Freedom from the Housing Trap | Zack Giffin | TEDxCoconutGrove
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- Опубліковано 28 лип 2024
- Tiny house builder, Zack Giffin, shares his passion for tiny living as a tool for financial freedom in his talk “Freedom From The Housing Trap.”
Zack Giffin is a well known advocate of the tiny house movement and host of the popular television show, Tiny House Nation. A home builder and carpenter by trade, Zack has worked his life around outdoor adventures, eventually turning his passion for backcountry skiing into an occupation. A longtime practitioner of simple living Zack was naturally drawn to the Tiny House movement and in 2011 built his own tiny ski chalet on wheels. Zack’s function-based use of space and inventive multi-purpose designs have become a calling card of his work and reputation.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx
Zach, you are so right on. I am a 55 y/o woman, barely able to keep and maintain my big suburban house of 23 years, yet no discretionary income nor the will to fight the local codes for a back yard unit. Knowing my future is not secure in this big mortgage, i purchased land, have an amazing vintage travel trailer that I will live in while I slowly pay cash to build a small home that meets codes. All while renting my big home out to free me up from the $2k month expense. It is a plan 10 years in the making and now just awaits county permitting.
Thank you for your work in this arena.
I love watching tiny house nation when Zack solves the future tiny house owner issues with remarkable thoughtful solutions.
There has to be a way to allow communities to include everyone.
I remember years ago that it’s possible to have a world which works for everyone with no one left out.
I've noticed these tiny homes are getting more and more expensive. It turned from an affordable housing alternative to a profitable industry.
They compete like everything else. Once something gets attention its fame grows and so does the price and costs.
Maris Ocean actually, building your own is cheaper. You can go to workshop classes on how to build them. There are many resources and research out there to help you build your tiny home. I’ve seen people build their tiny homes themselves or built for them. Tiny homes can be built for 10,000 to 100,000k. The price varies.
@@edentaylor211 friend me please. Lol. 👍✌
Same with Van Builds...it's now become "trendy"...the problem is the it's become another way to make more money, and that's the issue - the love of money.
I am afraid you might be correct in your observation; I have been noticing the same thing.
Zach has been a powerful motivator in the tiny house movement. We need to understand how necessary it is to live with only what we need. Rid ourselves of fear and ego and live as a benefit to our planet...body, mind & spirit.
This sums up so clearly the "why" of what we are doing. Living outside of high rent & the high cost of housing frees us to travel, move as work requires and to spend our free time in fun places. The main benefit is that we are NOT required to work everyday. If we miss a month ... or five, we are still doing just fine. Thank you Zack for your efforts to change the rules making Tiny Houses a better option for all.
Thank you for doing this video. The tiny house movement right now, like you said IS a reaction, it's a revolution in my opinion. My husband and I are taking the plunge right now. We're selling the big house, along with the giant mortgage and giant monthly bills to maintain it (and the house and yard work), and renovating our off-grid cabin in Maine (12x28) into a year round home so that we can retire early. While our tiny house is not on wheels, the concept for us is exactly the same and for all the reasons you discussed in this video. The house has become the central focal point of our lives, and not in a good way, and we're done. We're not getting any younger at 55 and 57, and we have PLANS! Plans to travel, plans to live every moment, plans to savor every breath . . . rather than work like dogs to support the house until the day we die. I don't know what happened to our society, but it's not what my grandparents lived with. It's a cycle that we're getting out of. Love your show and love your creativity! CHRISTINE
My Tiny Retirement sending Love!
Beat it! Beat the system....u can do it!!!
My besr to u!!!
*best
Zach! I am SO proud of you! You could not have done a better job! You are an amazing asset to the tiny house community. Now I know why all these women get googly eyes when talking about you! ;)
Proud to know [of] you dude!
Yes, yes, and YES again! This says it all. The tiny house lifestyle is what each of us NEEDS it to be. Freedom from debt, freedom from being tied to the grid, freedom to live the lives we've all dreamed. The word 'mortgage' is a mix of two, old French words; death and contract. These days, that really does ring true. How many people now retire owning their homes? Pitifully few.
