I had managed to side-step building codes by constructing not a building, but a "travel trailer.” With that stumbling block out of the way, I still faced a zoning problem. I wanted to live in town, and, like most towns, Iowa City does not allow trailer camping just anywhere. You cannot just buy an old lot and park there indefinitely. The restrictions do, however, allow for "camping out” in one’s own backyard.
Upon discovering this, I snatched up a small fixer-upper on a large wooded parcel and proceeded to set up camp. The rent collected from the big house covered the ensuing mortgage and taxes. I would "camp out” in my own backyard for the next five years before selling the property and heading West.
