Housing Prices And Rising Rents Got You Down? Score a Small Cottage For Less Than $50K

As Dallas begins to embrace accessory dwelling units, tiny homes, and alternative construction materials, another cost-effective housing solution is now on the market. 

South Carolina-based ECLIPSE Cottages is building 128-square-foot, solar-powered, energy-efficient homes with off-the-grid capability. 

Like the tiny homes and the 3D concrete-printed models we’ve featured recently, they’re not for everybody, but they offer options, which is something Dallas desperately needs. 

The Comet, developed by ECLIPSE Cottages, is the most cost-effective housing solution ever created, ECLIPSE CEO Justin Draplin told CandysDirt.com. 

“ECLIPSE Cottages is a sustainable housing technology company focused on the vertical integration of development and construction to revolutionize housing as we know it,” Draplin said. 

Comet builds start at $45,000, but through a proprietary financing mechanism, purchasers can pay $99 a month for their new home. 

The company has purchase orders and letters of intent for more than 1,000 units but none have shipped to Dallas yet. That’s not shocking, however, since the Comet was just announced in a press release Tuesday. The homes can be shipped anywhere in the U.S., and Draplin said his team has its sights on Dallas-Fort Worth.

“With what we have in development, we will dramatically alter the housing industry,” he said. “From our sustainability initiatives to our financing and smart housing implementations, we will revolutionize the construction industry.” 

Addressing Housing Affordability

Affordability, housing stock, zoning, and permits are all challenges when trying to build or purchase a home in Dallas. 

Rob Dietz, chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders, said the housing market will rise from the ashes in 2024, but that’s not exactly convenient for those who want to buy or sell a house within the next year. 

“Single-family construction is declining for the first time this year since 2011,” he said at a Nov. 10 Dallas Builders Association State of the Industry Summit. “We think multifamily will decline next year. It continues to be strong. We think remodeling will perform the best during this cyclical downturn due to some factors connected to the fact that people are going to move with less frequency.”

In the midst of a housing shortage, it’s a plus that ECLIPSE builders can construct several homes per day. 

“Our overall construction method creates favorable financing terms and reduces long-term costs because of the build’s sustainability, energy efficiency, and solar roof,” Draplin said. 

ECLIPSE cottages address housing affordability in two ways, the CEO added. 

“The first is through ultra-efficiency and net-positive construction,” he said. “The quality of the builds will ensure the home will last longer with less maintenance, and the solar roof will also reduce ongoing utility expenses for the cottages. The second way is through our proprietary financing options. By offering the best financing options in the country, we can get more cottages into more people’s hands at a more affordable cost than our competitors.”

Energy-Efficient

The Comet has a solar roof, wireless smart switches, water filtration, and premium finishes. 

“It’s ideal for an ADU, an Airbnb rental, and a super-affordable place to live,” Draplin said. 

ECLIPSE offers other cottages, including the 399-square-foot Alpha and Omega models. 

“Every ECLIPSE cottage is super-insulated with a complete thermal break,” Draplin said. “This means every one of our homes has insulation between the inside and exterior walls — not even a nail or a screw that comes through the walls. This eliminates that flow, and all cottages also have vapor barriers, which keep air from flowing through the unit, making them even more efficient.”