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At BOXABL, our mission is to revolutionize the standard of housing construction and affordability with an innovative, technology-based solution to mass produce homes using advanced manufacturing. Our patented technology allows us to create modular, prefabricated homes that are designed to fold up for transport which significantly decreases the cost of shipping & the complexity of installation. Welcome to the housing revolution!

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If you want to join over 40,000 existing investors and be a part of our story, click below to explore investing in BOXABL.

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Boxabl Casita Build Process & Warehouse Tour

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It’s been a couple of years since we updated you on the Boxabl Casita , but Tiny Home Tours just did a great interview with one of the founders all about why, how, and where they create these awesome prefab homes that can be easily shipped across the country and unfolded in place.

These studio-style homes include everything needed for full-time living: A living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom with a decent amount of storage and full-sized appliances. Boxabl also offers stacking units that can be put together to create a larger home or office space. Enjoy learning everything you need to know about Boxabl!

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How Boxabl Builds Its Prefab Homes That Can Be Shipped and Unfolded in Days

Images via Tiny Home Tours

Here’s the bedroom space with a large storage divider half-wall.

The kitchen features full-sized appliances.

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I understand the need for a huge refrigerator where there is a large family. Tiny homes aren’t normally built for a large family, although some tiny homes are built in such a way that several family members can live in a tiny home (e.g., bunk beds). Heck, I would guess that a good deal of conventional homes don’t have refrigerators that big. So excluding personal preference, why else would one give up precious space for a refrigerator built for a large kitchen or a very small diner?

Well, there’s a lot of practical reasons like not wanting to shop for food very often and even wanting to avoid shopping for up to very long periods.

While some people just consume more food than others, like athletes will burn a lot more calories, or people who like to drink cold beverages, which can take up a lot more space than just food alone requires. Even people who can, ferment, etc. may still keep food in the fridge that may be intended to last them up to most of the year.

Some foods do require more space to provide sufficient amounts, like a vegan will generally require more space for the same amount of calories provided and this increases with variety in one’s diet.

Add, people without families may still entertain, make meals for guests and friends, etc.

Then there’s features that some advance fridges offer, like multiple temperature zones to keep different foods at the ideal temperatures, which are not the type of features you’d see in most smaller fridges.

Not to mention simple future proofing, having a fridge that can adapt to changing needs can be what fits some people’s needs. Mind, not all of them will be what are expected, like someone with specific medical conditions may need to keep their medical supplies in a cool environment. Certain cosmetics and other items people may use can also require being kept cool to make them last longer. People who garden and work with flowers, etc. may need to use some fridge space to keep cuttings fresh longer, etc.

I’m impressed that this is an affordable tiny home for many. Apparently I missed the bathroom but like everything I saw — and how neat that one can put a picture up without looking for a stud!!! As for the large fridge — I personally will always want a large fridge wherever I live. The advantage of not having to shop for food often — plus plenty of freezer space is important to me — in fact, a serviceable kitchen would be of paramount importance to me as well as storage spaces.

I don’t see a price range. Regarding the fridge, I know they are trying to standardize to make costs as low as possible, but I do think they should offer a plan with a smaller fridge and maybe a narrow broom closet in the extra space. Also I’m not keen on having the washer-dryer in the open outside the bathroom. But I applaud them for taking their idea from a dream to reality. They’ve considered so many aspects of strength, efficiency and comfort. I look forward to watching their continued success.

Prices start a little over $50K for the base, single unit, model and goes up from there. Cost of delivery, site setup, etc. will depend on location, how far you are from them, what permits and local requirements you’ll have to meet, etc. Along with which model you purchase, and quantity as the units can be combined, stacked, etc. So a lot of variables on the final price and thus not something that can be just listed.

While they can offer some alternative floor plans but everything has to be pack-able in the form the units ship in and they’re still a growing company. So there’s limits what they can offer and a very long waiting list as demand is crazy high and they’re maybe a year or more out before they can even begin to catch up with pre-orders…

They introduced the Casita at 50k base price, excluding delivery, setup, etc, but more recently the base cost has increased to $60k according to reports and seems likely to go higher given inflation and how things always seem to end up costing significantly more than initial “Grab-Attention!” pricing.

