For 34,000 Euros (right now $53,000 US, but you can't buy them outside of Europe just yet), you can buy a micro compact home and have it placed on property you own. It's very small (if micro and compact didn't give that away), about 9ft x 9ft x 9ft and weighs about 2 tons. However, inside there are two beds, a table, a flat screen TV, a shower and toilet, heat, air conditioning and a kitchen (with microwave, sink, fridge and freezer, trash compactor and shelves and drawers).
The first large-scale installment of the m-chs are at a college in Germany. They call it the 02 Village, and it has seven of the m-chs, inhabited by six students and one professor. The site notes that they loved it so much they asked to stay the entire year (the original plan was for just one semester).
Personally, I would love to be able to buy a small piece of property somewhere near the ocean and stick one of these on it. The price of a summer house near the ocean (even though we're in a recession) is still ridiculously high, so if you could find half an acre and get one of these dropped on it… presto. The perfect weekend retreat, for a ridiculously low price.
If you want to see one, MOMA in NYC is having a show titled "Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling" this summer and they will have an m-ch on display.
I have no idea how I stumbled across this bookmark, as I've had it for years.
