It's still on.

Oh it is very much still on.

Here's the tentative plan:

1) Adam and Vicki Graduate from UWM. I'm making the assumption that we WILL graduate, and likely at the same time, in May 2007. Immediately after this, we will be moving back to MN. Where we will be moving TO is up for discussion. Probably into an aparment in WBL(cheaper) or uptown(awesomer).

2) Gather people willing to make a massive investment in a communal underground home. Thus far the only "for sures" are Joe, Vicki and I. Ideally we would have two additional people/couples/etc. Everyone must be aware that this is a communal living arrangement and that it is likely a lifetime arrangement as well, as selling a 7000 sq foot underground home is less than easy.

3) Wait until everyone is financially stable. Meaning that all parties involved must have a stable source of income and little or no debt. Loans are the main thing to worry about. Financial security is the ability to pay the monthly rate of any home loan that we may take out, plus any monthly debt-related expenses, plus any living related expenses, with enough left over to accommodate any extreme situations.

4) Talk to an engineer and architect and draw up a plan for the house. We have ideas up here, but in order to build, we have to have detailed blueprints and a very smart underground engineer design all the more important aspects of our house. Namely, drainage, specifications, and codes. From this point we will start to know what the cost of the house will be, and we can decide how much each person will have to take on in loans/etc. Likely, with four-six people that will be between 50-75K a-piece.

5) Start construction. We can excavate ourselves, and we can do the furnishings ourselves. We can probably do the electrical and plumbing ourselves. We will want to have a contractor do the HVAC and septic system. We will have to have a contractor do the concrete. The concrete will be by far the most expensive part of the project, taking up about 75-80% of the total cost, but it is also the most vital part to a stable livable house, so there will be no skimping. Skimping can come later when we're talking about furniture and rugs, etc.

6) Live in the house for hundreds of years.




Other things to think about:

a) Purchasing a "normal" house in the interim, and sell it off to pay for the underground house. If we are able to fix it up, we can sell it for a profit, and it would alleviate some of the home loan questions that we are sure to get otherwise (you're building what kind of house?). Also, it would test out whether people are willing and able to live in a communal situation before investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into a hole in the ground.

b) How awesome would an underground house be if WWIII happens? Very.

c) Our own personal wind/solar power station? Long shot, but it might be feasible if we've got a bunch of extra cash.