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 Dan's Comments on Buyers:
Buyers are easy to find. First, decide who the target buyers are. I target low-income families and single mothers. It is usually obvious which families are struggling, and which one's have priorities misplaced. For instance, a lady drove up in a brand new Lexus, stated that she was a single mother, and would I build a house for her. Had she driven up in a beaten-up Oldsmobile, billowing smoke, I might have listened to her story. Instead, in my mind, she represented what is wrong with our culture. |
| The lady behind the counter working the night shift at the local convenience store, jangled about meeting her children's needs, and who still has the ability to smile--those are the people I want to build for. Usually what they are paying in rent is more than what a monthly mortgage payment would be. The only thing blocking them from the American Dream is a down payment, and the complications of arranging financing. They simply have no idea how to go about the process. That's where I come in. I can help. |
| Offering to build a house for no down payment, with monthly payments equal to or less than what a family is now paying in rent, yields a fat waiting list. If I should ever run short of buyers, a quick check with Habitat for Humanity, or a local church, would yield countless families who need homes. While it is made absolutely clear that they have no choice as to location or design, they can specify how many bedrooms and baths. Standard equipment in these houses consists of basic appliances-stove, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furnace, air conditioner, and ceiling fans. If the family has an exorbitant number of children, I consider a dishwasher. Financing is explained (see section on financing), and it is further explained that if they don't like the house, they don't have to buy it. They will simply go to the end of the list. There is no contract, and no credit check. My waiting list is more than I can accommodate efficiently. |
| After realizing my first house, many people began approaching me (perhaps one a month) wanting me to build their houses, or do additions or remodeling. Here is where you need to decide what you will do. Most of these people have plenty of money for worry-free down payments and financing. But also most people have their own ideas of what a dream house is, which is typically not what my resources or strategies would allow. Further, for me, it would be a breach of trust to build middle-class and above housing with donated materials targeted for low-income housing. After all, the design of each of my houses grows out of the materials that are available to me. While that yields a wide range of options, it typically does not include tactics and strategies they have in mind. I always thank them, but decline, because such a direction erodes my freedom, and my low-income housing mission. Both of those things are absolutely fundamental in my approach. |
| However, the possibility always exists to leave the low-income-housing mission and fly into bigger ticket projects. This possibility is a very real one for someone wanting to get started in the building industry. Make a splash with interesting housing for low-income, and the buyers will eventually seek you out. |
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Programs
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| Contemporary Magdalene Community |
| The Magdalene Community, composed of both men and women, is a connective community seeking dialogue with people representing the many varieties of spirituality and religious traditions in our city. The Community is dedicated to a celebration of all life and peace through study, meditation, and action and seeks to engage in the spiritual practice of dialogue and conversation. Evening visits to temples and synagogues in addition to Sunday gatherings are proposed for the spring. |
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| Details: |
| Sundays |
| 10:00 am |
| Rothko Chapel |
| Free of charge |
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