{"id":3791,"date":"2012-08-08T16:57:27","date_gmt":"2012-08-08T16:57:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/steampunkopera.wordpress.com\/?p=3791"},"modified":"2012-08-08T16:57:27","modified_gmt":"2012-08-08T16:57:27","slug":"an-honest-to-god-tree-house-village","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paulshapera.com\/temp\/an-honest-to-god-tree-house-village\/","title":{"rendered":"An Honest To God Tree House Village"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"treehouse village finca bella vista\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static5.businessinsider.com\/image\/50168a2c6bb3f7a77300000f-900\/how-hogan-describes-the-typical-finca-bellavista-homeowner-in-general-people-who-live-here-want-a-simpler-lifestyle-they-want-a-life-less-ordinary-theyre-usually-very-green-environmentally-conscious-and-want-to-live-off-the-grid.jpg?resize=640%2C513\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"513\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Holy ****. This is like&#8230;. house porn for me.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"treehouse village Finca Bella Vista\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static3.businessinsider.com\/image\/50168b78ecad040a46000009-900\/welcome-to-finca-bella-vista.jpg?resize=640%2C361\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"361\" \/><\/p>\n<p>So&#8230; in 2006 this couple from Colorado,\u00a0Erica and Matt Hogan bought 600 acres of land in Costa Rica which was otherwise going to be deforested.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"treehouse village finca bella vista\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static3.businessinsider.com\/image\/50168a77ecad042d46000002-900\/since-2007-the-couple-has-sold-51-parcels-of-land-and-built-25-structures-including-a-community-center-base-camp-and-five-true-treehouses-its-a-perpetual-work-in-progress-we-have-pretty-limited-seasonal-ability-to-do-construction-just-given-the-rainy-season-hogan-says-realistically-the-amount-of-building-time-is-between-four-and-six-months-maximum.jpg?resize=640%2C427\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Once bought they decided that with all the big, fat trees around, instead of building a regular house, they would build a tree house.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"treehouse village finca bella vista\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static1.businessinsider.com\/image\/50169a83eab8eacf36000001-900\/matt-heads-up-the-fincas-construction-management-entity-which-works-step-by-step-with-prospective-homeowners-most-owners-want-to-be-involved-in-the-creation-and-construction-of-their-treehouse-hogan-says-we-havent-had-an-owner-yet-thats-simply-cut-a-check-and-said-oh-build-me-a-treehouse-its-a-very-hands-on-process.jpg?resize=640%2C425\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"425\" \/><\/p>\n<p>They talked to friends and family about possibly investing in their land. Those who were interested were also pumped by the couples&#8217; treehouse wanted one of their own.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"treehouse village finca bella vista\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static3.businessinsider.com\/image\/50168930eab8ea0812000000-900\/once-they-started-generating-word-of-mouth-press-interest-quickly-mounted-we-kind-of-blew-through-our-three-to-five-year-plan-in-the-first-two-years-she-says-we-just-got-frenzied-its-the-story-of-any-start-up-its-a-labor-of-love-and-its-more-than-just-our-business-its-our-life.jpg?resize=640%2C372\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"372\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Thus over the past 7 years a tree house village has gradually been built.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"treehouse village finca bella vista\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static3.businessinsider.com\/image\/5016ec8269beddd46a000007-900\/the-finished-product-belongs-to-us-residents-leo-burns-and-laurie-barnhardt-a-retired-steelworker-and-nurse-practitioner-respectively-we-are-really-excited-about-what-we-have-done-burns-says-they-officially-named-it-the-fila-tortuga.jpg?resize=640%2C425\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"425\" \/><\/p>\n<p>There is even a bar and yes, there is WIFI.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"treehouse village finca bella vista\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static2.businessinsider.com\/image\/50169a5869bedd7122000004-900\/we-do-community-meals-she-says-the-cafe-basically-operates-like-a-restaurant-people-pay-for-meals-but-all-the-food-is-grown-on-site-they-have-four-full-time-gardeners-on-staff-and-prepared-by-finca-employees.jpg?resize=640%2C425\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"425\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The treehouses have running water using\u00a0gravity-fed water systems which pull water from a nearby spring and of course collected water.