Affordable single-family housing in Maine is becoming increasingly hard to find. Many modular factories are building affordable multi-story dwellings, not affordable single-family residences and with costs rising for building material, transportation, skilled labor, government regulation, and insurances, “affordable” single-family housing is quickly disappearing.
While Maine’s housing market continues to surge during the coronavirus pandemic, many buyers on a budget are being pinched out of the market due to a lack of affordable choices.
Viking Carrier
PFS Corporation
Mariotti Building ProductsIt’s a problem that has both buyers and developers looking at “tiny homes” as a solution.
“I haven’t been able to find anything that I could afford for us,” said Robyn Wiley, who moved into a tiny home that was built in her father’s backyard in Scarborough.
Developer Chris Lee, founder of Backyard ADUs has been designing tiny houses for buyers across New England for about a year.
“What we’re seeing is people want to build this for their mom. They want to build this for their kids who can’t afford to come back and buy a house,” Lee said.
These homes are often priced below $200,000, which puts them in the financial realm of people on a budget, like seniors and first-time buyers.
“People say the only way to get out of the housing crisis is more houses and more units, and that’s true,” Lee said. “But, the only way we do that is to make it easier to build and more affordable.”
Gary Fleisher, the Modcoach, writes Modcoach News and Modular Home Coach blogs as well as the best site for off-site consultants, Modcoach Connects.
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