I Toured a Luxury Texas Tiny Home Village for Retirees: See Photos

The village’s homes are small — under 400 square feet — but not cheap; each costs between $75,000 and $160,000. Still, that’s far less than the going rate in Aubrey, where Zillow put the median home-sale price at $303,550 and typical rent at $2,267 in December.

Kristene Newton, the village’s tiny home designer, told me that most residents buy their homes outright. After that, their main monthly expense is $950 in lot rent, which covers water, sewer, trash, landscaping, and WiFi. For residents living on a mix of savings, investments, and Social Security, that kind of low and predictable bill can feel like a game changer.

“The senior community can get into one of these homes, pay for the home, and the lot rent is going to be cheaper than moving into an apartment—or sometimes even assisted living,” Newton said.

She added that she’s been shocked to see people sell million-dollar houses to get into the village’s tiny homes.