The 33 tiny homes generally ranged between $95,000 to $160,000. Escape Tampa Bay The Oaks
Tiny home builder Escape Homes has built a community of its own units in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Of the 33 homes, only one $249,550 property is left for sale.
Take a look around the gated neighborhood complete with homes under 400 square feet, a pool, and a park.
A tiny home manufacturer’s not-so-tiny community could sell out any day now. But there’s a catch — the final buyer will be paying almost $250,000 for under 400 square feet.
Tiny homes have been the dark horse darling of the real estate world for a while now as more homeowners continue to seek out accessory dwelling units — also known as ADUs. Demand in the US has been so high, even overseas companies like prefab tiny home maker Nestron are now looking to quickly expand into the American market.
But not everyone wants these backyard tiny homes to use as a guest home, backyard office, or home gym.
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Some want to trade their homes to live in these little living units full-time. And now, there’s a community dedicated to people who want to do just that.
Who better to run a neighborhood of tiny homes than a company that specializes in building them?
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Wisconsin-based tiny home manufacturer Escape Homes builds modern tiny homes on wheels with the same amenities as any typical home. Its lineup of dwellings includes this sleek $82,400 loft-style Japanese-inspired tiny home that can sleep a family of eight.
Now, it’s not only building homes — it’s also building neighborhoods.
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Escape Tampa Bay is its nascent collection of four adjacent neighborhoods, two of which have yet to be built. The one we’ll be focusing on today is The Oaks, a soon-to-be-completed collection of 33 tiny homes.
The Oaks community is located less than five miles from the University of South Florida, 20 miles from the Tampa International Airport, and under an hour’s drive from Walt Disney World Resort.
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Dan Dobrowolski, the founder of Escape Homes, has owned a home in Tampa Bay since the late 1970s, he told Insider. His familiarity with the city, combined with its rapid growth rate, made the area a no-brainer for this neighborhood.
Reservations opened about four months ago.
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Dobrowolski says the first few homes were purchased that same day — “immediately” — from people who had been waiting for the announcement. Within two months, almost all of the homes were sold out, according to a release.
Now, there’s only one unit left with many interested buyers still on the waitlist, the company said.
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Because these buyers are only interested in specific models, they’ll have to stay on the waitlist until Escape’s next tiny home community opens up.
The first few residents moved into their tiny homes in mid-spring and early summer.
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The current residents run a wide gamut of personalities, careers, and ages.
Some are local while others have moved in from states like Oregon and California.
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One resident is a 50-year-old executive who decided to exchange her life in Washington, DC and Virginia for a tiny home in Florida, according to a release from Escape. Another is a 70-year-old general manager at a restaurant whose Fort Myers, Florida home was demolished by Hurricane Ian.
The homes all have wheels to function as certified RVs.
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This means they can be financed and easily moved.
Like a typical master-planned neighborhood, there are several shared spaces for the residents.
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These include a pool, a miniature “Central Park,” a community office, and additional storage.
About 20% of the units are being used as rentals.
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But people who have purchased their tiny homes aren’t allowed to use their units as short-term rentals on Airbnb or Vrbo.
“If we wanted to do that we would’ve done it ourselves,” Dobrowolski said. “This is not a money-making scheme. It’s affordable housing.”
As of now, the only remaining unit is the “N1” on lot 26, a one-off $249,550 build with mid-century modern-inspired sensibilities and a large glass wall overlooking its deck.
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This is the most expensive unit in the community, and the purchase price only includes the structure. On top of the base cost, owners have to pay a monthly “lot fee” between $575 to $725.
Most of the homes were sold between about $95,000 to $160,000.
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Residents who are renting generally pay between $1,450 to $1,650 a month.
But at this price, Dobrowolski says Escape is “trying to combat” rising rent as more people flood into Tampa Bay and housing becomes more scarce.
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As he puts it, “This is a fast alternative housing for people who need some place to live. It’s affordable. And it’s not the back of a van.”