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Everything you wanted to know and should be asking…
One key goal at Free Will Haven is to make it extremely affordable, as most victims of stalking, targeting, or hypersensitivity to EMF/RF tend to be economically devastated, as result of those unfortunate ills. We would like to see the cost of living which equates to ‘rent’ to be in the range of $250 a month. When added to allowance for utilities and food, an individual should be able to survive comfortably in the range of $600 or less, a month, and a couple sharing space perhaps $300 more, or about $450 each.
Traditional housing is just too expensive, especially if there is a lot of real estate acreage involved, driving up the purchase price of the property. Tiny homes and RV units of various kinds allow for more homes on a given property size, and reduce the cost of ownership, significantly… if not buying the RV new, or if constructing one’s own tiny home, themselves. I’m living proof of that, living on $600 a month, now, in my motor home… so I know it can be done. That becomes doubly important for the viability of FWH, because our security/privacy and EMF/RF isolation needs will require that the property size be rather large in acreage. I would like to see something in the range of 70 or more acres, at the very least. I froth at the mouth when its more like 200 Acres.
Fortunately, land is cheap where the Free Will Society is looking, such that it is possible to buy huge tracts complete with a working farm or ranch and large home, outbuildings, and full utilities for about the same money as a decent home in the big city that has little more than a minimalist front and back yard, in open land. That allows great flexibility in community layout, such as the grouping of like home concepts into a single area for better visual parity and perceived livability (enjoyment). Key to the concept, as well, is centralized services, which are based on the existing structures on the property.
That way, things such as meeting and entertainment areas (we might even have a swimming pool, exercise room, etc., for instance), storage and laundry areas, can be maintained in ‘common areas,’ which means you have no need to replicate them in each person’s residence. Very few motor homes today come with a washer and dryer, for instance, but that is a very basic ongoing need for long-term living, in one, or in a tiny home, where space is at a premium. Likewise for certain key possessions, such as barbecue grills, lawn mowers and yard maintenance tools, etc. Why should everyone have their own, and with that, a place to store them, when we can have centralized common use items and storage areas for them?
It can also be one built on a foundation, but wheels let you take it with you.
Living small is a life-style change; be certain it works for you
It may not be for everyone; it is, after all, one-notch removed from camping outdoors in many respects. An easy way to find out is to rent a motor home for a month and travel with it… also a good way to temporarily escape or at least reduce targeting or other ills which make FWH an escape option. It also gives you a chance to experience what it is like to drive a rig of a given size; some of the big ones can seem undaunting. I know I felt that way when I bought my 30′ giant loaf of bread, as big as a bus. In the end, it was a snap, save for backing up with reduced visibility; best to have someone guide you in tight spaces.
If you can feel comfortable after a full month of such living and driving, you should be good to go for long-term living, and have a better idea of what features you would want in any unit you might choose to buy. If you do rent one, ask about rent-to-own options, and if such credits toward purchase can be transferred to any other units they stock. That is a bit rare, but could prove very valuable, given tight finances. Of course, perhaps you will end up preferring a tiny home, which won’t be that much different from an RV unit of some sort, in terms of life style, except that it won’t be drivable. Think of the gas you will save. Doh!
Before you choose and actually do rent or buy an RV, or decide upon a tiny home, I suggest you completely review the contents of a special Web page created for the purpose. There is a wealth of information there which could make quite a difference and save you time and/or grief… if not money. Now, a few words about tiny homes, which have their own issues.
There are several costs associated with tiny homes which are within your ability to control… a bit like planning your dinner at the local Chinese restaurant, via columns A and B. The first major decision will be if to buy ‘off the shelf,’ or to construct from scratch… with a few options in-between. Off the shelf can run between $50-200K, with few options costing less. You can save rather a lot by building yourself, but there can still be off-the-shelf helps.
You can, for instance, purchase prefab kits, or just designs. Designs simplify construction and eliminates guesswork-caused errors, which can be costly in terms of $ and time, but also, will dictate the raw materials used and, as result, their cost. Typically, such plans rely on quality materials and a design which will produce a very nice home… which will still set you back at least half of a complete off-the shelf system, especially if you find a way to use cheaper (i.e., used) materials.
The other option, is to review the greater gamut of construction methods and design theories as found at the above Web link, and do an off-the-wall free-form design based on whatever materials or methods you might have access to which represent the lowest price and have the greatest appeal… based on what you value in the final design. For example, it is possible to build a berm (earth covered) home, which affords additional EMF/RF shielding and unique heating/cooling options, or perhaps a tree house, or other more creative solution.
It may simply mean that you start building with things you can buy cheaply or find laying about unused; a kind of junkyard house. As long as you can finish the exterior and interior tastefully, and it has structural integrity, who cares if the wood in it is used, or new, or if there is rusted corrugated panels painted over with Rustolium, or covered with shingles? But whatever you do, don’t forget insulation and other heating, cooling, moisture issues, and general ventilation considerations.
