@@catherinetodd yeah I know but that doesn't address the point that I'm building to making which is that$50K box house is a pretty lame scam. Musk is doing something much worse than government housing.
@@mayalmariomendoza134 Yep exactly, I sold it for $100K a couple years ago. What do you think the up-swing is on a $50K kit house? I'm thinking more like a used car.
I am fully impressed! It's just a complete ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxGqOCINHE0Z0E5gxzSdNi9NWGugRY5Hm2 plan with the best resources and step by step instructions . These shed plans are so satisfying as if the sheds build themselves on their own. Worthy work Ryan!
If small communities could be developed similar to what I’ve seen with some “tiny homes” where the development has a community garden and rec center (I believe those home owners sign an agreement to abide by some policies that benefit the group as a whole).. that would be a great idea
..i would do it..be Thrilled to do it..such a community sounds really Nice..never did like big houses..my Favorite home on earth was a 2 room cabin my dad & i built...all from 'leftovers'..he was not just a builder he also tore old houses down..you can come across some Cool & Rare details that way...Magical lighting, fantastic tile or wood floors...uber cool windows...Great old doors...finely crafted hardware & some really beautiful paneling & cornice & ornamentation. Even the occasional perfect fence. ...i had a Very Unusual childhood growing up on a self sustained farm in the mountains of NePa..& some of the best memories were working with my dad...since my older brother died in vietnam..after the general left he turned to me & said i had to take his place. "it's up to you now"..i know it was the grief talking, i was only 12 yrs old..my life changed forever that day, i lost a brother & what was left of childhood..& gained a relentless work ethic & pride in results that sustains me to this day...he did mean it, he taught me everything about building a house or cabin including the plumbing & electric..masonry...& landscaping. & so much more. Now that i think back on it, not sure who was driven the most, him or me. Hard to tell. These houses are Wonderful..i would Love to go over one from top to bottom..& i'll bring my rug & pillow..lol
When my brother was going to build a casita in his backyard which was huge, he figured he’d spend $200,000-250,000. So yea, that would have been much more affordable.
This was a good breakdown. Things usually have more costs than the sticker price and we should have more of those conversations even about traditional home ownership
I think you mentioned that the cost of the home was $50,000 but the house you built was over 1600 sf. Did I get that correctly because I thought the base 375 sf +/- home cost $50,000.
It will be interesting to see if Boxabl can do a master planned community with these types of homes done in such a way that all costs are still affordable. The economics would have to work. That would be interesting to see if that could work
The other good thing about a Caseda is that it is stackable, and even at 100K for a stackable configured unit at 800 so. ft. Plus installation cost, not including land, is still in the 120K range very affordable for what it is.
We are assuming, of course, that a single family home of that size is allowed by ordinance, and/or a second dwelling on a single family lot is allowed. Many localities require minimum square footages, and require special zoning for accessory dwellings. After 42 years in local government, I always tell folks to check with the local building and/or zoning departments before doing anything.
I use to work in San Luis Obispo CA. They had an empty lot for $37,000. I wanted to buy it. I called the realtor. I said I want to buy it and put a small home on it. He laughed at me and said the city would never let me do it. So I forgot about it. A few years later there was a small home on it. LoL. Probably worth about $500,000.
@@PInk77W1 Yeah, there are always exceptions to the rules. I my location you can ask for one if you are willing to pay a hefty fee and ensure months of public hearings with no guarantee it will be approved (and sorry, no refunds).
I'm a small real estate investor I thought of adding something like this on one of my properties. The local government said first I need an engineer to make drawings of the addition. then after paying an engineer I have to pay them $500 just to give me a yes or no answer.
Ford created the Model T which thanks to mass production, for its time was affordable and reliable compared to other cars. That's what the US needs in a house, too, and has never had. One that can be mass produced making it even more affordable, transportable (to a site), energy efficient, and durable. It shouldn't be as difficult as sending people to Mars or finding the cure for cancer. One thing Tiramani achieved in the Boxabl Casita, besides it being innovative, is an interior space that looks like it would be an attractive, comfortable, and functional place to live, for an individual or couple who don't mind making some space sacrifices, can get creative with storage, and who like saving energy.
I'm guessing that if a new couple have kids, they can add a box, and put it on top, so the Casita in theory, could grow as the family grows, without taking up more land space.
That already exists. Contrary to popular belief, building a house is extremely cheap. Most people either don't want to learn or are too lazy to research so they just want to buy premade. Keep buying premade, prices will keep rising. Cost of building one yourself, always keeps going down in comparison.
Sears used to sell house kits that were delivered by rail and built on site. Came with everything needed to build the home and included plumbing, electrical, etc. This isn't a new concept
Then issue is the finding a land that allows you to out this house on it. In los angeles that impossible right now. And probably most big cities, unless you go out in rural areas.
I think even with all these costs it's still a very smart option. Where I live the total cost for an install would be about 85,000 and this would still be much cheaper than buying a near by home.
Yeah, for my location that's an outrageous price! We bought our first home for about $70,000. It's almost 1600 Sq ft, has a nice yard and 3 bedrooms and 1 1/2 bath.
@@KerryTarnow just before this housing shortage hit. We are listing it this week and hope to get double that, but we put a lot of improvements into it.
Well lucky you but I live in California and every millennial like me is depressed we can’t afford shit we just keep getting pushed to live deeper in the desert
In New Zealand the average house price is 880,000. So im watching, intensely interested. I live in a city, and have a 1/5 acre lot. Our city has just made a rule that a 2nd dwelling of 300 sq or less does not need consent. So this has world wide potential. Thanks
Just a quick question for clarification: You said that you based your prices for setup on the location you're currently building in British Columbia. Did you adjust the prices to reflect USD vs CAD? I know the Boxabl Casita is quoted at $50k USD but if you're looking at CAD prices for setup/utilities/etc then it could be skewing the overall price higher than if adjusted.
My God - anyone who says that $133/sq ft is expensive for a tiny house like Boxabl has lost their damn minds, in my opinion. I live in British Columbia, Canada - and I just saw an ad for a condo in North Vancouver, BC today that is 569 sq ft, and it was listed at $774,0900. That's $1,360/sq ft - literally 10 TIMES a similar sized Boxabl home. Greater Vancouver has some of the world's most expensive real estate. A piece of land the size of a tennis court has sold, undeveloped, for $1 MILLION plus. I get that West Virginia might be a lot cheaper, and THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT.
