Can’t get a foothold in the housing market? Buy a bus.

From Seattle Bubble, the story of a gentleman who skunked the housing market in favor of building his own residence — in a run-down school bus. Florida resident Mark Zimmerman, romanced by the idea of living small, yet unable to afford his own tiny house, found small-space salvation in the form of a school bus a friend had purchased from a surplus auction. Zimmerman purchased the bus for $1,400, reno’d the insides (about $10K worth of work), and now lives his school-bus cool lifestyle for less than $400/month.

And, check out Jake von Slatt’s free-wheelin’ steampunk digs — in video, no less:

Of course, as opposed to purchasing real estate, you’ve got to find a place to park a liveaboard bus, preferably somewhere with a septic hookup and some access to power (unless your ride is solar powered, of course).

Could you live in a converted bus? Would it substitute for a non-mobile home?