They now estimate delivery costs of $3~10/mile (up from initial $3~8/mi), so if live 1,500 miles away, that could easily add $10k to overall costs, so probably want to figure on at least $80k depending on your location, foundation, etc. Still not bad, given that appliances, fixtures, heating/cooling (mini-split) and such are included..but you’re still in a 375 sq ft home, which could potentially be stick-built for similar if not less–and not have to wait 2+ years!

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Tour the BOXABL Factory

Here’s your chance to take a FREE guided tour of BOXABL, the housing-tech company that’s shocking the world! BOXABL is revolutionizing home ownership with its innovative, prefabricated housing solutions crafted with precision and sustainability in mind. Manufactured in North Las Vegas, Nevada, each BOXABL unit is designed to unfold into a fully functional home, blending efficiency with modern aesthetics.

Their building process reduces waste and utilizes cutting-edge technology to deliver homes that are not only affordable but also highly durable and customizable. As a pioneering force in the housing industry, BOXABL redefines what it means to be home.

Take a tour of their revolutionary factories, explore their row of beautifully customized Casitas, and witness the future of housing—efficient, stylish, and made for everyone.

The BOXABL Casita

BOXABL provides pre-fabricated homes with walls, a floor, and a roof that fold into each other to form a self-contained transportable unit. The company’s main model is called the Casita, an amazing 361 sq. ft. Accessory Dwelling Unit with a bathroom, kitchen, appliances, a tall ceiling, and big windows.

When shipping or moving the unit, the Casita can fold into shipping dimensions of 19′ L × 8′6″ W × 12′4″ H, which prevents increased costs derived from special permits, escort vehicles, and specialized transportation equipment. Various models can be stacked and configured into a variety of configurations.

BOXABL also has plans to introduce housing styles such as multifamily and suburban mansion designs. In front of their factory is a row of uniquely customized casitas featuring Log Cabin, Caribbean, Adobe, and Mid-Century themes.

The BOXABL Factory

In 2021, BOXABL broke ground on a 170,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in North Las Vegas, NV. This factory enables BOXABL to begin low-volume production and prove the concept, making a case for the world’s most advanced assembly line mass production of housing, similar to automobile assembly lines. The houses are constructed with materials including steel, ceramic boards, and expanded polystyrene foam.

Tour Information:

• Schedule: Tours are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, excluding major holidays.
• Admission: Free
• Address: 5345 E North Belt Rd, North Las Vegas, NV 89115
• Phone: (702) 500-9000
• Website: BOXABL.com

Schedule a tour up to a month in advance.

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Everything your new home needs

Boxabl has reimagined the homebuying experience by including the most desired home features at no extra cost to you.

Deep shower/tub • Vessel sink • Large counter • Smart Backlit Mirror • Sliding Glass Barn Door

Fridge • Sink With a View • Oven • Dishwasher • Microwave • Cabinets

Casita Living

19.5ftx 19.5ft • 375 sq ft • 9'6" Ceilings • 8' Huge Doors & Windows • Wide Plank Composite Flooring • Washer/Dryer • Heating & Air Conditioning

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BOXABL Factory Tour

The Affordable Housing Committee is excited to host an exclusive tour of BOXABL , the company revolutionizing housing construction with its innovative Casita homes. This immersive experience offers a unique glimpse into the future of affordable, high-quality housing.

During this tour, you’ll get an inside look at BOXABL’s groundbreaking approach to home construction. You’ll witness the state-of-the-art manufacturing process that brings the Casita to life, view fully furnished model homes to experience their comfort and functionality, and engage with their knowledgeable team who will guide you through the experience, answering questions along the way. This tour is perfect for anyone interested in innovative housing solutions, construction technology, or affordable living options.