I live in a 20ft shipping container, The Casita is a mansion! I am putting one in the desert about 200 miles from vegas, off grid, its going to be very affordable!
Yup, I’m in a 40’ container that I’m building as I can afford, it’s still going to end up at $25k-30k once it’s done (including off grid power which is $$$)
An 800 sq ft house with closets and 2 bedrooms with nice covered front porch and that looks like a shotgun house would be super cute. Oh and a laundry area.
Cost of land and developing it were my concerns too. If you want to have it delivered significantly far away on cheaper land you found, gosh help you with the zoning of local governments or the ability to have all needed utilities where you are able to build without restrictions. Not to mention the need to be within reasonable distance to your place of work...Address some/all of these concerns, and you'll have a believer here.
Well done! I visited the Boxabl manufacturing facility in Vegas back in late August. Only about a month before they kicked off actual production of the Casita. We are very interested in this product and the future of manufactured homes. As a developer/home builder (in Oklahoma City) I can certainly appreciate your explanation of the price per square foot cost analysis. This is all too often the focus of those in the market for a home. Thank you for this "all in" cost break down. Spot on! Now I'm going to go watch your first video to get more detail and I am now a Subscriber!
Hi Kerry, I think you do a great job with these videos. The thing that concerns me about Boxabl is the joints that allow this house to be folded. Do you have any thoughts on durability and weather resistance of these elements that a normal house does not have to deal with?
namsinc wrote: "The thing that concerns me about Boxabl is the joints that allow this house to be folded." Exactly my thoughts as well. I would let a few more of these folding houses get installed and wait a year to see how they make it through the seasons before I invested $50,000+.
Move to Detroit, housing is very inexpensive there. But Kerry is right, it depends on where you want to be. Let’s call it “more affordable” instead of affordable.
This answered all of the questions I had about what you’d actually have to do after buying one and how much it would really cost to get one up and running. I agree though, even with the additional costs I do think these are still a good investment and I think in the future we are going to see more and more of these.
@@enriquecabrera2137 what’s the downside to a mobile home? It’s on wheels tho…the home can roll away…also the entire home is one giant vehicle that you can drive the mobile home and a vehicle can always blow up right?
In Texas, it’s CHEAP! The price $73,000 might be how much Elon paid for the complete set up of his BOXABLE. I live in Houston, Texas. …and my brother lives in Austin, it is a little more expensive but not much
I live in Northern California and the Boxabl Casita sounds interesting. Are there real estate agents that are familiar with getting financed to purchase the factory homes-like Boxable Casita and the land together? would an FHA loan qualify for this kind of home?
I'm doing the same. It depends on county. Reach out to the board of supervisors in your county. In Northern California, a fire resistant, environmentally friendly home should merit a reduction in permit fees. You will probably have to fight to get them to listen and take action but let's face it, Northern California needs options to address available inventory.
It probably falls outside the spirit of the term "affordable housing" if you're talking about installing it on or next to another property that you own.
Does the additional $20k+ apply to the first box only? If you did a home with 3 boxes for example, would it be $175k, $75k for the first one and $50k for each additional?
I would think that the first is the most expensive as it includes the utility hookups and permits. If you did multiple modules at once, you probably would only incur the cost of the foundation. If you added on later, though, then you would need to go through permitting again in addition to building costs.
I think you are overthinking the concept of affordability. It's totally personal. It depends only on your budget. If you're the richest man in earth, everything is affordable.
IM FROM LOS ANGELES,... THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE,.. MAYBE THE LOT OF LAND WILL BE MORE EXPENSIVE HERE IN LA,.. AND EVEN IF THE TOTAL COMES OUT TO $250,000 ITS A STEAL AS THERE IS NO HOMES WITH THAT KIND OF PRICE IN LOS ANGELES,... CANT WAIT FOR THESE TO BE AVAILABLE IM DEFIANTLY GOING TO START LOOKING INTO THIS,.. THIS LITTLE HOME 🏡 IS ON MY BUCKET LIST!🤗
One major omission was the roof. In different videos and interviews with one of the Boxabl founders, there is a pretty big hint that you'll probably need an actual roof. My guess is that unless you're in the desert, you'll pretty much need one. The cost of constructing a pitched roof would not be trivial. I'd also imagine that the $50k + shipping won't include the cost of assembly and mounting to the foundation.
To be fair, there are plenty of tiny homes that cost much more than that as well. It is all relative to your lifestyle, the materials used, and the quality of the build. Not to mention your own personal sweat equity required to keep costs down, which can take away from your time at an actual paying job, and would likely not compare to the work done by a professional. It's true, it CAN be cheaper, but that doesn't necessarily make it a "better" option. It is simply *another* option, just as all these different alternative home videos are here to provide alternatives, but not necessarily the "best" as that is always going to differ based on each individual case.
Exactly, but those costs only exists for tiny houses if you build it yourself, have it on wheels to skirt building regulations, and have the time to find good deals on materials. I've seen tiny houses upwards of 100k-200k for idiots who have someone build it for them and get the most expensive options, and the company is a startup tiny house company who fleeces these people jumping on the trend.
I am hoping that Elon's next venture is affordable housing. 3D housing, container homes, precast concrete, and modular homes do seem like the wave of the future. Very few people can afford a home that requires 20 workers working for a year to complete a home. Home building needs to be more automated.
@@nicole11823 Our government officials are only interested in getting reelected, not interested in solving problems. Elon is interested in solving problems.
@@richardt1792 yeah, exactly why I said what I said. It's so sad...that's why they opened the borders to welcome all the illegals because now they will get God only knows how many more votes. I'm sure the Democrats told them they need to vote or else they will get sent back
In South West Detroit Michigan in America I think it's South West. Houses start at $200.00 And Up they are very rough and you can see them on you tube. And homes in Dublin Virginia one of the poorest places to live in America houses start at $20,000 On a good note crime is not bad because there's not many people there and the crime depends on where you live in the little town of Dublin. Not many jobs around, not much to do but cheap living. In Southwest Texas in America you can buy just land and be off grid with a minimum of 60 square foot shed , building or larger as your home. Not sure about a RV. Land is very cheap I've seen people pay more in taxes in a small state than what these guys pay to buy their land. Also in Southwest Texas there is no electricity, no running water, no natural gas. People have been living there for years. If you have the time and money you can make anything happen.
This is very helpful! Thank you. I don’t think I saw any crane time cost factored in, tho. Imagine that could add a bit to the bottom line as well depending on the location.
