Take a Video Tour of One of Bangor, Maine’s New Tiny Homes

How much was your first apartment?

Maine's real estate/rental market has changed dramatically over the years. I remember my very first apartment outside of home was a 3-bedroom spot in a dodgy part of Augusta. It was pretty small for a 3-bedroom, but the price was right... It was $400 a month, everything included. Like, what?!

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My next spot in Portland was right around the same price, albeit smaller. It was a studio, right in the middle of downtown, and it was $375 a month, with everything included. These days, that same place rents for around $1500. But things change over 30 years, and then you add the whole pandemic population explosion here in Maine, and housing has become a lot tighter. Like, nowhere-to-live tighter.

How about a a house the size of an apartment?

When I first heard about Bangor's proposed tiny home park, I was wildly intrigued. Despite owning an excessive amount of drum gear, I'm an otherwise sparse person. I don't really own a lot of stuff. I often joke that I just live in my wife's house. But in another set of circumstances, I'd be thrilled to live in a spot like Randall Park.

Bangor's new tiny homes look well built, and neatly appointed. The walls look cool. There's a surprising amount of space, and overall they look pretty homey. They're available as we speak, and people are starting to move in. They're going for $1300 a month, tenant paying the electricity. But take a look for yourself. I honestly think they're super cool...

They don't come without some opposition...

Like literally everything these days, there's been some pushback from folks on social media. Some folks feel the rent is too high, others feel there isn't enough space... Look, you can please some of the people all the time, but never all the people, all the time. My thought would be, if this isn't for you, don't live there? Complaining won't fix a thing.

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Most people are simply psyched that someone is trying to do something innovative and creative to try and help the almost diabolical lack of housing in the area. No matter what anyone thinks, these units will not last long. If it's a decent place to live, it'll be snatched up in a red hot minute. And honestly, I'm a little jealous...