A single mother has divided opinion online after she launched a GoFundMe where she asked for funds to help her build her "dream home."

Securing a home can be a long and expensive process, and one of the biggest challenges is often putting down a large deposit in order to be accepted for a mortgage. As a result, many of us spend years scrimping and saving to finally get the keys to our first home.

Kara-Louise Hoppo, a mother of four young boys, caused a stir when she posted on the "Darwin Buy Swap Sell" page on Facebook asking for donations totaling $40,000 in order to secure a new home.

The post has now been deleted since receiving a mixed response - with the other members of the group seemingly not too impressed at Hoppo's request.

As reported by the Daily Mail, the initial post read: "We are in a bit of a housing predicament and I'm manifesting that we're going to get out of those permanently this year. I've found a way, but I can't do it without help."

Hoppo proceeded to post a link to a GoFundMe page, where further details were found about what the donations would be used for.

The single mother posted a lengthy description of her situation, detailing that: "We are needing to move from the home that we are currently in mainly due to health and safety reasons, in a rental market that is skyrocketing and we cannot really afford."

The self-dubbed "hippy family" would use the donations in order to buy two demountable homes which would be set up on a friend's plot of land, which would keep their rent low and they would be able to pay their friend back by helping out.

Hoppo revealed that she is currently unemployed but is "currently studying and by the end of this year intended to be a fully qualified energy healer and completely financially self-sufficient."

"I am asking for $40,000 total in donations. Or for min. 4000 kind hearted people to be willing to donate $100 worth of their yearly bought coffee budget," Hoppo wrote.

She stated that the seller of the demountable homes is negotiable on the asking price and is willing to hold off selling them for a month to see if the single mom can get the funds to be able to buy them.

Hoppo claims the donations would "change" her family's life and she gave a list of other expenditures, including furniture and electrician costs.

When the story was shared by local news outlet The Mango Inquirer on Facebook, it's safe to say that it did not go down well with readers.

"Wow, if only everyone could be funded to get their dream," one person wrote, with a second adding: "So... you want us to pay for your house... right."

However, there are clearly many who support the doting mom's dream, as her GoFundMe has raised $4,300 at the time of writing from 51 donations.

After donating $20 to the cause, one person commented on the page: "I really hope you can get yourself a house. I wish everybody everywhere could be happy and get the things they need. The world can be dark - I want to be a bright spot despite that. I really hope you get your dream house and dream life!!!"

A second added: "Just a small donation but every little bit helps and I truly hope you can make your dreams come true. I read that there were negative comments but all I see is a mum trying to do the best for her kids.

"In a world where people fork out hundreds of dollars just to catch a glimpse of an 'influencer' and spend money on meaningless things wouldn’t it be nice if people were just kind and helped others."

Featured image credit: M4OS Photos / Alamy

A single mother has stirred up a heated online debate after she created a GoFundMe campaign soliciting funds to fulfil her "dream home" aspirations.

Securing a home can be a daunting and costly endeavour, especially when it comes to making a substantial down payment to qualify for a mortgage. Many individuals spend years scrimping and saving to finally unlock the doors to their first home.

Kara-Louise Hoppo, a devoted mother of four young boys, generated both support and criticism when she posted a request on the "Darwin Buy Swap Sell" Facebook page, seeking donations amounting to $40,000 to secure a new home. Although the post was subsequently removed due to the mixed response it received, other group members seemed unimpressed by Hoppo's appeal.

According to the Daily Mail, the initial post read: "We are in a bit of a housing predicament and I'm manifesting that we're going to get out of those permanently this year. I've found a way, but I can't do it without help."

Hoppo went on to share a link to a GoFundMe page, where she provided additional information about how the donations would be utilized.

In a detailed description of her situation, the self-proclaimed "hippy family" explained, "We are needing to move from the home that we are currently in mainly due to health and safety reasons, in a rental market that is skyrocketing and we cannot really afford."

Hoppo planned to use the donated funds to purchase two demountable homes, which would be installed on a friend's plot of land. This arrangement would enable them to keep their rent low and repay their friend by providing assistance.

The single mother mentioned being currently unemployed but emphasized her commitment to becoming a fully qualified energy healer and achieving complete financial self-sufficiency by the end of the year.

"I am asking for $40,000 total in donations. Or for min. 4000 kind-hearted people to be willing to donate $100 worth of their yearly bought coffee budget," she stated.

She further revealed that the seller of the demountable homes was open to negotiation on the asking price and was willing to postpone the sale for a month to allow the single mother a chance to gather the necessary funds.

