Its crazy that someone would do something they probably really enjoy without getting financial benefit out of it. JUST WILD.

Under capitalism and according to its most vigorous devotees, it is in fact crazy, because the only important thing to them in life is revenue and wealth. You can see it in the various flavors of "hustle culture" and in the ways people are personally hurt when you insult their favorite corporate brand.

I have never seen a capitalist positioned against pleasure. Why would they bother otherwise? Merely surviving can be done for nearly zero money.

Making housing 3-4x as expensive to build, to include things you don’t need, to qualify for 20:1 leverage is a new phenomenon.

Housing is expensive because of the real estate market (speculation, Airbnb, predatory landlords), not because houses are built to have "things you don't need".

Not if you’re building a shack in the woods.

“Where’s the R40 insulation?” “This is a 3-season cabin unoccupied 75% of the time. Or the insulation is weak, but the structure and windows are small, so it’s actually far more efficient than an R40 mansion”

“Where’s the septic field?” “The toilet is for guests (100flushes/yr) into a holding tank, pumped out yearly. I use the outhouse”

“Where’s the 20A circuits in the kitchen?” “I have 1 socket for 1 appliance, everything else is gas”

“Why aren’t there sockets every 10 feet?” “The whole point is to NOT have dozens of gizmos here”

“Your shower doesn’t drain into an approved gray-water system” “I can wash my car/shower outside but can’t shower with a bucket indoors?”

“This doesn’t meet min sqft requirements” “I built all the sqft I need, I’ll spend a half my time here hiking and fishing”

Crap like that.

I’m not sure someone building out in the woods is actually looking to be encumbered by the trappings of living in an incorporated village?

One whole reason to build out in the boondocks is to build as you like. So it’s kind of beside the point, I think.

On the other hand if you want to build to some code, no one is stopping you either, so there is that.

It's a more viable option if all you're looking for is a simple place to live.

To be fair, I got a 200+ year old cottage on a few acres with commuter train service under €100k because I was willing to look at uninsurable, unmortgageable houses. Eccentrics with cash are a market too.