Most mobile home manufacturers slap those suckers together(the quota has to be made). It “is” very inexpensive and it’s a better choice than renting “if you have land”. But thin insulation and the materials degrade too fast. (I will admit drier areas are going to fair better than high humidity- mold can form easily). Good choice to be placed on a decent foundation(Should help protect the pipes, prevents mice from coming up through the vents or from creatures living/dying under the trailer). I lived in mobile homes/campers for a good portion of my life….and even(some) of the more run down brick/mortar houses are going to be sturdier. “If you have a choice” please do your research before deciding because you might stay in that trailer/camper for about 15-20 years. (I know not everyone can afford the luxury of choice, so this is for those that do have decent credit etc.) Also, I’ve seen people work hard on a house just to have it taken away + loan discrimination. Trailers should be for emergency accommodations not permanent living but the whole housing system is fkd.
When most people talk about affordable housing, they're talking about people who don't have many assets and need a place that will fit within their means. For example, an older person who is living on $800 a month social security, or someone who works for minimum wage. It's not an esoteric concept. And it's definitely not as you define it, unrelated to price per square foot. People of limited means need to get the most space they can for the least amount of money. That's what it means to be affordable.
that would be a trailer home and most cities are VERY STRICT about trailer homes in the city districts. It is almost as if they do not want to see poor people in their vicinity... sounds so unlike America...
It's very affordable for the investor, who could turn around and rent the property for 600 per month and still make a profit, which fits well within that budget of a person living on a fixed income.
To me, affordable means you can afford the payment... period. Yes, most of us want to maximize our space, but at the end of the day, square footage doesn't have anything to do with affordability when the bill comes due. Another aspect is that square footage needs to be heated, cleaned, furnished, lit, etc. Keeping the square footage down impacts affordability in multiple beneficial ways.
EXCELLENT, THANKS ! ! ! While I'm presently designing and building an off-grid solar tiny camper trailer, And being a home owner, I can better appreciate the costs involved between permanently building on a foundation vs. a parking space. Still, the need for comfortable, affordable shelter in this day and age is a choice every person faces...
Tuffshedd has really nice tiny homes for less than $20k installed incl shipping. Still gotta prep the land, wire/pipe the house, and finish it. But it’s still a better bargain imo, particularly if you can finish it yourself.
@@KerryTarnow Wow, thank you for responding. There's a video that went viral a few days ago where a gentleman walks through one of these houses. Its called "TINY HOME...HOME DEPOT..." I would love to hear your take on it!
I've owned two homes in my life and to say this is NOT affordable is simply untrue. I really appreciate you breaking the costs down. I've been contemplating building a home for myself for a while but it's not feasible. Prebuilt homes are very economical. If you were to take your numbers and build a community they would drop some. That's my latest plan. Then instead of being a renter I'd be an owner and others would as well. Not everyone can fit in a 400sqft home. Do you know of other affordable options like these for say a family of 4? Thanks for the great video. Happy subscriber!
the thing that puzzles me is why ISNT ELON WORKING WITH THIS COMPANY!!!! Combine this tiny house with the TESLA SOLAR ROOF and the TESLA Power WALL, we are looking at completely living off the grid, as far as power goes.
We have a Boxable house, the price just covers the house walls, floors, window, and roof. We had to purchase our land, pay for utilities set up, and appliances. The complete total was about $325,000.00 with a bulk of it being the purchasing of land.
A teardown house on a 30' by 110' lot in a bad area of Vancouver, BC sold last year for $1 400 000 CDN or $ 1 115 124 USD. So, if a Boxabl homes were available at twice the the price they would be almost free compared to what we pay. Needless to say you couldn't build in or near Vancouver, But British Columbia is a big beautiful place. A 20 by 40 Boxabl $150 000 house on a $ 100 000 dollar lot in a nice small town is still a free house to us.
Fifty thousand isn't affordable to the average person,twenty thousand is. I bought a house that needed a few small renos but move in ready with six acres for 36 grand.
@@waitaminute2015 From the Idaho Statesman, 7/24/21: As housing prices skyrocket, developers are quickly buying land in the Boise suburb. Last month, the average price for a single-family home in Star was nearly $600,000, according to the Intermountain Multiple Listing Service.
@@susiefabrocini8931 dam. Even the little 2b1b homes in my little FL town are going for close to $300 g or more and they need work. Salaries certainly aren't close to paying that here.
This is really awesome. I know 50k houses built in some countries which are nothing in comparison to your house!! Hope you can export globally or even set up production lines outside the US!!
I am and have been ready to go small, but cannot find any property where I can do this. I’m in the Midwest and have been looking for land for years. But so far no go on being able to either build a small home or put a tiny home on the lot. Stupid restrictions for sq ft minimum requirements. I just don’t get it .
Can anyone provide the reliable contact for the builders without the fraud. Looking for the contact for add’l information, payments, timeline, infrastructure etc. Please no marketing without realistic plans and feedback. Looking for the house shipped to Canada. Kindly respond.
were I live the houses are 600k or more average.. lol. this is in Santa Rosa, CA, so the boxable is extremely affordable. Im pretty excited about this. only problem is finding a place to put it since the land here costs so much!!
Thank God I live close to Vegas so my shipping will be 1000 compared to you. Also in California where I live where houses cost over 1 million dollars paying 150k for 3 of these stacked with a parking garage is cheap!
i also live in BC & one thing that wasn’t factored in was the exchange rate from US to Canadian on the casita & shipping. that is an added cost that’s always a reality for us canadians.
Brother, This Boxabl looks so exciting. My only concern relates to the "Water, Air, & Bug Seal" at exterior walls, floors, & ceiling? Are there rubber gaskets to seal such leaks? Cheers, Eric
Thanks for explanation. But how about the labor cost? Is it included in the estimation already? And how much will it cost for labor to build it up after it arrives…? I know it’s might have different amount based on area. I am in north Bay Area so I am worried about the labor cost a lot
Thanks. Most people do not understand actual costs and cost-per-square-foot. We need to know all the information, taking into consideration the area people live in! A building lot can be $10,000 to $1,000,000 jusst for the land, and materials have gone way up due to the pandemic right now (Sept 2021). Looking forward for more and gracias, amigo!
Primary concern is how it would like in 25 years, when the company might not be around anymore. As well as resale value in case of a job related move. Mind it is not easy to find inexpensive land in nicer areas.