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"treehouse village finca bella vista\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static5.businessinsider.com\/image\/5016887e6bb3f7816d000013-900\/each-treehouse-owner-is-free-to-rent-their-space-to-outsiders-the-hogans-didnt-anticipate-running-a-village-of-renters-but-they-changed-their-minds-when-owners-expressed-interest.jpg?resize=576%2C768\" alt=\"\" width=\"576\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;\">I&#8217;m a having a difficult time giving you\u00a0interesting\u00a0information because i&#8217;m breathing so heavy&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"treehouse village finca bella vista\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static2.businessinsider.com\/image\/5016891cecad040140000012-900\/they-call-this-one-casa-mariposa-or-butterfly-house.jpg?resize=640%2C567\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"567\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"treehouse village finca bella vista\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static4.businessinsider.com\/image\/5016a3aceab8ea054c000000-900\/finca-bellavista-homeowner-corinne-and-her-husband-graham-completed-their-treehouse-in-2010-here-corinnes-father-70-kicks-back-on-their-wrap-around-porch-i-guess-treehouses-are-for-all-ages-she-says-dad-even-went-ziplining-around-the-property.jpg?resize=640%2C456\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"456\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:left;\">Just&#8230; think, THIS is your front walk:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"treehouse village finca bella vista\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static2.businessinsider.com\/image\/50168a2369beddc87a000001-900\/old-school-wooden-bridges-help-keep-people-connected-too.jpg?resize=505%2C768\" alt=\"\" width=\"505\" height=\"768\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"treehouse village finca bella vista\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static2.businessinsider.com\/image\/5016c4076bb3f7215d000013-900\/to-find-themselves-suddenly-neighbors-with-foreigners-living-in-trees-locals-were-dubious-of-the-project-at-first-a-lot-of-people-look-at-the-make-up-of-our-village-and-they-say-oh-well-its-just-a-community-of-expatriates-so-whatever-hogan-says-which-is-why-they-treat-the-land-with-as-much-respect-as-possible-and-try-to-keep-a-low-profile-were-in-a-transition-where-were-getting-a-much-more-locally-based-ownership-locals-have-shown-a-lot-of-interest.jpg?resize=640%2C421\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"421\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"treehouse village finca bella vista\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static4.businessinsider.com\/image\/5016c352ecad048c2f000002-900\/basically-the-only-thing-we-get-off-site-is-3g-cell-signal-hogan-says-thanks-to-a-cell-tower-that-went-up-downstream-about-two-years-ago-most-of-the-community-now-has-internet-access-and-cell-reception.jpg?resize=640%2C456\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"456\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"treehouse village finca bella vista\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static6.businessinsider.com\/image\/5016896decad04da4100001b-900\/the-entire-land-is-pretty-remote-the-closest-town-is-15-miles-away-which-contains-a-school-a-church-a-pulperia-a-bus-stop-a-handful-of-houses-and-of-course-a-soccer-field-thats-it-no-souvenir-shops-no-mini-malls-and-no-rowdy-bars-according-to-the-hogans.jpg?resize=640%2C427\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Holy ****. This is like&#8230;. house porn for me. So&#8230; in 2006 this couple from Colorado,\u00a0Erica and Matt Hogan bought 600 acres of land in Costa Rica which was otherwise going to be deforested. Once bought they decided that with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[29],"class_list":["post-3791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-architecture","clearfix"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulshapera.com\/temp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3791","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulshapera.com\/temp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulshapera.com\/temp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulshapera.com\/temp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulshapera.com\/temp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3791"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paulshapera.com\/temp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3791\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulshapera.com\/temp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulshapera.com\/temp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulshapera.com\/temp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}