| What are alternative lifestyles and why would | | | | RVs, cabins, underground homes, rental rooms |
| they require alternative housing? To answer | | | | and anything else that's less common than the |
| the first part it is easiest to give | | | | houses, condos and apartments that most |
| examples. Then the answer to the second part | | | | people call home. Here are a few more of |
| becomes self evident. | | | | these housing options. |
| | | | |
| One winter we were camping in our conversion | | | | - RV Boondocking. I've talked to people |
| van at a hot springs area in Arizona. We met | | | | living in Rvs that cost $200,000 and ones |
| a man who sold stuffed animals on the side of | | | | that cost $600, so the selection of |
| the highway. Having been through a bad | | | | accommodations is varied, to say the least. |
| divorce, and having little money, he was | | | | |
| living in the van at places like these hot | | | | - Permanent travelers. Housing is whatever |
| springs. Every day he drove off to the | | | | works for the moment for those who work |
| nearest highways and set up his stuffed | | | | various jobs as the travel. |
| animals for sale. He claimed to have sold | | | | |
| $4,000 worth the first month, so his low cost | | | | - Houseboats. There are whole communities of |
| living meant he could save the money and get | | | | people living on houseboats, and they usually |
| back on his feet. | | | | don't have to pay property taxes. |
| | | | |
| Meanwhile, another neighbor at the hot | | | | - Basements. Even some people with good |
| springs was living in his old RV. He had a | | | | incomes choose to live in the basement as |
| house, but he preferred to supplement his | | | | they build the house above for cash. No |
| social security by renting it out. This meant | | | | mortgage sounds nice, doesn't it? |
| he lived in his RV for a few weeks at each | | | | |
| location, often for free, and spent evenings | | | | - Log cabin squatting. Yes, there really are |
| sitting around campfires talking to travelers | | | | people living out there in the national |
| like us. | | | | forests, moving when they get caught every |
| | | | five or ten years. |
| A friend of ours lived in a shack that he | | | | |
| built for $3,000 on a small piece of land he | | | | - School busses. Apparently old busses sell |
| bought for $7,000. He was there for enough | | | | cheap. We met three young men who lived in |
| time to pay off the land and sell it for a | | | | one in the deserts of Arizona, and anywhere |
| profit. This is illegal in many areas, of | | | | else they could park it for a month. |
| course, because of things like occupancy | | | | |
| permits and minimum square footage | | | | - Offices. A couple I know almost moved into |
| requirements. Usually, however, you can camp | | | | the office building they owned. It was on the |
| on your land, so a $2,000 used RV parked on | | | | river and had showers, so why not? One less |
| your land makes for a cheap and legal housing | | | | mortgage too. |
| alternative. | | | | |
| | | | A national magazine recently did a write-up |
| Other Housing For Alternative Lifestyles | | | | on people who lived in the jungles of Hawaii. |
| | | | Rents are high in Hawaii, and life on the |
| Alternative lifestyle doesn't mean "low | | | | beach is good - at least for younger people |
| income" of course. There are other reasons | | | | who can tolerate camping out for years. |
| for living differently and needing different | | | | Alternative lifestyles and alternative |
| types of housing. Whether to save money, to | | | | housing are often more for the younger crowd. |
| travel, to live creatively - there are many | | | | Then again, tell that to the tens of |
| reasons why people choose to live in tents, | | | | thousands of retirees living in RVs. |