After watching, listening, and asking questions I decided not to purchase a Tiny Home. Here is why:
1) I would need a "lot" to put my home on, Randy says he has the "cheapest lots around." How does he figure that when he gets anywhere from 10K-20K with nothing in return, plus 300. a month and if I move in a year or even five years, I would get nothing back.?
If I paid 600. a year in lot rent to someone else, I'd pay 7200. a year, so for almost three years, my rent could be paid with the 20K, Randy wants and no extra 300. a month for that lot-rent. He says we would be "buying in" to the community, but really, if you put the effort into it, isn't every neighborhood what we make it?
So, in those three years if I lived on Randy's lot, he would have been paid 23600. I thought about this...what I am saying here is this is not a "deal," really, I'd be paying as much to Randy as I would anyone else, and maybe even more, especially if I didn't live there that long. The lease is not transferable either, as he did say in one of his videos so any profit from the next lot-renter, I would not get any money from.
Now, add to that I have heard that he allegedly has something in the contract that states he has "right of refusal" to renew my lease again, if he so desires." (i.e. HE wants no negativity about his business, so if my board falls off or my appliance doesn't work, I'm at his mercy because I damn sure can't complain or l'll allegedly be banished as a "naysayer." And, again, I still get NO money back. WHAT????
I also considered that a landlord who is trying to take away my FREE SPEECH rights might have something to hide?"
Buyer beware as they say, if you are planning on this Tiny Home "deal" then you might wish to consult YOUR OWN LAWYER.
2) Randy gives no guarantees for rent increase for his lots either. ALLEGEDLY, He can raise that rent "at will." So, I could move in, give him my 20K and then find out he is raising my 300. a month lot rent to 400 or 500 hundred a month, if he gets anymore behind or in need of pay raises or whatever. The Tiny Home buyers are paying for his and Amanda's million dollar dream. And, that IS how business works however, usually, in business there are things owned and clauses protecting the buyer.
3) I have noticed even on TV, that some of those homes are put together rather shabbily with dents and old wood (Randy says it adds character, well I say it will rot quicker and he is using this "adds character" thing to pick up wood from anywhere he can get it. He admits to doing that and that some of the foam comes from dubious places as well. Has anyone called an environmental person to see if this stuff that he gets from these places is prone to chemicals or harmful stuff?
What happens if Randy and Amanda go bankrupt again? Does the bank call in all those tiny homes they financed? Would my home be safe? What about the land, would I have to pay someone to move my home and then pay someone else to place my home. Remember I won'tt get any money back.
Amanda is on TV right now saying these are affordable homes, but 10k-20k for a LOT PLUS 300. a month, is not what I call "affordable," Especially one I could be booted from at will.
If i have 20K to put down on a Tiny Home, I think I might run an add and get a bunch of people together to buy an acre of land and put in my own sewer and water (some may come hooked up already if I buy into a decapitated or old mobile home property. Then, I could go to Home Depot and buy one of their Tiny Homes for 15K, take out a little extra and put in the kitchen and bathroom, using my new neighbors to help each other and when I get done, not only will I have a much larger and better-quality home Checked and guaranteed by the makers, I WILL OWN IT. The resale should be much, much more as well.
Even Elon Musks homes are comparable but built strong and they come and set it up for you. LOOK AROUND, contact a lawyer, CHECK EVERYTHING out, you can still get a community together, but you won't be "renting," for the rest of your life with someone else telling you what to do.
These are the reasons I give this company a poor review, and it saddens me as I was hooked in the beginning, but now, the rose color glasses are off. read more