I feel like today's people are so bored with everyday living, because we're so limited in time and resources to create. The truth is, even those who grew up in the 20's and 30's could still create. They could build their own houses, make their own food, and have enough time to spend with each other. Today, we drive off to work, do our jobs 40 hours a week, come home and maybe have enough for the basic necessities. There is more than just financial incentive into the tiny house movement, it's peace of mind, time spent enjoying the life we've been given, and creating. I'm excited to have followed the tiny house movement for three years now and still want to see it succeed in the future and turn around the world. Thak you, Zack, for being a foundation stone in the world we're building together!
Olivia yes it’s crazy people owning huge homes and being at work all the time and not even spending time in their huge home
Their to busy at work to pay for their huge home
@Olivia You can't raise a family in a tiny house. People need a certain amount of space to feel comfortable. Three people will not feel comfortable crammed into a 250sqft box. Tiny houses are not a viable long term solution for anybody.
@James Crud where do you think humans came from? We’ve evolved over thousands of years before houses even existed. And humans on this earth and in other cultures already raise families in smaller spaces, so you have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re fine to want what you want and be comfortable with what you’re comfortable with, but just know that the reason you feel that way is because of the paradigm that has been set for you, and is in no way an objective truth you can pass off as a fact.
So while it’s debatable how much space people need, what isn’t debatable is that space costs money. Also speaking just for myself I won’t be having kids, so explain how it’s not a solution for me. I consider myself an anybody so...
This sums up how I feel currently
Zack, thanks for spelling out so many reasons why so many of us want to live tiny. I'm so thankful to have someone like you who is able to not only design but carry out the effeciency quotient of THOWS.... Great job !! (From your fan, the world's biggest groupie !! )
Thank you, Mr. Ambassador of Tiny Houses! Thanks to your efforts, things can only get better for the TH Communities everywhere!
I'm building mine this Summer. I am a House Framer/Carpenter in Western Canada. I am single, my kids are grown up and I don't need nor want a whole house and I want to travel. A great solution.
Zach! So passionate and articulate! You shared beautifully and I am proud of you! Thank you for your commitment. Thank you for everything you do! From my tiny house dwelling family and from the tiny house movement! We love and support you!
I love this man ❤
I've never felt brave in my life but for a tiny house I'm willing to be a pioneer. I want to help tiny houses become legal everywhere. They're amazing and I feel like everyone should have the opportunity to afford a place to live.
One of the best Talks I've ever heard! Zack is so intelligent in such a cool way.
TINY HOUSE REVOLUTION
Revolution is right.
Excellent talk, Zach! I like how this wasn’t just a reiteration of the oft-discussed virtues of tiny houses (for those of us who are already converts to the idea.) It made pretty strong financial arguments for those who may not be interested in having one themselves, but could benefit from supportive legislation that favors the dwellings. I loved it, thank you for sharing your thoughts.
For anyone who is not familiar with tiny houses, this is a terrific explanation of the ideology behind our choice.... Excellen TedX talk
zach so amazing see a skier going for his dream so hard and meanwhile thinking about the environment!! thaks for sharing and this positive though about the possible future of our lifestyle!
Zach, you articulated this in a way that I have never heard before, thank you for making a clear compelling argument for tiny homes. I fully agree that this is an excellent piece of the possible in providing affordable and sustainable owner occupied housing! Thank you!
This is a great Ted Talk. Tiny homes are not a fad, they are a way forward.
Thank you for explaining why zoning laws are so hard to get changed!
Giffin's right on all points. And, I add another solution. Instead of spending equity to enlarge a traditional house, add another unit on the lot, which share a common wall. In other words, instead of configuring a 3000 sq ft home, opt for two 1500 sq ft homes, (or three 1000 sq ft homes) on the same lot. In suburbia, this means a zone change. Further, the add-on may be of unequal size; in other words, a 400 sq ft studio apartment (think in-law unit) sharing a common wall with a 3BR/2BA traditional house. Consider inserting a back-to-back fire door to pass between the two units, an idea gleaned from the hotel/timeshare industry, and that studio apt may become a flex space to the main house when needed. In my opinion, it's reckless to commit to bear the burden of a high-cost mortgage for 30 years without including an apartment unit within it. When your income drops, rent out your studio. If you lose your job, rent the main house and move yourself into your studio. Without this flexibility, you risk bank default.
