After listing his tiny house, a man who enjoys traveling began earning passive income. Take a look inside.

When a 34-year-old frequent traveler listed a tiny home on Airbnb, he began earning passive income. In 2014, Ivan Ellis Nanney, an Idaho native, took a marketing job that required him to travel the country with a massive concrete and plaster potato. The Famous Idaho Potato Tour allows tourists to stop for a photo op alongside the giant potato, which is being transported around the country by a red semi-truck.

Ivan Ellis Nanney with his travel bags.

Ivan met Kristie Wolfe, a fellow Boisean who turned the original six-ton potato into an Airbnb property, while on tour. Ivan assisted Kristie in creating additional listings, which inspired him to open his own Airbnb property. So Ivan, who spends six months of the year traveling, purchased a plot of land outside of downtown Boise. He saved enough money from freelance video jobs, including a six-month stint as a content creator for Cancun.com in 2018 and the Famous Idaho Potato Tour.

He paid $17,000 for the land and another $17,000 for the tiny house. He deconstructs an abandoned building on the property before constructing a tiny house out of “second-hand materials.” Ivan claimed to have installed the water and electricity himself. Given how much Ivan enjoyed traveling, living in his tiny house full-time was pointless. So he reasoned that his tiny house could house his family or renters while he was away.

Ivan looking at his newly built tiny home that earns passive income.

“When you look at the costs of tiny houses, it just made sense to have a home base,” Ivan says. “It was providing a backup plan for my family, as well as passive income to free me up so that I could pursue my passions and work on other projects without being bound by a mortgage.” He began listing his property in June 2019, intending to live there six months of the year when not traveling.

Chateau Ivan's bathroom with toilet and shower room.

Since 2019, Ivan has been hosting Amazing Race-style competitions in three-wheeled open vehicles known as tuk-tuks in Sri Lanka for at least two months, earning either $5,000 or 35% of the tournament’s profit, whichever is greater. He also earns money by assisting other local Airbnb owners with property maintenance, repairs, and additions, such as a Shipwreck-themed property near Salmon, Idaho.

A nice view of Chateau Ivan with its picnic table, fire pit, and hot tub area.

The first is a house he bought in April 2021 for $78,000 with a $7,800 down payment in Grand View, Idaho, a small town about an hour south of Boise. The second property he owns with four relatives is a mountain land. The current pole barn will be converted into a rustic cabin, from which he will earn 25% of the profit, providing a sizable boost to his passive income.

Chateau Ivan's loft bedroom with ample headspace, huge bed, and air conditioner.

“You can increase your income and reduce your debt while maximizing your existing assets,” Ivan says. “I don’t like leaving things lying around when someone else could benefit from them.”

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