There are other ways to cut costs and get more out of the minimalist space such homes represent. Both full kitchens and bathrooms could potentially be seen as optional, especially if wishing to save the notable cost of a septic system. FWH’s central facilities will support some number of residents in meeting these needs. Most of the properties we are seeing available have at least 2 and 1/2 baths, and very nice kitchens, and some have more than one home, more than doubling those numbers. More can be added, of course, by remodeling, but still, there are only so many people they can serve before you get into scheduling problems, and problems regarding cleanliness. Early comers to FWH may find common areas of this type valuable, but late comers may find them unavailable, at all, for this cause. Early birds eat better.
And what about those extra bedrooms in the homes already on site? The primary idea is to use them for guests visiting the site. They might be reporters doing stories on FWH, or potential future residents visiting to check it out… or people coming to FWH to attend seminars or other hosted events; we intend to become a central source for education in the realm of defense of the dark arts of stalking, political control technology, and EMF/RF pollution… if not general abuse of power issues. But also, these bedrooms could be made available to residents as if an on-site hotel… a room and board situation to escape any growing sense that the walls of the tiny home or RV are closing in. Awk!
However, know that I (H. Michael Sweeney), have been living in about sixty square feet of my motor home (I don’t use but about 1/3 of it for living) for more than three years, now, and have no such feelings about the walls. That does not mean that I don’t enjoy a night’s stay in a hotel, once in a while… though my primary interest is the bountiful hot water, full-sized tub, the swimming pool and jacuzzi. Ahh… far better than Awk!
On strategies in making the plunge… economically
One needs to start with practical considerations, principally among them being costs. A half-way decent motor home is likely going to be $10K or more, though it is remarkable what $3K will buy… though low cost also means more question marks regarding long-term reliability. RV or tiny home, one should plan on having a $2K or so emergency fund on hand for repairs; every system tends to be critical for living space viability. To repair almost anything could easily cost a grand, and to replace it perhaps three times that. Self repair is not impossible, but difficult, primarily due to tight spaces and lack of knowledge about how it actually all works and fits together. Thank God for Youtube; lots of how-to’s there… and I’ve used them to great advantage.
UPDATE: There is a significant financial aid program in works
What do you do with THIS breaks?
Since FWH is somewhat centrally located in the lower 48 U.S., travel expenses should be computed based on air miles and road miles, depending on how one plans on arriving. It is generally going to be less expensive to fly to the nearest big city (say, St. Louis), and then to buy or rent an RV, there, than to buy one where one currently lives, and then to drive it all the way. It should prove safer, as well, unless one is rather a pro at driving an RV around. Insurance costs can figure into that, too. Wouldn’t dream of driving one without, esp. if required by law (usually is).
The best time to purchase or rent an RV is in the late Fall through early Spring — the Winter seasons. My $26K motor home was purchased for $12K, for instance, in October. On the other hand, the safest time to drive is NOT when the roads are likely to be covered with snow or ice! The question still remains… how do you come to afford the costs involved? That is fairly straight forward, though it can be problematic in terms of logistics. This is the suggested analytical and procedural path to successful relocation, including that question, and all others (more or less):
- realize you must have some form of income to cover your living costs at FWH. If you have no dependable fixed income that will transfer to your new existence at FWH, you will first need to find some cottage industry income source, such as an online business, to make up any shortfall… or some other means of doing so. Once more, we suggest $600 or better should be your target. It would be good to have more, in order to build a savings towards covering emergency expenses, and ‘splurging’ once in a while (such as a day/night out on the town).
- depending on if a ‘founding member’ of the community as resident, as opposed to joining well after has been founded, you may wish to inquire about the availability of a rental of one of the bedrooms at FWH for a period of evaluation of the concept and life-style. That may include an opportunity live for a time as a ‘room mate’ or perhaps a short-term sole occupant renter of an RV no longer occupied by a resident. Understand, there will be travel expenses and daily costs associated with all that, and any money so spent, will no longer be available for a permanent relocation. Note: a few key persons with special skills (i.e., contractor or agricultural skills, etc.) and who are well able to prepare their own tiny homes will in the early days of founding be eligible for limited access to bedrooms, meaning they will not need an RV, up front. Depending on their contributions, there might not even be a charge for the rooms.
- make a primary decision regarding RV vs. a tiny home, and estimate the cost for your particular elected solution path. Compare that to the practical realities expected in step 2), below. This defines workability and viability of the effort/decision. Repeat for alternative paths, and choose the best one. One such path may involve renting or purchasing an RV unit from a resident at FWH who arrived in an RV, but then built a tiny home and is seeking to sell or rent it out. Be creative and flexible for best results!