This is a One Box 20 X 20 Studio Apartment for $50K. If You Build Yourself, You can Make a 20 X 30 Living Room. Two 20 X 30 Double Bedrooms. (4 in Total). And a Storage or Kitchen Room for a Total of $50K. That's Four 20 X 30 Boxes.
Lmao what, the price absolutely matters, that's $138 per square foot. That's quadruple the price of a regular home of equal size. Who the heck is going to buy these at that price?
Those that are with Satan cannot tell the truth. GOD ALMIGHTY EVERLASTING CREATOR COMMANDER OF HEAVEN'S ARMIES is the TRUTH and HE gives them over to a retribate mind. Can't you tell? Those who sound totally insane are. JESUS CHRIST is the all time Champion. If you don't want to be an eternal loser call on HIM. HE will answer you. We are at the end of days.
My home was destroyed in Hurricane Irma Sept 6 2017 I am now living in a Sprinter Van I am 70 yrs old My van cost $21000 I join gym/health club. $52, per month. Shower every day Solar panels. Batteries. Diesel and propane heat 75 ft/2
First of all, you say you're in B.C. Canada, where cost of living is really expensive. So where you talk about all these set up prices they are really expensive compared to most areas. Secondly, looking at the "boxall home", I would compare it more to a "tiny home" than a manufactured one. And most of the tiny homes I've seen are around $20,000 - $30,000. From what I've seen this thing from Elon Musk is WAY too expensive. Just my own opinion. Thanks.
In California, a homeowner has a right to an ADU so long as the lot size is bigger than a threshold size and the ADU can meet all of the setback rules. ADUs also get a different and easier treatment under the permitting rules.
I would build a small house out of ICF and do as much of the work myself as possible. Take a class and buy from a proven block supplier with good local support. You have to think about long term value and resale. I am guessing most banks are not excited about financing a boxable structure. Insurability would be another question. I appreciate what they are trying to do, but think they are missing the mark.
Finally someone talking about utilities. Not just a drone cam and catchy music.
i bought a 1700 square foot house, fully updated everything, with a small back yard in 2012 for $53K
@@p.chuckmoralesesquire3965 : WHERE did you buy this inexpensive house almost ten years? Area of the country makes a HUGE difference.
@@catherinetodd He said in 2012. We’re in 2021 so probably more expensive today. :)
@@catherinetodd yeah I know but that doesn't address the point that I'm building to making which is that$50K box house is a pretty lame scam. Musk is doing something much worse than government housing.
@@mayalmariomendoza134 Yep exactly, I sold it for $100K a couple years ago. What do you think the up-swing is on a $50K kit house? I'm thinking more like a used car.
In summary 50k for house 25k for everything else. Not including the cost of the lot of course
Double that for California
Although federal, state and local taxes weren’t included in unit and setup costs.
@@curtissharris8914 Our city in CA is waving the hook up costs to water and sewer for ADUs. That's a savings of $10k.
@@rvingjourneys that's fantastic what city is that?
@@rvingjourneys what city?
I am fully impressed! It's just a complete ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxGqOCINHE0Z0E5gxzSdNi9NWGugRY5Hm2 plan with the best resources and step by step instructions . These shed plans are so satisfying as if the sheds build themselves on their own. Worthy work Ryan!
Who's Ryan??!!
One box still reminds me of an Ikea apartment display if you visit their store.
holy shit it does LOL
I always think the IKEA corners are cozy, but I am Swedish haha
If small communities could be developed similar to what I’ve seen with some “tiny homes” where the development has a community garden and rec center (I believe those home owners sign an agreement to abide by some policies that benefit the group as a whole).. that would be a great idea
I agree
This is actually a good idea
Never happened! I’m a licensed and certified residential designer and this home as represented is bogus.
..i would do it..be Thrilled to do it..such a community sounds really Nice..never did like big houses..my Favorite home on earth was a 2 room cabin my dad & i built...all from 'leftovers'..he was not just a builder he also tore old houses down..you can come across some Cool & Rare details that way...Magical lighting, fantastic tile or wood floors...uber cool windows...Great old doors...finely crafted hardware & some really beautiful paneling & cornice & ornamentation. Even the occasional perfect fence.
...i had a Very Unusual childhood growing up on a self sustained farm in the mountains of NePa..& some of the best memories were working with my dad...since my older brother died in vietnam..after the general left he turned to me & said i had to take his place. "it's up to you now"..i know it was the grief talking, i was only 12 yrs old..my life changed forever that day, i lost a brother & what was left of childhood..& gained a relentless work ethic & pride in results that sustains me to this day...he did mean it, he taught me everything about building a house or cabin including the plumbing & electric..masonry...& landscaping. & so much more. Now that i think back on it, not sure who was driven the most, him or me. Hard to tell.
These houses are Wonderful..i would Love to go over one from top to bottom..& i'll bring my rug & pillow..lol
Been trying to convince my husband to make travel nurse communities...passing this on to you
When my brother was going to build a casita in his backyard which was huge, he figured he’d spend $200,000-250,000. So yea, that would have been much more affordable.
Only reason I would consider a Castia is because there’s no excess costs really to have it built, just the usual inspections.
@@ZambonieDude but honestly, the little modular would make a perfect guest house or pool house. Which was he was trying to achieve.
Thanks for the breakdown! I've been curious about what the total cost might be.
Good to see site prep $ mentioned but technically it's a wash, as all new home sites would incur these costs.
This was a good breakdown. Things usually have more costs than the sticker price and we should have more of those conversations even about traditional home ownership
I think you mentioned that the cost of the home was $50,000 but the house you built was over 1600 sf. Did I get that correctly because I thought the base 375 sf +/- home cost $50,000.
Hey Kerry, winters are nice and warm out there in BC. What about R values for those in the East like Quebec and Ontario. the walls look so thin.
It will be interesting to see if Boxabl can do a master planned community with these types of homes done in such a way that all costs are still affordable. The economics would have to work. That would be interesting to see if that could work
Wouldn't go for it TBH those kinds of affordable housing communities tend to turn trashy real quick. Plenty of trailer parks out there to go live in
People would have to be committed to living simply. The class of the people would be very very important.
Some tiny home groupings you buy the home, but pay rent for the land, which you don't get much of
Once you factor in land costs it kills the potential.
The other good thing about a Caseda is that it is stackable, and even at 100K for a stackable configured unit at 800 so. ft. Plus installation cost, not including land, is still in the 120K range very affordable for what it is.
