Magdalena Homes - a possible solution for housing?

The exterior of the Magdalena home.

I met with the owner of Magdalena Homes, Felipe Camacho, about a week ago; we sat down for coffee at Mosswood so I could learn more about his project and so he could pick my brain about the local scene. We were introduced to each other by someone on the Anderson Valley Housing Association.

Camacho is from Colombia, South America, but he and his wife have a property in Yorkville. During his visits to the Valley he has learned that we have a housing shortage, in particular, we have trouble housing our teachers and our AV Health Center employees. With his transportable studios he is offering a unique way to provide housing to Anderson Valley and, hopefully, points beyond.

The studios are built in Colombia and shipped to California. They come as a standard model with a living area, bathroom with shower, kitchen with full size appliances and a sleeping loft. The units can be customized to some extent, with choices in paint colors and materials. They can also configure this to accommodate two more bedrooms by attaching a deck between the two units. They are small in size to comply with the ADU rules.

An interior view of the Magdalena home.

Camacho has been working with Mendocino County to make sure these units are permitted as ADU’s and they have been able to assist property owners with everything from electrical and water hook-ups to septic hook-ups.

The units are on wheels but installed look as though they are not mobile. Once in place a property owner can rent them out, use them as a guest cottage or use it for in-home help to live. The units can be leased or purchased. The lease structure is unique - the company takes two thirds of the rent the unit brings in, assuming it is rented full time, while the property owner keeps the other third. This provides the land owner with some income while providing the much needed housing.

Another view of the interior of the Magdalena home.

More information can be found on their website Magdalena-Homes.com. Additionally, the company is hosting an open house on August 22nd at 5:00 PM at the Anderson Valley Brewing Company. If you have been thinking about a second home that you could rent out to a teacher, nurse, or other local employee who needs housing, this might just be the right solution.