By Paulina Pineda | The Republic
First-time homebuyers Leslie Debusk and Marina Copeland looked at condos in the Tempe area but said they were too expensive for the size and that the homes didn’t provide enough privacy.
Long interested in living in a tiny home because of low maintenance costs and the smaller ecological footprint, Debusk and Copeland said they couldn’t justify buying a larger but cheaper home in the suburbs for just the two of them.
So a community of 13 small homes — 600-square-foot each — planned in the Jen Tilly Terrace neighborhood in north Tempe intrigued them.
The couple, who have been married five years and live in a rental near the Tempe-Mesa border, were among the first in line last fall to apply to purchase one of the homes in Tempe Micro Estates, as the project is called.
Their dream of owning one of the homes came a step closer to reality on Thursday with a ceremonial groundbreaking. Actual work is expected to begin in a April or May and wrap up by the end of the year or early 2021.
Newtown Community Development Corporation, a Tempe-based nonprofit, is building the homes in a partnership with the city to provide more affordable housing options.