Wear comfortable shoes and breathable clothing if desired, as we will be walking through their production line. PPE will be distributed.

AIA member and student registration is complimentary, non-members $35. Register below!

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The tiny house blog, boxabl homes: everything you should know & more.

Boxabl designs and manufactures portable building systems that are stackable and highly modular. They can be unpacked on-site in an hour. These homes come with all basic utilities and amenities pre-installed so you don’t have to bother.

Boxabl is the future of sustainable space-efficient alternative housing due to the systems’ design. The Boxabl Casita is a prefabricated single bedroom apartment with a full-size kitchen, a living area, and a bedroom area, containing everything you need from your living space.

The units are also highly energy-efficient owing to the high R value insulation. They also have limited thermal bridging, which means lower utility bills for you.

So are you curious about Boxabl homes, their interior design and what they have to offer? Read on as we answer the most common questions someone like you might have. 

We will tell you about this building system, safety, design, features, and solutions.

What are Boxabl homes?

Boxabl homes represent a significant shift away from traditional housing, offering a modular housing system that's both innovative and practical. Unlike conventional homes, which are often expensive, time-consuming to build, and inflexible, Boxabl homes provide a cost-effective and versatile alternative. These homes are designed to be delivered directly to the buyer, dramatically reducing the need for traditional construction processes and enabling a swift move-in, with the entire home unpacking in as little as an hour.

The core appeal of Boxabl homes lies in their modularity. The units are engineered to stack and connect, allowing for a wide range of building types from the same basic modules. This flexibility enables the construction of single and multistory houses, multifamily residences, and even buildings suited for disaster relief or military use, accommodating a broad spectrum of needs and preferences.

The Casita, Boxabl's inaugural product, showcases the practicality and appeal of these modular homes. Spanning 361 square feet, it is pre-built in the factory for quick installation on-site, often in less than a day. Despite its compact size, the Casita is fully equipped with a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and all the necessary amenities for a comfortable living space, demonstrating the potential of Boxabl homes to provide smart, adaptable living solutions that challenge traditional housing models.

While Boxabl homes prioritize practicality and efficiency with their modular design and space-saving features, they may not initially evoke thoughts of luxury interior design . However, this doesn't mean you can't infuse a touch of opulence into your Boxabl living space. Imagine the sleek lines of minimalist furniture juxtaposed with luxurious accents like velvet upholstery and marble countertops. By blending functionality with elegance, you can create a unique living environment that combines the best of both worlds

Order a Casita Here

How much will a Boxabl home cost me?

The Boxabl Casita retails right now for $60,000. However, keep in mind that this price does not include:

• Landscaping

Depending on where you aim to set up your Boxabl home and your specific set of needs and wants, these additional costs can range anywhere around $60,000.

The good news, however, is that you can finance your Boxabl! Boxabl’s financing partners are offering a wide variety of loan options. You can discuss this with our financing partners before you finalize your purchase.

In most places, you will easily be able to finance your Boxabl home with a traditional thirty-year mortgage. The final payment is expected to be somewhere between $250 and $500 a month.

What are the advantages of switching to Boxabl homes?

• Smaller environmental footprint
• More sustainable
• Energy efficient

The environmental footprint of traditional construction methods is far greater than that of solutions like Boxabl homes. 

According to the EPA, the USA produced 600 million tons of construction and debris in 2018. This is two times greater than the municipal solid waste generated. 

Home demolition accounts for over 90 percent of total debris production. In contrast, construction generates less than ten percent of debris.

With so many changes in a short period of time, tiny homes have been increasing in popularity recently, even among celebrities such as Elon Musk .

Elon is among the wealthiest people in the world. It is rumored that the technology tycoon has sold all of his mansions. What’s even more exciting is that he lives in a 361-square-foot Boxabl in Texas . 

It seems like the pioneer of mass electric vehicle production is looking to apply innovation in sustainability in more aspects of his life.

People are willing to experiment with new ideas. They want to engage in new experiences. We are trying to cut back on expenditures in favor of a simpler, more affordable, and sustainable housing solution.