Agreed, I think they're a great idea.
You guys must live in California. 120k could get you a monster mobile home though
Wouldn't assembly add.an additional huge fee?
lol 120k for 800 sft is NOT affordable.
@@Gibsonsg527 : it is, only if you live in a high-dollar real estate area where houses go for a million to start!
We are assuming, of course, that a single family home of that size is allowed by ordinance, and/or a second dwelling on a single family lot is allowed. Many localities require minimum square footages, and require special zoning for accessory dwellings. After 42 years in local government, I always tell folks to check with the local building and/or zoning departments before doing anything.
I use to work in
San Luis Obispo CA. They had an empty lot for
$37,000. I wanted to buy it. I called the realtor.
I said I want to buy it and put a small home on it.
He laughed at me and said the city would never let me do it. So I forgot about it. A few years later there was a small home on it. LoL.
Probably worth about $500,000.
@@PInk77W1 Yeah, there are always exceptions to the rules. I my location you can ask for one if you are willing to pay a hefty fee and ensure months of public hearings with no guarantee it will be approved (and sorry, no refunds).
@@jimbowling8528 someone was politically connected. I wasn’t
I'm a small real estate investor I thought of adding something like this on one of my properties. The local government said first I need an engineer to make drawings of the addition. then after paying an engineer I have to pay them $500 just to give me a yes or no answer.
@@charlesweaver9297 where do u live ?
Sounds like a big city ?
I live in the middle of Texas
I don’t think it’s like that here
Ford created the Model T which thanks to mass production, for its time was affordable and reliable compared to other cars. That's what the US needs in a house, too, and has never had. One that can be mass produced making it even more affordable, transportable (to a site), energy efficient, and durable. It shouldn't be as difficult as sending people to Mars or finding the cure for cancer.
One thing Tiramani achieved in the Boxabl Casita, besides it being innovative, is an interior space that looks like it would be an attractive, comfortable, and functional place to live, for an individual or couple who don't mind making some space sacrifices, can get creative with storage, and who like saving energy.
I'm guessing that if a new couple have kids, they can add a box, and put it on top, so the Casita in theory, could grow as the family grows, without taking up more land space.
Timzart: well said, and what I like is that you can add more Boxabl's later on. That makes this construction even more attractive!
@@catherinetodd you can't just add random stacks in a house and call it done. Structural integrity is important if you don't want to die.
That already exists. Contrary to popular belief, building a house is extremely cheap. Most people either don't want to learn or are too lazy to research so they just want to buy premade. Keep buying premade, prices will keep rising. Cost of building one yourself, always keeps going down in comparison.
Sears used to sell house kits that were delivered by rail and built on site. Came with everything needed to build the home and included plumbing, electrical, etc. This isn't a new concept
This was a great price breakdown of these houses 🏘️ Thank you again, and looking forward to the next video 🤜🤛💯😉
25K CAD septic system!
That is a very interesting reminder of reality.
My house cost $23,000. I paid cash.
I’m a high school drop out and have no debt.
Never done drugs.
Never been arrested
I make $54k
You accidentally typed a Dave Ramsey Show call into the comments. Classic mistake
Congratulations on all your success
Are you talking in American dollars?
@@Silvia-jg8cv yea.
@@PInk77W1 tennessee?
Will they have resale value, and how long are they estimated to last?
YES, the resale value will hold because alternative housing is increasingly more expensive annually. Ease of moving also is a plus...
Then issue is the finding a land that allows you to out this house on it.
In los angeles that impossible right now. And probably most big cities, unless you go out in rural areas.
I think even with all these costs it's still a very smart option. Where I live the total cost for an install would be about 85,000 and this would still be much cheaper than buying a near by home.
You still have to buy the lot/land to put it on. That could easily add a lot of cost. That price is already figured into the house nearby.
Yeah, for my location that's an outrageous price! We bought our first home for about $70,000. It's almost 1600 Sq ft, has a nice yard and 3 bedrooms and 1 1/2 bath.
Wow, that’s awesome! Was that recently?
@@KerryTarnow just before this housing shortage hit. We are listing it this week and hope to get double that, but we put a lot of improvements into it.
@@hollybishop484 great timing! Good luck with the sale 🙏🏻
Well lucky you but I live in California and every millennial like me is depressed we can’t afford shit we just keep getting pushed to live deeper in the desert
It’s also Haaaaaat in the summertime
In New Zealand the average house price is 880,000. So im watching, intensely interested. I live in a city, and have a 1/5 acre lot. Our city has just made a rule that a 2nd dwelling of 300 sq or less does not need consent. So this has world wide potential. Thanks
Transport cost to NZ, land, etc would add a lot and are those NZ dollars or USA dollars? Huge difference.
Nice presentation and extremely informative, logical, and interesting. Thank you for your wise perspective.
Thanks John!
Just a quick question for clarification: You said that you based your prices for setup on the location you're currently building in British Columbia. Did you adjust the prices to reflect USD vs CAD? I know the Boxabl Casita is quoted at $50k USD but if you're looking at CAD prices for setup/utilities/etc then it could be skewing the overall price higher than if adjusted.
ARaddue: I was wondering the same thing. Too bad the videographer doesn't answer questions here. Would be a big help.
My God - anyone who says that $133/sq ft is expensive for a tiny house like Boxabl has lost their damn minds, in my opinion. I live in British Columbia, Canada - and I just saw an ad for a condo in North Vancouver, BC today that is 569 sq ft, and it was listed at $774,0900. That's $1,360/sq ft - literally 10 TIMES a similar sized Boxabl home. Greater Vancouver has some of the world's most expensive real estate. A piece of land the size of a tennis court has sold, undeveloped, for $1 MILLION plus. I get that West Virginia might be a lot cheaper, and THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT.
80% of that is land value (yes you still own land in a condo)
I agree it’s still a bargain for us in Hawaii where our average is around $650-$900/sqft. 😭
50K is post prototype home, when it will go into mass production cost will drop.
Again.
Thanks for being the subject matter expert and explaining the real cost scenario. Your insight is always appreciated.
I live in a 20ft shipping container, The Casita is a mansion! I am putting one in the desert about 200 miles from vegas, off grid, its going to be very affordable!
Which one are you putting in the desert... the 20ft SC or a Boxabl Casita(?)
Are you one of those monsters from hills have eyes?
Ah. Joshua tree is a nice place.
