Seattle Bubble

I expect August stats from the NWMLS to be posted either today or tomorrow, but here’s something from the lighter side to kill some time until then.

Mark Zimmerman (zim) had a problem that many have been faced with thanks to the housing bubble:

A few years back, I got tired of living the American Dream and struggling to keep up with a horrendous mortgage and rising credit card debt. I know there’s really only two ways to balance a budget, spend less or earn more, and I didn’t see a huge wage increase in the future. Also, I have always been interested in unusual homes and can’t pass a two or three hundred square foot enclosure without wondering what interesting living space could be made there. Less space, less stuff, less consumed, less owed. It sounded like where I wanted to be.

So what was his solution? Convert an old bus into a cheap home, of course!

Then, I got a call from a buddy that purchased a pair of used school buses from the Texas A&M surplus property auction. He knew I had been interested in one and was willing to hold on to it until I could head out to pick it up. I got myself to College Station, spent a few days changing fluids, ripping out the seats and doing general preventative maintenance. Then, for about $1400 for the bus and another $600 in diesel (probably twice that, now), I headed back to Florida with the beast. Two years later, I’ve got a fully functional, comfortable, clean living space for about $12,000 and my monthly housing and utility costs are less than $400/month.

It’s no Ballard Craftsman, but I guess it’s a step or two above living in a van, down by the river.

Hat tip: Boing Boing