BACK WOODS
I moved out of New York City and into a tiny home in the woods – my monthly payment is just $2,150 and I own it
She was a first-time home buyer
KRISTI Campbell ditched the fast pace of New York City for a more laid-back life in a tiny home village in Georgia.
At the height of the pandemic in 2020, after living in NYC for seven years, she decided to move back in with her parents in East Atlanta.
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The plan was to save and buy her first house by November 2023.
But in 2022, her boyfriend sent her a link to the South Park Cottage's tiny home village.
"I absolutely fell in love. The village's homes are newly built with a modern aesthetic," she told Business Insider in an interview.
The community is Black-owned and is close to the airport and Main Street in downtown Atlanta, where there is a strip of Black-owned restaurants—all of which were important to Campbell.
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She put in an offer for a tiny home in November 2022 and officially closed in June 2023.
The 628-square-foot home cost $235,000, and she got a 30-year fixed mortgage with monthly payments of $2,150.
Since the home was still under construction, Campbell had time to save up money and get approved for a loan.
She put down a $17,500 deposit, which covered the builder's fee, and an upgraded tech package, including a smart door lock, a doorbell camera, a smart refrigerator, and Bluetooth speakers.
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MOVING IN
Campbell's home is a one-bedroom, one-bath with a patio, balcony, and a multi-use loft space that she turned it into an office.
"I consider myself to be a maximalist, but when you move into a tiny home, you eventually realize that you actually don't need a lot of things," she said.
Our network of four tiny home villages lets 'heroes' rent houses for free - but you must meet the specific criteria
The home is surprisingly spacious and fit about 20 people when she hosted her mom's birthday party.
She has downsized a lot but bought a storage unit for larger equipment and supplies.
Most of her neighbors are fellow Black millennials, but some homeowners bought their houses as vacation spots or investment properties.
"A lot of us share similar backgrounds - we're first-time homebuyers, and mostly born and raised in Atlanta, though I think there are two or three people from California," she said.
"It's exciting to know I can learn from people around me who are going through similar life phases."
"One of my favorite things about the village is that it's really community oriented; we're all very tight knit. Neighbors look out for neighbors."
The village has communal areas, like a garden and fire pit, where neighbors regularly host cookouts together.
"When you look at the community, it's like something you've never seen before in Atlanta, and I love that."
Where to buy a tiny home
THE tiny home phenomenon found new heights as an alternative living solution for consumers concerned with ballooning homebuying costs and sustainability concerns.
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You can buy 'tiny homes' online in a few places, including:
- Shop tiny homes at Amazon - shop here
- Shop tiny homes at Walmart - shop here
- Shop tiny home at Wayfair - shop here
- Shop tiny homes at Home Depot - shop here
- Shop tiny homes at Lowe's - shop here
You can also check out our full tiny home guides here:
A CLOSER LOOK
South Park Cottages is the brainchild of Georgia native Booker Washington.
He built the community with the goal of giving locals lower housing prices.
The median home price in Atlanta is $415,000, but the homes in the village range from $190,000 to $230,000.
All of the 29 homes in the community sold over a year before they were built.
"Accessible homeownership is an issue in Atlanta," he told Business Insider.
"Our goal is to provide homes at a price point where mortgages are equal to or less than the cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment."
Each unit has a complete kitchen, living room, and laundry facilities.
Washington is already planning on opening another community in the area and hopes to expand to other states.
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A rent-free tiny home village recently opened, but there are strict requirements for moving in.
One homeowner built his own tiny home for just $55,000.