I'm sure I don't have to tell you how messed up the housing market feels right now. According to Bankrate, the average home price in the US hovers around $387,600. This means buyers should make around $106,000 annually, have $50,000 for a down payment, and hold $500 or less in monthly debt payments to afford, ya know, a roof over their head that they own.
Well, the average yearly income for Americans is about $59,000, and many live below this — making housing feel impossible.
So you can imagine people's surprise when a video by YouTuber Unspeakable was posted and inevitably shared in droves online, racking up at least 13.6 million views on YouTube and Twitter.
And what could such a video entail, you may ask?
Yes, Amazon sells prefabricated mobile homes. This 19 by 20-foot space comes equipped with a built-in bathroom, shower, and kitchen cabinets — you just need to hire an electrician for all standard wiring.
All of this comes at a price of $19,999. And, at the time of writing, the price just jumped down to $18,999 with an additional $1,000 off coupon for Prime members.
If you're wondering how the homes work, Unspeakable offered a step-by-step view of the process.
Upon unboxing, the home comes folded in on itself.
So you may need a small group of people to help you unfold your walls, ceilings, and floors.
But eventually...
...after some elbow grease...
...you'll have a place to call your own!
Furniture does not come with the purchase, but you can style the place to fit your aesthetic.
There's enough space for a bedroom...
...living room...
...and kitchen.
As it stands, states like California — which has the largest population of unhoused people in the US — would need a proposed $8.1 billion annually for the next 12 years to solve the problem, according to a study reported in Bloomberg.
This number considers building 112,000 apartments each year, but does not consider these homes from Amazon. Would it make a difference?