Thanks for helping explain why some of us have chosen, and are so happy with, the Tiny House life. Nice work Zach!
Love your show (channel???)
Brilliant. Extremely plausible and absolutely disruptive to the status quo....so I love it! The economic and housing outlook presented here is insightful, based on sound principles, and yet will be scorned to no end by all enslaved to the status quo. No one can accurately predict the future but failing to address issues of affordable housing, restrictive building and zoning codes, debt/consumerism, and our aging demographics is a dangerous path to take. Thank you for a full serving of delicious food for thought. Can't wait to ponder how to make changes in my life and business with this new perspective....
EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT! EXCELLENT!
You've hit the nail right on the head!
Thanks from Maine!
What region (generally) are you in Maine? We're selling our house in New Hampshire and going tiny in Maine as we speak!
great talk, but when I try to live this life style the reality is I can't afford building a tiny home and find a place to put it. the closest I have come is a park model in a rv lot, would love to see this really happen, Zack a great guy keeping going
I'm a single mom that was renting out a tiny house in my back driveway to supplement my income to keep my big house in Nashville. Codes shut me down because even though the tiny house is an adorable cottage, it's considered a camper and can not be lived in, since it's on wheels. It was bothering no one and is very cute. It's just not right. I now use the big house as a rental and don't live there myself, so it's no longer owner occupied - which only reduces the neighborhood desirability as the number of rentals go up.
Why wouldn't you just rent the tiny house out on Airbnb. I've seen tree houses and plastic bubbles on there. I'm sure your tiny house would work.
Ian Hopper Because she just said no one is allowed to occupy it.
Can you put it on bricks, and awning. And anchor it with mobile home anchors? Just a thought
Very sad. Seems like "The City" always wants to crush the little guys (I've been there), so they have someone to climb on on the way up. Very sad.
Zach Giffin, great well thought out talk. Thanks
Incredibly well said and articulate on the tiny house movement
Tiny house episodes are my favourite...
Zack really love u... Ur superb n ur great ideas that has almost solutions for everything.. u r 😘😘
Brilliant - such a clear explanation and one that addresses such a huge problem. Thank you for such a humane talk, because 'home' is so crucial for all of us. I live in England where there is virtually no provision made for tiny house owners to buy/rent land to live on. To be honest I managed for 10 years but have now decided to move abroad where I can afford to rent. I will be honest and say that although I love my small home there were downsides even though it was a great adventure.
Solution to escape poverty. Well done
Excellent advice, video, and speaker. Nice job.
One of the best Ted talks ever!!
I always wanted to hear more from Zack in Tiny house nation as he obviously had a lot going on in that brain with some of the solutions he came up with while that other presenter never shut up overly sensationalising every thing.
Really good point about how so many ppl are pouring all this money into their homes to increase its value for their retirement only to try and sell it to a generation who won't want to buy it even if they had the money.
THe investment property generation has screwed us all!
Its called capitalism houses are way too overpriced.
Great talk Zack. I purchased my first home four years ago. I've spent most of that time essentially working hard and making my bank rich in interest repayments, I'm now entertaining the notion of a tiny home. The modern capitalist system, especially the banking system is simply corrupt. Daylight robbery folks.
Josh Licht I have a small but nice and incredibly affordable home in Italy and I’m unloading my small but unaffordable home in the US.
Excellent and well covered topic. "tiny houses are not a fad, they are a response to a need'.
Great Video Zack! I enjoy design myself and it was good to here communities are opening up to the Tiny home trend. Best/Roy
Well said Zack! I'm in!! I can't wait to get started on getting a THOW✌🏾 THX
I have a 160 square foot tiny house and it has allowed me to get out of debt and help my mother. I sleep well at night because I’m not crushed by a large mortgage and maintenance costs. I hope this video spreads. The views should be in the 10’s of millions. We need legislation to help the tiny home movement. Big corporations and banks lobby the government so that houses have to be built to large minimums because they can sell you more materials, utilities and mortgages. As a country we need to get our debt under control and help our homeless.