While we are talking about environmental impact, another sustainability bonus of Boxabl homes is energy efficiency. In terms of heating, cooling, and ventilation, the Boxabl modular units prove to be far more efficient than traditional construction. 

Due to their space-efficient design and engineering, Boxabl homes are physically smaller and built with energy efficiency in mind. 

The savings on utility costs are massive. Total utility costs can go as low as $28 a month for a small home!

A smaller space also saves on cleaning expenses, supplies, and time. Moreover, the fact that there is less space to store unnecessary stuff also helps make Boxabl homes greener. 

We buy so much to fill up our big homes to the brim without ever actually considering whether or not we need all of the things we buy.

Lastly, switching to a less cluttered style of living can help you focus on what truly matters; it helps you by ridding you of the unnecessary noise in your life.

Are Boxabl homes legal in all states?

Yes, Boxabl homes are legal in all states. Boxabl homes have modular approval instead of being classified as tiny homes. Hence, they are approved for use in all of the US.

That being said, you should check your local zoning laws before you make up your mind. Boxabl has partnered up with permits.com to provide an easy source of information about permitting. 

Click here to see whether or not you can build a Boxabl on your land.

Are Boxabl homes safe?

Boxabl homes are as safe as traditionally built homes, if not more. This is due to the materials used to construct them.

What are Boxabl homes made of?

They are made out of steel, concrete, and EPS foam, meaning that they are just as safe as regular homes. 

Moreover, the roof, walls, and floor are constructed as structurally laminated panels. This makes them stronger than the average traditionally constructed building.

Is the Boxabl design durable?

A Boxabl home is just as durable as the average traditionally constructed building. 

It has the added bonus of a much smaller amount of construction waste generated when the unit is put together, which helps in reducing your footprint on the environment.

Are Boxabl homes hurricane proof?

Boxabl homes are rated for hurricane speed winds. This means that they can handle the worst wind conditions in North America.

Are Boxabl homes safe when it snows?

Boxabl homes are built to specified snow load ratings. 

The roof system is flat. However, plans for a pitched roof can be provided to your installer. 

In case you plan to set up your Boxabl in an area that requires a pitched roof, your installer will directly install the roof on-site.

Is the Boxabl design fireproof?

The units are built to be fire-resistant. Interior and exterior claddings are constructed out of non-combustible materials, significantly lowering the chance of a fire.

Are Boxabl homes water and mold resistant?

Boxable homes suffer from much less water damage in the event of flooding. They do not use standard lumber or sheetrock. This materials decision also allows the buildings to be mold-resistant.

Are Boxabl homes stackable?

Yes, you can stack Boxabl homes on top of or next to each other. This lends you bigger spaces if need be. 

You can hook up utilities such as HVAC, plumbing, and electricity to the exterior corner of your Boxabl home on site.

How long does it take to assemble a Boxabl home?

A Boxabl home can be completely assembled in one hour by a Boxabl certified and state-licensed installer. Boxabl will connect you to your local installer once you purchase a unit. 

Once fabricated, the Boxabl unit folds down from 20 feet to 8.5 feet wide. This has been well thought-through so as to be transported without any additional fees by train, truck, sea, and air to any corner of the world.

Does Boxabl have a toilet?

Yes, a Boxabl home has a toilet. The Boxabl Casita has a standard bathroom that includes:

• Deep shower and tub
• Vessel sink
• Large counter
• Backlit mirror
• Sliding glass barn door

What about utilities?

Your Boxabl home comes with utilities such as water, plumbing, electricity, and HVAC pre-installed. 

Once on-site and assembled, your new tiny home will hook directly to utilities. The connection will be made at the exterior corner of the unit. 

Can I have my Boxabl home off-grid?

Yes, your Boxabl home can have its utilities set up to your liking. Water tanks and/or solar panels will integrate with your Boxabl home just like regular utilities.

What’s the Boxabl home layout like?