Yup, I’m in a 40’ container that I’m building as I can afford, it’s still going to end up at $25k-30k once it’s done (including off grid power which is $$$)
I'm living in a 5200sf house and its affordable for me
An 800 sq ft house with closets and 2 bedrooms with nice covered front porch and that looks like a shotgun house would be super cute. Oh and a laundry area.
That 50k will end up costing 200k for all the costs they don't mention. People who need affordable housing don't have land laying around
Cost of land and developing it were my concerns too.
If you want to have it delivered significantly far away on cheaper land you found, gosh help you with the zoning of local governments or the ability to have all needed utilities where you are able to build without restrictions.
Not to mention the need to be within reasonable distance to your place of work...Address some/all of these concerns, and you'll have a believer here.
Well done! I visited the Boxabl manufacturing facility in Vegas back in late August. Only about a month before they kicked off actual production of the Casita. We are very interested in this product and the future of manufactured homes.
As a developer/home builder (in Oklahoma City) I can certainly appreciate your explanation of the price per square foot cost analysis. This is all too often the focus of those in the market for a home.
Thank you for this "all in" cost break down. Spot on! Now I'm going to go watch your first video to get more detail and I am now a Subscriber!
Thanks Zach, glad to hear you got value from the video! That's cool you went to boxabl, I'm going to check it out soon as well. Thanks for watching
I love it.!!
Hi Kerry, I think you do a great job with these videos. The thing that concerns me about Boxabl is the joints that allow this house to be folded. Do you have any thoughts on durability and weather resistance of these elements that a normal house does not have to deal with?
namsinc wrote: "The thing that concerns me about Boxabl is the joints that allow this house to be folded." Exactly my thoughts as well. I would let a few more of these folding houses get installed and wait a year to see how they make it through the seasons before I invested $50,000+.
a 50k house that is a hundred miles to the nearest job is not affordable.
Seems like affordable housing doesnt exist. It's more about finding not outrageously priced housing!
Move to Detroit, housing is very inexpensive there. But Kerry is right, it depends on where you want to be. Let’s call it “more affordable” instead of affordable.
It’s about the scramble for survival.
This answered all of the questions I had about what you’d actually have to do after buying one and how much it would really cost to get one up and running. I agree though, even with the additional costs I do think these are still a good investment and I think in the future we are going to see more and more of these.
Glad it was helpful!
@@KerryTarnow : Amen and GRACIAS!
You do know you can just buy a mobile home about 3x bigger for much cheaper, right?
@@enriquecabrera2137 what’s the downside to a mobile home? It’s on wheels tho…the home can roll away…also the entire home is one giant vehicle that you can drive the mobile home and a vehicle can always blow up right?
@@enriquecabrera2137 link or video please
In Texas, it’s CHEAP! The price $73,000 might be how much Elon paid for the complete set up of his BOXABLE. I live in Houston, Texas. …and my brother lives in Austin, it is a little more expensive but not much
I live in Northern California and the Boxabl Casita sounds interesting. Are there real estate agents that are familiar with getting financed to purchase the factory homes-like Boxable Casita and the land together? would an FHA loan qualify for this kind of home?
I'm doing the same. It depends on county. Reach out to the board of supervisors in your county. In Northern California, a fire resistant, environmentally friendly home should merit a reduction in permit fees. You will probably have to fight to get them to listen and take action but let's face it, Northern California needs options to address available inventory.
It probably falls outside the spirit of the term "affordable housing" if you're talking about installing it on or next to another property that you own.
Does the additional $20k+ apply to the first box only? If you did a home with 3 boxes for example, would it be $175k, $75k for the first one and $50k for each additional?
I would think that the first is the most expensive as it includes the utility hookups and permits. If you did multiple modules at once, you probably would only incur the cost of the foundation. If you added on later, though, then you would need to go through permitting again in addition to building costs.
I think you are overthinking the concept of affordability. It's totally personal. It depends only on your budget. If you're the richest man in earth, everything is affordable.
Kerry... 2250 for the slab? you need 20 yards of concrete for the 1575 sq feet... i pay 130 a yard? how u doing that slab for for that number?
What about the crane needed to put the roof in place? You didn’t discuss the cost and logistics of a crane.
IM FROM LOS ANGELES,... THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE,.. MAYBE THE LOT OF LAND WILL BE MORE EXPENSIVE HERE IN LA,.. AND EVEN IF THE TOTAL COMES OUT TO $250,000 ITS A STEAL AS THERE IS NO HOMES WITH THAT KIND OF PRICE IN LOS ANGELES,... CANT WAIT FOR THESE TO BE AVAILABLE IM DEFIANTLY GOING TO START LOOKING INTO THIS,.. THIS LITTLE HOME 🏡 IS ON MY BUCKET LIST!🤗
One major omission was the roof. In different videos and interviews with one of the Boxabl founders, there is a pretty big hint that you'll probably need an actual roof. My guess is that unless you're in the desert, you'll pretty much need one.
The cost of constructing a pitched roof would not be trivial.
I'd also imagine that the $50k + shipping won't include the cost of assembly and mounting to the foundation.
I just saw a vid, pitched or flat roof, with solar panels
@@jaceebrynne49 : is the roof included in the $50,000 cost?
These modular homes would be great to establish "modern" mobile home parks.
lol 'cept a boxabl community would look absolutely nothing like a traditional mobile home park.
@@__WJK__ thats the point. out with the old in with the new.
It’s still to expensive for the average person/ family. You can build a tiny house for less then that
To be fair, there are plenty of tiny homes that cost much more than that as well. It is all relative to your lifestyle, the materials used, and the quality of the build. Not to mention your own personal sweat equity required to keep costs down, which can take away from your time at an actual paying job, and would likely not compare to the work done by a professional. It's true, it CAN be cheaper, but that doesn't necessarily make it a "better" option. It is simply *another* option, just as all these different alternative home videos are here to provide alternatives, but not necessarily the "best" as that is always going to differ based on each individual case.
Exactly, but those costs only exists for tiny houses if you build it yourself, have it on wheels to skirt building regulations, and have the time to find good deals on materials. I've seen tiny houses upwards of 100k-200k for idiots who have someone build it for them and get the most expensive options, and the company is a startup tiny house company who fleeces these people jumping on the trend.
I certainly can't build my own house, and unless you use salvaged materials, I doubt it would be cheaper.
That could take a long time. And time is also money. This was set up in an hour.
