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Shipping Containers Could Be 'Dream' Homes for Thousands (Dems answer to housing crisis?)
AOL ^ | 10/14/08 | n/a

Posted on 10/14/2008 7:49:42 AM PDT by umgud

CORRALES, New Mexico (AP) -- It was a side trip through a destitute, ramshackle neighborhood in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, that detoured Brian McCarthy from building houses in Albuquerque to an idea to offer the very poor a chance to own a home.

His answer lies in a humble steel shipping container 40 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8½ feet tall.

McCarthy, 30, and three partners, Pablo Nava, 22; Kyle Annen, 23; and Mackenzie Bishop, 22, have made a prototype out of a standard shipping container that hauls goods worldwide -- a 320-square-foot home with a kitchen, bath with toilet, sleeping areas, windows and a bright blue door. The exterior is painted with a white epoxy coating that has light-reflecting properties to prevent the sun's heat from penetrating.

Each small house includes hookups for air conditioning, ventilation, electrical and water systems, and the units ideally could be set up in small communities to make accessing utilities more efficient.

(Excerpt) Read more at smallbusiness.aol.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: 2008; elections; housingcrisis; nobama08
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To: OB1kNOb

Possibly having one shipped by rail and then flatbedded to you might be cheapest.


41 posted on 10/14/2008 10:12:53 AM PDT by B4Ranch (I'd rather have a VP that can gut a Moose, than a President that wants to gut our Second Amendment!)
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To: umgud

OBAMAHOUSING....

Housing is now a RIGHT, doncha know....


42 posted on 10/14/2008 10:13:13 AM PDT by tcrlaf (SARAH PALIN-The American Everywoman (Yes, You Really CAN!))
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To: edzo4

huh! That actually looks pretty cool!


43 posted on 10/14/2008 10:19:52 AM PDT by Ladysmith
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To: umgud

Excellent idea. Probably good for something, remote, emergency, temporary.


44 posted on 10/14/2008 10:24:42 AM PDT by PLMerite ("Unarmed, one can only flee from Evil. But Evil isn't overcome by fleeing from it." Jeff Cooper)
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To: umgud; dighton; martin_fierro; Tijeras_Slim
Now this is thinking outside the box.
45 posted on 10/14/2008 10:26:36 AM PDT by Constitution Day (don't panic)
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To: pierrem15

Hilarious!


46 posted on 10/14/2008 10:27:27 AM PDT by Constitution Day (don't panic)
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To: Constitution Day

There’s a guy in town who’s been outfitting these things as heavy duty portable buildings for about 20 years. We’ve had him make several control trailers from them. It’s amazing how quickly he can turn them out and they’re nice.


47 posted on 10/14/2008 10:36:38 AM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: umgud

McObamansions


48 posted on 10/14/2008 10:37:48 AM PDT by TexasRepublic (Brother, can you spare a dime?)
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To: OB1kNOb

We have a place in Albuquerque selling and modifying them. Last time I checked New Mexico wasn’t a maritime powerhouse.


49 posted on 10/14/2008 10:38:31 AM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: OB1kNOb

These containers are readily available in most areas. People use them for temporary storage, for construction storage and actual moving their own goods. They cost about $3,000 around here. There is such a surplus of these containers because it doesn’t pay for the shipping companies to send them back empty.


50 posted on 10/14/2008 10:41:29 AM PDT by Eva (CHANGE- the post modern euphemism for Marxist revolution.)
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To: Tijeras_Slim
That's a pretty cool idea.

These things are super tough; just imagine the abuse they withstand daily under their intended use!

51 posted on 10/14/2008 10:45:12 AM PDT by Constitution Day (don't panic)
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To: umgud
Each small house includes hookups for air conditioning, ventilation, electrical and water systems,

Are they wired for cable?

52 posted on 10/14/2008 10:46:59 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco (And no, you cannot look under my pillow.....)
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To: j. earl carter
Yeah, that's my rant for today. The difference in housing conditions between married and unmarried is huge. I know soldiers who decided not to re-enlist for exactly that reason. I can't say I blame them. I'm going to PCS next year, and I'm hoping to re-enlist for Menwith Hill, where, as I understand it, at the worst I would have a large room to myself, which would be awesome. If stationed there, I would have a good chance of living off-post - which would be absolutely incredible. If I didn't have that to look forward to, I'd be much less inclined to re-enlist (but I'd probably still do it anyway).

Yes, and it would seem to make more sense for the Army to be more pro-single soldier. The Army being pro-family makes sense (whether it makes sense to have a family while in the military is another matter), but having military families is also a drain on resources. This is going to sound cold, but all children do is suck up resources from elsewhere and return nothing (except that they have increased odds of joining the military when they become of age). Spouses can fill spots for civilian workers. This is particularly important for OCONUS installations, but probably not so much for CONUS.

53 posted on 10/14/2008 10:49:42 AM PDT by tlj18
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To: Constitution Day

They’re made to be stacked 9 high with a full (30K+ lbs) load. That’s a lot of tainted petfood.


54 posted on 10/14/2008 10:54:16 AM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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To: stylecouncilor

My new garage!!!


55 posted on 10/14/2008 10:55:14 AM PDT by windcliff
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To: Tijeras_Slim

Or parts for petroleum equipment. :)


56 posted on 10/14/2008 10:59:31 AM PDT by Constitution Day (don't panic)
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To: tlj18
it would seem to make more sense for the Army to be more pro-single soldier.

You phrased that much more delicately than I would have. lol

57 posted on 10/14/2008 11:05:38 AM PDT by j. earl carter
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To: All

After Obama is elected the “little people” will live in these and by God they’d better be grateful! The ruling 2% will live in the homes the little people lost to foreclosure that was bought by the socialist government.


58 posted on 10/14/2008 11:12:05 AM PDT by Terry Mross (O)
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To: tlj18
I’m in the Army, in Germany.

Yeah, but at least the weather sucks and the locals hate you.

59 posted on 10/14/2008 11:15:25 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (The Democratic Party strongly supports full civil rights for necro-Americans.)
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To: OB1kNOb
Check out any multi-modal freight company, or a freight railroad for leads. The multi-modal freight companies handle shipping containers all the time. But I don't know if they could help you buy them - they just move them.

Mark

60 posted on 10/14/2008 11:16:38 AM PDT by MarkL (Al Gore: The Greenhouse Gasbag! (heard on Bob Brinker's Money Talk))
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