Idaho Once had Cheap Housing

A few months ago, I saw a building the size of a garden shed for sale in California for more than $60,000. It was truly the vanguard of the growing tiny house market. The issue for many homebuyers in the western states, including Idaho, is the cost of the land. Of course, there are growing shortages when it comes to building supplies. The fierce competition for copper means plumbing costs far more than it did ten years ago.

Look, I believe a three-bedroom house is just about right. I could use one bedroom for guests and another as an office. A lot of younger potential buyers would like the same. Neither of us are currently living in that space. I refuse to buy at the current prices and hope we’ll eventually see a return to equilibrium. But what if it doesn’t happen anytime soon?

Credit Bill Colley.

People have put up with hardship before, and they created a civilization in southern Idaho where one didn’t exist until a little more than a century ago. Forrest Andersen, one of the hosts of the Gun Guys on KLIX, told me his ancestors lived in a cave when they first came to Idaho. It wasn’t easy, but judging by their descendants, they were fruitful and multiplied.

Some of you may have recognized the pictures used to illustrate this story. It’s a Prove-Up Shack on the grounds of the Idaho Farm and Ranch Museum near Jerome. It doesn’t look like much, but newcomers to the area spent several years living under the small roofs. They didn’t have time for video games and screen time. They were working on digging irrigation ditches.

I’m not saying we need Prove-Up shacks today but does a single guy need three bedrooms, a man cave, and a full-fledged office?

Credit Bill Colley.