Alternative housing is here to stay, that's for sure. What impact alternative housing will have on a Realtor's pocketbook in years to come is unknown to me. As Realtors, we believe the SFD or apartment life is basically the only option most Americans want. Yet living here in Houston, I am seeing more and more people throw in the towel and head for the hills. Okay, that was a little corny but it summed it up. These people are moving for a lot of reasons. Either they lost their new builder home with the large mortgage, tax and light bills and just had to downsize drastically OR they are getting out because of some personal desire to embrace the green movement and grow their own food OR they just don't want the screaming freeways and rush, rush, rush lifestyle anymore. Do Realtors need to be concerned about this? I have no idea because I do not know how big the number is. Here in Texas we still have folks coming in from less affordable areas of the country. I assume when real estate starts to rebound around the country, most Realtors will get back to a more normal (?) workload and maybe not even notice these folks slipping out of town. The state of the economy and many other factors will mold this picture in the coming years.
BTW, Perky...if the treehouse is cooler than my travel trailer, I am going to make an offer on one. Ha, ha. R-5 is not a lot of insulation in Texas. I do love the little roof vents that let the hot air out, though. So far, I am willing to continue living in my little 31-foot alternative house. Don't try it with kids, though.