Brilliant! Well done and articulated. Loved it and I shared
Tiny House = $50k, Land = $20k, permit fees, well installation and city power = several thousand K, solar panel set up= several thousand K, time invested in building/set up = months to years, contractors to deliver the house or materials to build= several thousand K....still not doable for most folks without some sort of maniacal bank loan that may not even be available. I have yet to meet a Tiny House owner that didn't start out with their own house or property to sell off and live the dream. I got sucked into the dream too, until I found out it was just another money making enterprise for someone else. Not a single Tiny Home company I've ever engaged in dialogue is willing to help or negotiate in any way. I've been burned by the Tiny House Movement Trend multiple times over the last several years, do pardon my bitter tone, but please don't think it's easy or affordable to be a part of 'the movement'.
I aggree... they are supper over priced ! you can practically get a nice trailor , with a more realistic living experience.....for the same price.
Dude, you could have got a trailer and built your own tiny home for cheap. I am buying a frame for less than $20,000 and build the rest myself
Besides its on wheel u can take it anywhere. And it's not glued to the land, but this is a better alternative than than owning a home for a mortgage you can't get approved for and even if you do pay it off, of you can't pay you taxes they take your home away. Tell them good luck taking away something on wheel that you built they never find it.
Also land does not cost that much. You can get land for cheap. You must work for the housing industry.
Where can one by land for 20,000?
Brilliant. You make some important points.
His project is absolutely amazing. Really can help people in need of a nice and cheaper home.
Great job man. I'll be giving my TedX in a few months. I hope I do half as good as you did.
Enlightening talk. A TH is better than no home. Change has got to start somewhere. Necessity breeds invention.
Great, passionate talk Zack!
Thank you Zack💗
Wow powerful message. Thanks !
I'm the true fan of yours from India and I really love you Zack Griffin sir. :D
wow is this the same goofy funny zack from the tiny house show ?? yeah it is ! i cant believe the different serious side of you. this is a good talk and love your inventions on the tv show - just awesome
I thought the same thing!
I love this mans creativity
Nice, concise and chillingly predictive. Welcome to the future that awaits. NIMBY will win out over the needs of the less well off.
Thank you Zack. Very well spoken.
Excellent! Loved it!
Thank you soo much for informing people on wages vs the average home cost,I have been trying to save up and get out of renting for a year now and not much luck 6 kids one bedroom:(
Thank you for breaking down all the legal and financial factors that have created this trend.. I'm a boomer and hope to build my own tiny home in the future..
Love Tiny House Nation and I never knew that Zack was a professional skier.
Wow. This guy knows where it is at! Brilliant. I've been wondering for awhile now who will be moving into the McMansions - I see them being turned into apartments or co-housing. No way can the next generation afford to buy or sustain those places - nor will they want to. My plan is to cash in on my home equity before the market drops, buy land in the country and build a tiny - would like others to join in on that dream - might be lonely in the country. : )
He articulated it so well wow 😮
Excellent! On the Tiny House show your incredible intelligence is not featured at the same level as much as it was on this TED Talk!
BEST Ted Talk (or any talk) I have seen, summarizing this topic. I would like to share that with my city council. May I?
Outstanding!
Excellent!
Excellent Presentation Thank You 🌎 Freedom to build affordable housing in a beautiful sustainable environment is essential 🦋🌈💖
Zack is great , smart and humble :3
Zach! How does one get involved in the Tiny House movement? Are you in the SF bay area where I reside? Thanks for your great talk. Starr
Great subject. Even better speaker.
Zach is spot on here.
He is good simple explanation
Presentations like this really water down TED Talks.
Zack well done!
Best day of my life? Selling my waterfront home in South Florida. Why? I bought it for $115,000. Taxes and insurance made the payments $1,100 a month. I lived there for 3 years, then...... Hurricanes HIT 4x in 8 weeks. To make a story short, my insurance and tax payments escalated to $1,800 a month, more than my PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST. Go figure. Don't ask me why. I sold May of 2008, the next month THE CRASH HIT. Homes, by the 1,000 went on the market. Whew!!! I did feel bad for the buyer. He's still there and hopefully happy. Prices came back and he is at break even. I bought for $115k sold for $270,000 3 years later. Will never buy a big house again. Live simply. Less is better. Freedom.
