Wednesday, September 19, 2007

The new urbanization and the small house

I have been reading more and more about the "new urbanization."

The online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, defines the new urbanization as New Urbanism believes in shifting design focus from the car-centric development of suburbia and the business park to concentrated pedestrian and transit-centric, walkable, mixed-use communities. New Urbanism is an amalgamation of old-world design patterns, merged with present day demands. It is a backlash to the age of suburban sprawl, which splintered communities, and isolated people from each other, as well as had severe environmental impacts. Concepts for New Urbanism include people and destinations into dense, vibrant communities, and decreasing dependency on vehicular transportation as the primary mode of transit."

Whew! That's some definition.

IMHO, a small house plan fits into the new urbanization because in many cites and towns you can still build a small house close to shopping, theaters and parks. This is because there are often still small lots available - lots that would never support one of those 3,000 sq. ft. houses that builders so love.

If you're into "green," you should especially consider a small house and a small house plan because a small house requires so much less energy to heat and cool.

We're currently looking for a lot in our town on which we could build a small house. In the meantime, I actually found a book that guarantees you can build your house free.

Is this for real?

Well, the guy who wrote the book, E.S. McArthur, says he will guarantee you can own a brand new, high-quality, custom-built dream home in just a few months. He also says that you can own that new house for just 58% of the price you could immediately refinance or sell it for ... or even better, that new house could cost you nothing.

Is this too good to be true? I would think so except for the fact that he guarantees his system. So, if the idea of a free house interests you, Click Here! for more information.

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