- seek to liquidate ALL personal property, save deeply personal items, and select clothing; in a tiny home/RV living situation, you will have no place for hardly anything you currently own, anyway… and the cost of shipping or hauling it cross country could be significant. And, in terms of electronics, FWH will seek to prohibit most personal electronics, especially a tactical benefit to TIs, where their personal electronics may have been weaponized against them. There is a means in the actual application process for residency which may determine what electronics or other major items might wish to keep, or sell. For example, if you owned a valuable and useful item (i.e., a snowmobile), and at all had a way of getting it here, we would try to make it worth your while. Generally, in an attempt at softening the blow of mass liquidations, we would hope to have common entertainment area with multiple TV viewing areas, and a common computing area. Some of the equipment there could be equipment provided by residents, and examined and approved for security concerns. That does not mean you could not have your own, but you would be advised to plan on purchasing new or used once arriving, rather than bringing your own. Just transfer all your important files and content to portable media, first. Then, SELL EVERYTHING, including your car, unless deemed cheaper to drive it to FWH than to fly. Don’t forget bus or train options, though in my experience, they are not terribly competitive. Time factors, the number of overnight stays on the trip, and food consumed, should be part of that calculation. Regarding a car, if you drove it to FWH and left it, someone at FWH could get to to the big city for the purchase of an RV, provided you covered their costs and a stipend for their time… or you could trade it in against the RV if buying it from a dealer or a private seller who might be interested in partial trade.
- Add what you estimate you can get for your personal goods, car, etc., to your cash savings (hopefully you have some), and that will then define your operating budget.
- Get to the main city near FWH by whatever travel means… and plan on taking a hotel. That first day/night, rely on Craigslist for the area to look for used or rental RV options within your budget. Rent a car and go find one you like, and procure it. Plan on a cash deal, if at all possible, unless you have a decent income.
- Arrive at FWH and set up your temporary or long-term residence in the RV. You can then also set about to initiate building or installing your off-the-shelf tiny home, if that is your game plan. Upon completion, you can return the rented RV or make it available to residents who would wish to join us, but who cannot afford a purchase. That may mean you offer to sell it, or rent it out to others.
- Plan on then reacquiring things you may have liquidated but really want to have, ongoing. Chief among them might be an automobile, but… FWH will seek to have common use vehicles with dedicated drivers for scheduled shopping trips to nearby communities large enough to support low cost shopping options, such as Wallmart Supercenters, Dollar Store, Pay n’ Pak, etc., and for emergencies. But nothing beats the freedom of having your own vehicle. We would also hope to have our own recreational units, such as three wheelers, snowmobiles, drones (principally for security uses), and fat-tire electric bikes for use around the property for official, and perhaps personal uses. Don’t forget power equipment and tools… and a library for books and movies, music, computer games, etc. That’s one thing you should bring, if willing to donate them.
The final thing which may enter into financial expectations/concerns, is the level of participation you, as a resident, can commit to for the benefit of the community. Clearly, not everyone will have the interest, physical capability, skills/talents, or time to donate towards the community, but those who can devote minimal, moderate, or maximum effort to the commune-like nature of support activities needed in a well-managed community (i.e., construction, maintenance, agriculture, animal husbandry, etc.), will be reward with reduced costs, whereas those who do not, may find their costs elevated, depending on what services they choose to partake in.
This is not the right forum or time to discuss that in depth, as there are many unknowns, and there will be some experimentation to find out what works. But imagine, for example, the lowered cost of access to fresher eggs and vegetables produced on site; those who significantly helped produce it should pay next to nothing; essentially raw costs or even less, whereas those who helped not at all, should pay something akin to retail. Some residents may contribute maximum effort in key efforts which result in significant credits toward their site ‘rental,’ and or give them first right of refusal for various services or cost savings opportunities.
Along these lines, Cottage industry will also be encouraged. Each resident should give some consideration to their skills, talents, hobbies, and work history, and see if there is not some thing they can do from their home or online which represents a marketable service or product. FWH will seek ways to collectively market products under the Free Will Society ‘packaging label’ (you could still have your own product branding) to local merchants, and of course, it can be marketed online, and else ways. A key part of this picture includes work done for other residents. For example, someone handy with tools and knowledge of construction might augment their income by offering to help new comers to more efficiently and quickly construct their tiny home, or effect repairs on a motor home, or teach classes, etc.
If one can get their small business set up before they relocate, so much the better, as it will help enlarge your financial war chest for the actual relocation and ongoing viability. Part of this marketing may involve a reality TV show were such goods and services can be ‘advertised’ as part of the show’s on-air content, without the cost of advertising; the call that product placement, or promotional considerations. And, this can work into significant tax advantages, where one’s income exceeds the minimum pain level for such. Yay!
Want more information?
The Free Will Society is a member of the Fellowship for Intentional Communities, which among other helps, operates as a clearing house/library of additional information. While much of their content is liberal new world order ‘green’ and ‘global warming’ political fodder, there are some very good resources to be found, there. Feel free to visit their ic.org site and click on their Magazine, Bookstore, and Resources links in the main menu. While you may wish to order things from them and pay as a non member, because FWS is a member, there can be reduced pricing to the Society; if you wish to take advantage, pay us and we can order it for you, with a small handling fee. That won’t save you much unless ordering multiple items. But many things are simply free!
freewillsociety.wordpress.com 