“Dotty Kyle and Eric Brattstrom had an ambitious vision for the home they would build when they sold their bed-and-breakfast here seven years ago and retired. . . .’We sold a nine-bedroom B&B and then pretty much recreated it right up the street,’ said Ms. Kyle, who is now 78, shaking her head with the kind of clarity only hindsight affords. . . . .’I was an idiot and built a house that was way too complicated and labor-intensive,’ said Mr. Brattstrom, also 78. ‘Only a masochist could enjoy it.'” ~ The good news? The house is very inexpensive to operate.”
An alternative approach (with its own perils):
How about surviving off the grid on a coastal island? Jack Soley, a commercial real estate developer, built a 1200-square-foot second home off the coast of Maine. The house consumes less power than a high-end refrigerator, but the living conditions can be rugged. Read the full story in the NY Times.