers which have only been used once for haulage- they aren’t used sea-beaten containers which have spent years at sea!
If you want more help when choosing your shipping containers make sure you read which shipping container should I buy?
Choosing Where to Spend Your Money
A great way to help reduce the build cost of your home is to spend most of your money on the things that can’t be altered and skimp on what can be altered later on.
I would purchase the very best shipping containers that I can afford and I wouldn’t skimp here- you can’t replace or change the containers once you have built your house.
Whereas, I would skimp when choosing my kitchen fixings, carpet or paint. This is because each of these things can be changed quite easily once you’ve moved in.
Another great way to save money is to use building materials which require low maintenance. A great example of this is using a metal roof- they require very little upkeep once they have been fitted.
A final word of warning though: don’t try to save money on the structural components!
Yes you want to build an affordable home- but you also want a home which is safe to live in.
Track Every Dollar Spent
And when I say every dollar- I mean every last one of them!
When I built my first home- money was flying out my bank account from all directions. And very quickly I was running out of money before I’d really got going.
With additional costs thrown in by the contractor for a misunderstanding and a last minute kitchen upgrade I was left trying to save every cent for the last few months of the build.
As I’ve said above- make a plan, but also stick to it and track every dollar spent in a spreadsheet to make sure you are on budget.
There is no sense in having a plan and not tracking what’s actually being spent against your planned expenses.
You can guarantee there will be unexpected costs and things that surprise you- but if you plan sensibly and stick to the plan, you will be able to build a very cheap home for yourself.
Salvage Local Materials
You’d be amazed at the things people give away for free!
As they say “one man’s trash, is another’s treasure”.
I find the best place to collect salvaged materials from is demolition sites. Most of the time you can get the materials for free providing you transport the materials yourself.
Even if they do want money for the materials it’s usually a nominal fee.
Just so nobody gets into trouble- make sure you ask the owner first, don’t just assume that you can take the salvaged materials!
Summary
We have seen plenty of container homes built for less than $50,000.
If you have a tight budget when building your container home, make sure to plan everything thoroughly beforehand. This way you won’t run into any unforeseen issues during the build!
Once you’ve planned make sure you keep to this plan and track each dollar you spend against your budget.
Also, you can visit local salvage sites to reclaim unused building materials to save even more money.
Click here to view original web page at www.containerhomeplans.org
PHOENIX - Arizona is a state known for many things – gorgeous sunsets, saguaros, copper, the Grand Canyon … and sand hills?
At least, that’s what our "Been There" Starbucks mug says. The mug series, released in March, features different designs for each of the 50 states.
Starbucks said its artist was "inspired by Arizona's nickname of 'The Sand Hill State.'"
So where did the nickname come from?
“Yep, Sand Hills State is one of our nicknames, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why or where it came from,” Arizona’s official state historian Marshall Trimble said in an email when we asked about the sobriquet’s origin.
Apparently, nobody else can figure out where it came from either. The best we have are educated guesses, like the one in "the Encyclopedia of Arizona," by Nancy Capace:
“Arizona is designated as the Sand Hill State, perhaps, because the Mexican Cordilleras divided the State diagonally into two regions, and because of the desert-like appearance of many regions of the State."
Another clue can be found in "A Book of Nicknames," by John Goff, published in 1892. According to the book, Arizonans were sometimes called "Sand Cutters" by people from outside of the state.
So maybe it's just people from out-of-state assuming "desert" means lots of sand dunes. Though there are some impressive sand dunes west of Yuma, you don't really see sand hills throughout much of the state.
Here's a more accurate description of our topography from "The New International Encyclopedia, Volume 2":
"The whole State, however, is mountainous in the form of short, isolated ranges having a general northwest-southwest trend, which are abrupt sterile, and gashed by deep canyons and dry watercourses."
Our official nickname, the Grand Canyon State, didn’t actually become official until 2011, after the passage of House Bill 2447.
Trimble said a schoolgirl in California had written to him wanting to know the state’s official nickname. After some research, Trimble found it wasn’t yet official. The bill was signed on Arizona’s birthday, February 14.
Here are some other interesting Arizona nicknames, according to the "Encyclopedia of Arizona":
Apache State - A great number of the Apache people originally inhabited the territory, and they fought for 10 years to keep European settlers from encroaching on their land.
Baby State - Arizona was the last of the contiguous 48 states to be admitted to the union in 1912. Alaska and Hawaii were not admitted until 1959.
Copper State - Arizona has produced more copper than any state in the union.
Sunset State – Our beautiful sunsets look even more dramatic against the colorful desert landscapes.
Valentine State – Arizona gained statehood in 1912 on February 14, which is also Valentine’s Day.
Read the full article at : original story from KVOA News 4