Thank You So Much Kerry , this is useful information indeed! Stay Safe & Stay Grateful! 🌷🌿🌍
I'd like to put it put in the middle of nowhere so when I walk out of the house I don't have to deal with wondering eyeballs.
Nicely explained!! So how much it will be for a night on airbnb??
I am hoping that Elon's next venture is affordable housing. 3D housing, container homes, precast concrete, and modular homes do seem like the wave of the future. Very few people can afford a home that requires 20 workers working for a year to complete a home. Home building needs to be more automated.
It takes 20 workers three months not a year to build a nice starter home.
Isnt it sad that we are hoping and expecting so much more from Elon, than our own government?!
@@nicole11823 Our government officials are only interested in getting reelected, not interested in solving problems. Elon is interested in solving problems.
@@richardt1792 yeah, exactly why I said what I said. It's so sad...that's why they opened the borders to welcome all the illegals because now they will get God only knows how many more votes. I'm sure the Democrats told them they need to vote or else they will get sent back
@@richardt1792 I'm a big fan of Elon
In South West Detroit Michigan in America I think it's South West. Houses start at $200.00 And Up they are very rough and you can see them on you tube. And homes in Dublin Virginia one of the poorest places to live in America houses start at $20,000 On a good note crime is not bad because there's not many people there and the crime depends on where you live in the little town of Dublin. Not many jobs around, not much to do but cheap living. In Southwest Texas in America you can buy just land and be off grid with a minimum of 60 square foot shed , building or larger as your home. Not sure about a RV. Land is very cheap I've seen people pay more in taxes in a small state than what these guys pay to buy their land. Also in Southwest Texas there is no electricity, no running water, no natural gas. People have been living there for years. If you have the time and money you can make anything happen.
Both a wonderful and concise review. Such a refreshing alternative to traditional homebuilding. Thank you for your information.
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching 🙌🏼
They're clearly pushing tiny houses to prepare us.
This is very helpful! Thank you. I don’t think I saw any crane time cost factored in, tho. Imagine that could add a bit to the bottom line as well depending on the location.
Most mobile home manufacturers slap those suckers together(the quota has to be made). It “is”
very inexpensive and it’s a better choice than renting “if you have land”. But thin insulation and the materials degrade too fast. (I will admit drier areas are going to fair better than high humidity- mold can form easily). Good choice to be placed on a decent foundation(Should help protect the pipes, prevents mice from coming up through the vents or from creatures living/dying under the trailer). I lived in mobile homes/campers for a good portion of my life….and even(some) of the more run down brick/mortar houses are going to be sturdier.
“If you have a choice” please do your research before deciding because you might stay in that trailer/camper for about 15-20 years. (I know not everyone can afford the luxury of choice, so this is for those that do have decent credit etc.) Also, I’ve seen people work hard on a house just to have it taken away + loan discrimination. Trailers should be for emergency accommodations not permanent living but the whole housing system is fkd.
We pay 2k/mo rent to live in a 800 sf mobile home in California. Can't afford anything better.
When most people talk about affordable housing, they're talking about people who don't have many assets and need a place that will fit within their means. For example, an older person who is living on $800 a month social security, or someone who works for minimum wage. It's not an esoteric concept. And it's definitely not as you define it, unrelated to price per square foot. People of limited means need to get the most space they can for the least amount of money. That's what it means to be affordable.
that would be a trailer home and most cities are VERY STRICT about trailer homes in the city districts. It is almost as if they do not want to see poor people in their vicinity... sounds so unlike America...
It's very affordable for the investor, who could turn around and rent the property for 600 per month and still make a profit, which fits well within that budget of a person living on a fixed income.
@@ryanabernathy4144 Sounds EXACTLY like America, unfortunately
To me, affordable means you can afford the payment... period. Yes, most of us want to maximize our space, but at the end of the day, square footage doesn't have anything to do with affordability when the bill comes due. Another aspect is that square footage needs to be heated, cleaned, furnished, lit, etc. Keeping the square footage down impacts affordability in multiple beneficial ways.
EXCELLENT, THANKS ! ! ! While I'm presently designing and building an off-grid solar tiny camper trailer, And being a home owner, I can better appreciate the costs involved between permanently building on a foundation vs. a parking space. Still, the need for comfortable, affordable shelter in this day and age is a choice every person faces...
Vancouver is crazy expensive average piece of crap home is over a million
I build houses for a living. 133 sqft isn’t bad.
It's an an ambitious modular housing project. Thanks to share and I think it's gonna be useful. It's only to adapt the costs where one lives.
Tuffshedd has really nice tiny homes for less than $20k installed incl shipping. Still gotta prep the land, wire/pipe the house, and finish it. But it’s still a better bargain imo, particularly if you can finish it yourself.
I’ll check it out thank you
@@KerryTarnow Wow, thank you for responding. There's a video that went viral a few days ago where a gentleman walks through one of these houses. Its called
"TINY HOME...HOME DEPOT..." I would love to hear your take on it!
Are these "boxes" well insulated for Canadian winters?
I've owned two homes in my life and to say this is NOT affordable is simply untrue. I really appreciate you breaking the costs down. I've been contemplating building a home for myself for a while but it's not feasible. Prebuilt homes are very economical. If you were to take your numbers and build a community they would drop some. That's my latest plan. Then instead of being a renter I'd be an owner and others would as well. Not everyone can fit in a 400sqft home. Do you know of other affordable options like these for say a family of 4? Thanks for the great video. Happy subscriber!
Excellent cost is always to do with location plus already existing amenities, like water etc .
Absolutely
the thing that puzzles me is why ISNT ELON WORKING WITH THIS COMPANY!!!! Combine this tiny house with the TESLA SOLAR ROOF and the TESLA Power WALL, we are looking at completely living off the grid, as far as power goes.
That would be cool!
They build quality and that is what I like about them.
We have a Boxable house, the price just covers the house walls, floors, window, and roof. We had to purchase our land, pay for utilities set up, and appliances. The complete total was about $325,000.00 with a bulk of it being the purchasing of land.
How do you like living in it?
@@KerryTarnow we love it! No leaking or drafting at all.
Where?
Do you pay down payment? And could you pay by monthly too?
wow why didn't you just buy a decent home in the suburbs around cities?
This is a good breakdown except Elon doesn't live in that house. I have a video explaining this.
Thanks for watching!
This is exactly what we need here in Florida. The Rent cost is eating us alive.
