After being put off by the town building commissioner, I have abandoned my shed-to-house idea and, instead, have embraced the idea of a kit house. Finding the perfect manufacturer will be critical and hiring a team for assembly will require lots of outreach. The good news (sort of) is I have time.

With interest rates climbing higher every day, I’m putting my tiny house plan on a 3 to 4 year hiatus. During this time I will reach out to the local planning board and advocate for reduced frontages. This will allow me to subdivide my property and apply for a construction loan. This might be an easier process. One of the advantages is a construction loan will be completely separate from the loan on my house and I’ll be able to use projected income to qualify for the loan.

An ADU loan will require rolling my current loan into the new loan, which will mean having to qualify for a pretty steep amount—about $300,000. The appraised value of the ADU will have to come in high enough to meet loan-to-value ratios AND I won’t be able to use future rental income to meet my debt-to-income ratio unless I can find a Freddie Mac lender.

Okay, that’s a lot, I know! Instead, for now, meet the Ramblette—my vintage trailer.