Builder of Tiny Homes Predicts Pint-Sized Housing Trend

An energy-efficient micro home in Waterville, Maine, is the future of the housing sector, if home builder Andy Vear is to be believed. The one-bedroom, one-bathroom residence takes up just 624 square feet — not even a quarter the size of the average home in the U.S. Northeast, which runs about 2,613 sq. ft. The cozy quarters — which also feature a storage attic, space for a washer and dryer, and a Murphy (or wall) bed, all in a space about the size of a two-car garage — would cost a buyer roughly $500 per month on a mortgage and about $400 in annual utility costs. Vear believes that smaller housing alternatives, including micro homes, will be revived from their 1950s heydey now that recession has forced many Americans to manage their money more tightly. “It’s inexpensive living,” he says. “That’s what it all comes down to, living within your means.” | Read More