However, when local news outlet The Mango Inquirer shared the story on Facebook, it triggered a largely negative response from readers.

"Wow, if only everyone could be funded to get their dream," one person commented, while another wrote: "So... you want us to pay for your house... right."

However, some clearly sympathised with the mother as the fundraising page currently has AU$7,400 in donations, and some who have parted with their money have offered their support.

"Just a small donation but every little bit helps and I truly hope you can make your dreams come true. I read that there were negative comments but all I see is a mum trying to do the best for her kids," one person wrote.

What do you think about Hoppo asking for money to purchase her dream home?

Featured image credit: GoFundMe

A Canadian millionaire has built 100 tiny homes in his hometown in an effort to battle homelessness in the area.

Marcel LeBrun used to run a thriving business but decided to sell it off for a hefty profit in order to start a project that involved building homes to tackle the issue in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

It all started when LeBrun realized that 1,800 people in the area had found themselves homeless for at least a day over the past year as per multiple reports.

Upon hearing about the issue, the millionaire decided to invest a whopping four million dollars in building 99 small homes in a project titled '12 Neighbours.'

The houses offer space to those in need, all equipped with a kitchen, bed, and bathroom. There's also a small patio on the outside for people to sit as well as solar panels on the roof for a more sustainable way of living.

Speaking to the CBC, LeBrun explained the homes will be built at a warehouse before being loaded onto concrete blocks that consist of the building's foundations.

"They have everything in them - a full kitchen, a full bathroom [and] a dining-living area kind of thing," he told the outlet in an interview.

"I see myself as a community builder, and really what we’re doing here is not just building a little community, but we’re building a community in a city, like how do we help our city be better?", he continued before adding that he hopes these homes will give people a sense of responsibility, and those who found themselves in difficult situations can live within a safe, gated community.

"When I was homeless, people just didn’t think I was real, they wouldn’t even acknowledge me," said 55-year-old Steven Dotson. "This place, it’s a blessing. It gives me hope and motivation to do something different with my life."

These tiny homes usually cost around $150,000 per unit to create.

The Mayor of the area, Matt Mahan, said this plan is a good use of time and money.

"These are interim solutions to mitigate the impacts because we cannot have this so-called 'doom loop' happening because of homelessness, where we lose our employers who are the tax base for cities and then we can’t fund basic services," he told Bloomberg.

"That’s just not a viable path for us," Mahan added.

However, some critics believe this is just a short-term solution for a bigger and more complicated problem.

"This 'we can do it faster and cheaper' argument that the mayor puts forward, sure, it sounds great when you’re thumping your chest in front of the microphone," said Jeffrey Buchanan, policy director of the nonprofit Working Partnerships USA, as per the outlet.

"But when you actually look at reality, it’s very different," he added.

Featured Image Credit: Avalon_Studio/Getty

Tiny homes are not just an out-there concept that a small group have latched onto, but a trend that's becoming more and more popular.

Many young people looking to own property face inflation without the equivalent rise in pay, with the unfortunate addition of rent prices soaring too.

Being able to own your own property, even if it is a very small one, is becoming an enticing option for a lot of millennials - and luckily for them, there are a wide range of options out there.

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Even just on Amazon, there are dozens of DIY tiny home kits, which include small cabins for around $5,000 to larger houses priced at around $20,000. On top of that, building them doesn't have to be an overwhelming task - but one that can be handled by a few people.

For instance, here's one tiny home kit sold by the UK-based company Lillevilla, who manufacture log cabins. Selling both through Amazon and Allwood Outlet, you can grab one of these getaways for $18,800 - a real bargain if you ask me!

The tiny home is supposedly "large enough to function as a summer house, granny flat, home office or even a stand-alone retail building," according to the product description.

Check out this video of a Lillevilla cabin being constructed by just two people:

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The listing also suggests that the entire home can be built in just two to three days, with two people working - which is crazy when you realise that this is a house. Let's take a look inside the surprisingly roomy cabin:

Allwood advertises the cabin as only needing "minimal tools" for it to be set up, and all the materials needed for constructing it are in the same shipped packaged, and that includes: roof shingles and gables, glass panes, nails and screws, and the lock for the door.

On top of that, shipping is free - so the cost is just as it appears.

Then there's this loft area, which is where the bedroom would be. The slanted roof makes it not exactly the roomiest of places to sleep - measuring at around 5 feet tall at the peak of the room - but it is a tiny house after all.

Alwood suggests that if you want to make the cabin a "primary residence," you should add utilities for the internet and electricity, as well as insulation - depending on where you'll be building it.

So, is the tiny house life looking appealing after all? *Adds to basket*