Ive heard its nuts out there!
A teardown house on a 30' by 110' lot in a bad area of Vancouver, BC sold last year for $1 400 000 CDN or $ 1 115 124 USD. So, if a Boxabl homes were available at twice the the price they would be almost free compared to what we pay. Needless to say you couldn't build in or near Vancouver, But British Columbia is a big beautiful place. A 20 by 40 Boxabl $150 000 house on a $ 100 000 dollar lot in a nice small town is still a free house to us.
Fifty thousand isn't affordable to the average person,twenty thousand is. I bought a house that needed a few small renos but move in ready with six acres for 36 grand.
Where was that? A median priced house in Boise, ID is $530,000!
Where and when was that?
@@waitaminute2015 From the Idaho Statesman, 7/24/21:
As housing prices skyrocket, developers are quickly buying land in the Boise suburb. Last month, the average price for a single-family home in Star was nearly $600,000, according to the Intermountain Multiple Listing Service.
@@susiefabrocini8931 dam. Even the little 2b1b homes in my little FL town are going for close to $300 g or more and they need work. Salaries certainly aren't close to paying that here.
After which war???
This is really awesome. I know 50k houses built in some countries which are nothing in comparison to your house!! Hope you can export globally or even set up production lines outside the US!!
I am and have been ready to go small, but cannot find any property where I can do this. I’m in the Midwest and have been looking for land for years. But so far no go on being able to either build a small home or put a tiny home on the lot. Stupid restrictions for sq ft minimum requirements. I just don’t get it .
This is the biggest challenge for most people looking for affordable housing. Unless you live off grid far from everything, it's very difficult.
Can anyone provide the reliable contact for the builders without the fraud. Looking for the contact for add’l information, payments, timeline, infrastructure etc. Please no marketing without realistic plans and feedback. Looking for the house shipped to Canada. Kindly respond.
So the cost of land is not part of it?
were I live the houses are 600k or more average.. lol. this is in Santa Rosa, CA, so the boxable is extremely affordable. Im pretty excited about this. only problem is finding a place to put it since the land here costs so much!!
Hey Santa Rosa. I'm from up in those parts. Waitin for the final $ in video
Land is pricey out in Sonoma county
Informative, concise and straight to the points that matter..........good job!!!
Thank God I live close to Vegas so my shipping will be 1000 compared to you. Also in California where I live where houses cost over 1 million dollars paying 150k for 3 of these stacked with a parking garage is cheap!
i also live in BC & one thing that wasn’t factored in was the exchange rate from US to Canadian on the casita & shipping. that is an added cost that’s always a reality for us canadians.
Brother,
This Boxabl looks so exciting. My only concern relates to the "Water, Air, & Bug Seal" at exterior walls, floors, & ceiling? Are there rubber gaskets to seal such leaks?
Cheers, Eric
Oh dear henry harper is a bot
I’ll buy it, Colorado is the high priced region too.
I've heard that, hope to check it out there one day.
Still inexpensive where I live where it’ll cost around $400/sq ft.
Thanks for explanation. But how about the labor cost? Is it included in the estimation already? And how much will it cost for labor to build it up after it arrives…? I know it’s might have different amount based on area. I am in north Bay Area so I am worried about the labor cost a lot
I am wondering the same! This was not mentioned and the Boxabl website says it’s could be 5k-50k for someone to build it and get it set up!
The labor is a crane to set it up plus a small crew. No one has mentioned that cost.
Thanks. Most people do not understand actual costs and cost-per-square-foot. We need to know all the information, taking into consideration the area people live in! A building lot can be $10,000 to $1,000,000 jusst for the land, and materials have gone way up due to the pandemic right now (Sept 2021). Looking forward for more and gracias, amigo!
Primary concern is how it would like in 25 years, when the company might not be around anymore. As well as resale value in case of a job related move. Mind it is not easy to find inexpensive land in nicer areas.
Wasn’t this debunked ? Elon M. Don’t live in that
Yes, I did see he recently tweeted that.
Most affordable is buy some property in the country and build your own log cabin
Good point but a lot of people don’t have the skills required
we need a casita factory in southamerica to lower the price. But I see that in Vancouver like in your case is super affordable in 2024
This is a One Box 20 X 20 Studio Apartment for $50K.
If You Build Yourself, You can Make a 20 X 30 Living Room.
Two 20 X 30 Double Bedrooms. (4 in Total). And a Storage or Kitchen Room for a Total of $50K. That's Four 20 X 30 Boxes.
Lmao what, the price absolutely matters, that's $138 per square foot. That's quadruple the price of a regular home of equal size. Who the heck is going to buy these at that price?
Those that are with Satan cannot tell the truth. GOD ALMIGHTY EVERLASTING CREATOR COMMANDER OF HEAVEN'S ARMIES is the TRUTH and HE gives them over to a retribate mind. Can't you tell? Those who sound totally insane are. JESUS CHRIST is the all time Champion. If you don't want to be an eternal loser call on HIM. HE will answer you. We are at the end of days.
My home was destroyed in Hurricane Irma
Sept 6 2017
I am now living in a Sprinter Van
I am 70 yrs old
My van cost $21000
I join gym/health club. $52, per month. Shower every day
Solar panels. Batteries. Diesel and propane heat
75 ft/2
Forty Houses (Project 1 and Project 2) would Cost $2 Million.
Project 1 is Separate from Project 2.
What about adding solar on the property for power
First of all, you say you're in B.C. Canada, where cost of living is really expensive. So where you talk about all these set up prices they are really expensive compared to most areas. Secondly, looking at the "boxall home", I would compare it more to a "tiny home" than a manufactured one. And most of the tiny homes I've seen are around $20,000 - $30,000. From what I've seen this thing from Elon Musk is WAY too expensive. Just my own opinion. Thanks.
50K house + land $200K + water $5K + septic $25K + electrical $10k + grading $10K + slab $10k = $310,000
Thank you for educating citizen on numbers...keep up great job!👍
In California, a homeowner has a right to an ADU so long as the lot size is bigger than a threshold size and the ADU can meet all of the setback rules. ADUs also get a different and easier treatment under the permitting rules.
I would build a small house out of ICF and do as much of the work myself as possible. Take a class and buy from a proven block supplier with good local support. You have to think about long term value and resale. I am guessing most banks are not excited about financing a boxable structure. Insurability would be another question.
I appreciate what they are trying to do, but think they are missing the mark.