Tampa Bay tiny home village offers buyers a ‘piece of heaven.’ What’s the cost?

When Wisconsin-based company Escape announced it was building a tiny home village in Thonotosassa, all 10 homes sold out almost instantly.

That was three years ago. Now, the company is building 23 new homes adjacent to the original village.

The pint-size properties range between 240 and 500 square feet. They start at $100,000 and go for as much as $240,000. It’s an additional $625 a month to rent a lot in the village.

“You can live here for much less than the average apartment in Tampa and you actually own it,” said Dan Dobrowolski, founder and CEO of Escape.

He said developments like this provide an economical and environmentally friendly solution to the affordable housing crisis and wondered why local governments weren’t doing more to encourage tiny homes.

The tiny home trend has attracted a broad swath of buyers. Residents at Escape’s first development in Tampa Bay include an 80-year-old retiree, a recent graduate, an employee from the nearby Amazon warehouse and a local doctor.

Though the tiny homes are mobile, Dobrowolski said the village functions more like a traditional neighborhood than an RV park.

Each of the homes has its own deck and front yard. The development spans 3.5 acres and has a large park at the center with oak trees and exotic palms from Madagascar. There’s also a community pool.

“It’s like its own little piece of heaven,” Dobrowolski said.

All of the new homes have been built and are currently being installed at the development. Three have already been sold, and five are about to go under contract.

Interested buyers can attend an open house at 11008 U.S. 301, Thonotosassa, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.