BRAVO!!!!!
I’m all for tiny houses. Cost and space wise I am wondering if you can fit more people into an area with apartment buildings, since you are stacking multi levels. I don’t know the cost comparison but tiny houses aren’t exactly cheap either. If you are talking about the difference between large suburban tract homes then yes obviously a huge difference. I completely understand and agree with the issues encountered with zoning and land-use laws. They can be very impressive especially in more liberal leaning states which seems counterintuitive in the surface. For example as more Californians moved up to Oregon and took over positions in their government they instituted state wide land-use laws that are much more strict. It’s also considered very difficult do you have a healthy green home in California.
I don't think it's ONLY about fitting more people into one space, but the freedom as well. Freedom to bring your home with you, freedom from others, freedom to live your own life, freedom from high finances, etc. Otherwise, good point.
The state of Washington, where I live, seems to have a lot of homes available for what they call affordable housing, but there seems to be a problem that nobody seems to be addressing at all. It's determined by income. According to another Ted video, we are in the top 6% of income earners, but we can barely afford rice because we make too much money to be permitted to live in an affordable home. We have insane amounts of medical bills and expenses from my mom's death, and all her nurses and caregivers accumulated over the last few years of her life. We make plenty of money, but it goes straight down the drain in all those expenses along with the outrageous cost of housing. Not being able to afford to accumulate things has taught me that I don't even want things, much less need them, so I'd be perfectly happy living in a tiny home, but like this video says, it's super hard to find a legal way to build one. I've been trying for years, and have found several ways. Unfortunately, none of them are a meaningful financial advantage to conventional housing. Our state, and probably everybody's states, need(s) to get it together. We just need a home that we can afford. All our pickiness has been wrung out of us already. This is not creating any more money. It's only creating homelessness in all but the very richest people in America. My mom wasn't old enough to be expected to die. You never know when something will happen to eat away all your disposable income. You shouldn't have to throw it all in the direction of just having the most basic requirements of shelter and safety.
You can also increase the use of rent sharing...
Gracias Zack desde la verdadera America .-
Hey Zack! Are there any other places besides Fresno with changed zoning laws? I am building a tiny home early 2018 and I'm going to California to be closer to my son but he will be in the Bay area.
Richmond, Maine is a town that is allowing tiny homes. The entire state building codes are addressing the movement right now, just amended their building codes to give tiny home construction a "standard"
Is this Coconut Grove in Santa Cruz, CA?
It 100% all comes down to the LAND, having the land to place one of these homes on a permanent basis
Love me some Zach! I wish he was the sole spokesperson on the show. He's fun and funny and creative on the show, but it's not a showcase for just how damned smart he is!
I am raising my hand
A valiant efforts in solving housing, in particular low income house. Regarding the statements about housing crash, IMO, population growth is the most significant variable in home price growth. Secondary to that I’d say high rate of transaction due to poor construction / initial design (flipping or trading up) is a factor. Third is inflation.
The cliff of baby boomer deaths is definitely a huge factor and could set the market back decades. Adequate measurement of the 2nd and 3rd point will come soon with machine learning.
As much as I love this idea I'm disabled ladders and thin stars are not something I could safely to add to that I have a service dog and 2 cats How do you modify for that?
I always thought that tiny homes were amazing. But as I got older I got into rescue. So a tiny house wouldn’t be an option for me (especially if I’m fostering 15+ kittens at a time) I need to stay in the city and stay close to my local shelter and work alongside them fostering cats and kittens. Unfortunately a tiny home won’t fit the bill. Sure conventional homes are pricy..but sometimes in the end that’s what works out for a lot of people. That’s what works for me. :)
Don’t building codes keep you from living in many places ?
I’ve heard here in N Carolina, people have been kicked off of their own land due to building codes.
Charles Moore You need to determine these things before you do them, um duh.
Ironically, people still believe it's the land of the free. The land is so "free" that you are not allowed to be anywhere or live anywhere freely. The only time it was truly free is when the only residents were the Native Indians.
