Sleepers' Dreams

While the mortgage meltdown has forced many families to abandon their homes and their dreams, I find this particular story particularly heartbreaking. The Sleepers of Festus, Missouri took the concept of a "dream house" to quite a different level. After buying a cave on ebay, the Sleepers, huh, what's that? Oh, yes, they bought a cave. On ebay. They bought a cave on ebay, and lived in a tent in the cave for five years while they designed and built a house to go in the cave. This photo collection shows just how much blood (beware the surprise picture of a nail gun injury), sweat, and tears they personally put into building the house.

The Sleepers built the house mostly with their own labor, including a lot of help from their kids. I don't think anyone in 21st century America, besides the Amish, is this involved in the design and building of their own home. And I applaud their anti-coddling of their offspring. How many parents today would let their kids within ten feet of a floor sander or a scissor lift?

Sadly, the balloon in their mortgage came at the same time as the bust of the economy, leaving them unable to afford living in their labor of love. Completing the circle of life, they have put the house up on ebay. They are trying to find a buyer, or a financier, or some sort of happy ending. Hopefully someone will come to their rescue and let them keep living the dream.