Sam Zell on Tiny Urban Living

One of my friends sent me this article on Sam Zell that's on CNBC where he talks about the 'death of suburbia' and how most young people are drawn to small spaces in urban 24/7 cities.

I found it really interesting because this guy has lots of influence in the real estate world because of his success as an investor.

Today Sam Zell is said to be worth around $4 billion. This guy would be able to build quite a lot of tiny house communities. But he's not doing that. At least not yet.

Image: CNBC

Right now he's talking about micro apartments in places like New York City where many young single people want to live because of the urban lifestyle. But..

Finally! Big Investors like Sam Zell Realizing Tiny is Big?

I think it's taken big investors a long time to realize that the demand for micro housing is huge right now. I think it's been and still is a big opportunity for real estate investors and developers.

Except most of them don't seem to realize that people like us actually want to live tiny for more than just financial reasons.

We've been in a really tough economy since 2008 and 2009. Fortunately I had started to simplify my life by 2007. And by 2009 I was already blogging about tiny houses and simple living to help spread the word and ideas on how we can all live better and enjoy more freedom.

Does This Mean More Tiny Houses?

I think in many ways it does. From what I gather what's going to happen is that we're going to see more interesting small spaces around 300 square feet as in the form of micro apartments in the biggest urban cities in America.

That's where we'll see the largest quantity of small spaces because the demand is there and it's obvious and most likely quite profitable since developers can squeeze in more units per building.

But does it mean more tiny houses? Yes, I still think so. I believe this trend will directly influence and impact the way people look at small spaces leading to more of them across the board.

Could it Lead to a Zoning Revolution?

I believe it can really help us revolutionize codes and zoning because once more people see how amazing small spaces can be and what they can do to a town or city then more folks including government will be open to allowing us to live tiny in more places.

Why It Will Work

Because small spaces create opportunities. They help local economies because they give people the chance to live somewhere simply and inexpensively. Rent is cheap, bills are low and maintenance is a breeze.

This means free time and disposable income. And this leads to lots of good things... More spending, opportunities for others, more happiness, etc.

What About Baby Boomers?

Here's what Sam Zell isn't talking about. Or maybe he's just not interested? Not sure. But what about all of the baby boomers who were affected? People who lost their homes and jobs. It seems like all that he talks about is young people.

But what about all of the families who got manipulated into buying homes they can't afford with promises that values would continue to rise...

What about the people that lost it all during these tough economic times who have no interest in urban living? How are we going to serve them?

When He Says 'Death of Suburbs' does he really mean 'Death of McMansions'?

Sam Zell refers to the death of the suburbs in America and I think he's certainly right. Only he's missing a large group of people who still want to live in the suburbs or maybe off the grid in a small cabin or tiny home. I guess we're ignored because most of us are DIY people. But not all of us take that route. And not all of us can.

Either way, to me, this is still encouraging news because the more small spaces are accepted the better I think this world gets. We need more smart, small and affordable spaces for everyday people like you and me, our kids and our families.

The Importance of Small Spaces Being Developed and Offered Today

Without the creation of small spaces our economy and communities will continue to suffer. People are in dire need of housing that's more efficient, affordable and manageable.

Folks are sick and tired of oversized space to maintain, pay for and slave for. Instead they want to live simply off the grid or somewhere in a micro apartment or tiny cabin that's semi-urban so that they can walk or bicycle to their favorite places.

It doesn't make sense to have to drive so much to go everywhere. In addition, people don't want to share their space with roommates just so they can afford rent. They want spaces tailor made to an individual. And here they come.

Read the original article here at CNBC. Learn more about Sam Zell here and here.

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