I would like to see more tiny home HOSTING, which does not get into landlord amd tenancy agreements, but rather based on a sharing economy whereby each party brings something of shared value that is not necessarily about money (currency, too, is an arbitrary fluctuating value and under going change). Look at how well-run SHARING ECONOMIES like Trusted Housesitters. com and Workaway operate.
My idea is just to live modestly.... a reasonable house. Not the big houses that are building today, but houses like the 50’s. We don’t need that much space it’s just more work to keep up.
One thing that you have forgotten to discuss is the issue of taxation. Many average condos might be about 1000 ft.² or less. We are on a foundation. Therefore, we pay our fair share of taxes. I do not know what a structure that is not fixed and movable would pay in taxes. That would not help the community. Also, you said that affordable housing could be seen as a trailer park that brings down the value of all homes. What do you think a tiny home, which is essentially like a mobile home, would do to a town?
You may want to learn about the hazards of electrosmog since tiny houses can notably raise your risk of EHS illness.
My husband built us a 4 bed 2 bath in Uganda. Tiny house price, big house experience.
TH movement seems to focus on the house being on wheels. Mostly for legal reasons, I've heard. But then it's really a very cute mobile home. Mobile homes and trailers have a fairly strong depreciation. Not owning the land means you'll mostly always have a landlord. And you'll still have to fix and maintain the structure. How long until we start to see Tiny Homes Parks?
It also doesn't address over crowed schools and without the added property tax no additional funding for schools.
There are a number of legal ways to do it, though. There's one young couple in Arizona who are doing it (High Carb Hannah and her husband, Derek), and we're doing it. Our story is that we're flying under the radar in a very small town in Maine that doesn't enforce the state building code if you meet certain criteria . . . population under 4,000, dwelling under 400 sq. ft., rural, not near a shoreline, and have sanitation methods. Our tiny house is on a crushed granite foundation with perpendicular 6x6 skids for added stability. There are ways. You just need to think outside the box.
But renters don't pay property tax . . . and their kids go to school.
I from India Im biggest fan of him
I own 5.5 acres of land in metro Portland Or. I think putting tiny homes on it would be a good option. I'm planning to sell so was looking at comparable land valuations and saw a 2.5 acre site that was approved for 65 condo townhomes or 100 apartments. That is 25 and 40 per acre. Of course these are multi story buildings.
I am actually afraid to let anyone on to my property because I become responsible for everything that happens. How does a property owner deal with all the legal issues? When a person domiciles somewhere they have the same rights as the land owner but not the responsibility. Then there is the utility fees. Where one landowner should be able to allow everyone to share a sewer, water, electric, cable hook up but the powers that be decide each unit has to have its own account. Lots of work to do on the concept it seems. Its easier just to park it on public land.
When a tiny house owner is renting land from the 6000 sq. ft. guy, he is losing equity to rent. Obviously planners are told what to do by councilors who are elected by those that can afford the big houses who squeeze out the little guy. The only solution is enough like-minded people to move out of the country and start their own city with their own reasonable, freer, building codes. Once they build up their equity, they can use it as a stepping stone to move into an area of this new city with larger homes.
Bypassing red tape and volunteering, the residents can do a lot to build their own factories to manufacture their own building materials, develop much of the infrastructure and learn their jobs quickly by specializing where there are is a large enough collective of others including many with expertise who couldn't find regular jobs after graduating.
Tim Nichols I think you're missing the point. How much Equity you going to build up in a tiny house anyway? The point here is that they have a home that they can live in that's very inexpensive. If they want to build up equity they can build it up in the stock market or in a high-yield savings account. The whole point of the housing market is that it is highly variable fluctuating Market that is not necessarily a good place to try to make money. Somewhere along the line, housing became synonymous with getting rich. I think this is a faulty way to look at it.
Less is More, equity is not everyone’s blueprint. Peace of Mind is mine,,if I don’t have peace of mind my life is being wasted on stress.
informative.
Rather than contend with zoning, try a cot in a van. Same principle.
It all sounds great, Just don't pay too much for less materials and time invested to create one...
This only works if tiny homes and micro apartments STAY AFFORDABLE usually once something gains popularity it's not long before it becomes over priced a
Coz "this tiny home is in the city center" and once again impossible. There would need to be a law to prevent the cost from becoming too much