A small home by Boxabl typically consists of 

• a bedroom area 
• a living area 
• a full-sized kitchen 
• and a bathroom. 

An abundance of windows all around brings in tons of natural light. There’s also integrated dimmable mood lighting.

For the moment, you can not specify customizations for your Boxabl from the factory. If you would like to modify or customize your Boxabl, you will have to do that after it is delivered to you.

The distribution of space in a Boxabl home has been tailored to be especially conducive toward differently-abled individuals. 

Two of the doors are roomy enough for a wheelchair to pass through them. There are also protrusions in the dining area table to allow for a comfortable and natural dining experience for the differently-abled. 

For a detailed review, you can look at the following schematic of the Boxabl Casita:

Or these 3D renders:

You can also head on over to the Boxabl website for virtual tours of the Casita, as well as our office and factory. 

As you can see, there are plenty of things to learn about this innovative and sustainable house design. We are sure we made you curious, so we’ll provide you some more information on the cost of such a home and what advantages it brings. 

Tiny homes are catching on as more and more people become environmentally aware and conscious of their environmental footprint. 

Boxabls are a stride towards making housing more portable, efficient, and environment-friendly. 

In addition to the environmental aspects, Boxabl homes have the benefit of being more affordable compared to traditional homes. 

Add to that the energy efficiency due to superior insulation and smaller size, and you can see how Boxabl homes are really approachable for the majority of people.

So, with all the advantages and celebrity power to back it, what are you waiting for? Head over to this listing on https://www.tinyhouse.com/ and check out all the features that Boxabl homes have to offer!

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A tiny-home startup has attracted 160,000 customers, including Elon Musk. But disgruntled customers, an empty factory, and a tie to an alleged Iranian agent cloud its future.

• Boxabl is a sensation for its prefab tiny homes, soaring to a $3 billion value, its founders say.
• The father-son startup has built only 400 homes, some have leaked, and it faces other challenges.
• Its wild-man cofounder believes it can beat the odds and help solve America's housing crisis.

In the shimmering heat that rises from the parched soil of North Las Vegas, Galiano Tiramani sees the solution to America's housing crisis.

Less than 15 miles from the glittering casinos of the Las Vegas Strip, the 35-year-old wants to build one of the country's largest manufacturing complexes, capable of churning out 100,000 or more prefabricated homes a year that will retail for as little as $60,000 each.

The giant factory, the first phase of which Tiramani estimates will cost $1 billion to erect, would be a major next step for Boxabl, the homebuilding company he founded with his 62-year-old father, Paolo, in 2017 and that the pair say is now worth more than $3 billion. 

In the bland world of construction technology, Boxabl has soared to fame for its Casita, a 375-square-foot microhome that Elon Musk said he lived in at the Texas base of his rocket company, SpaceX . Tiramani has ambitions to broaden its offering to include modular units that can be stacked or assembled flexibly to create homes of varying sizes and configurations. 

Much of Boxabl's buzz can be attributed to Tiramani, a 6-foot-4 mulleted millennial who has become the company's pitchman and provocateur, dropping cars onto Casitas and staging drag races between Teslas and trucks hitched to the homes.

His antics have garnered Boxabl 649,000 followers on Instagram , far more than any of its competitors. Of the roughly $140 million in funding that Boxabl has received, over $100 million has come from the public, according to Tiramani. Tiramani says the company has a waiting list 160,000 orders deep, demonstrating the enthusiasm for Boxabl's mission and Tiramani's theatrical marketing style.

"Galiano wants Boxabl to be in everyone's head," Jonathan Howard, a former contractor for Boxabl who did marketing work for the company, said. "And he has succeeded."

Boxabl's future, however, is not as clear as the sun-drenched, blue skies that often hang over the roughly 300,000 square feet of factory space it presently has in North Las Vegas. 

There is uncertainty when Boxabl will reach a production level sufficient to tackle its long backlog of orders — a growing snarl that could tarnish the brand's budding reputation with the public. And until recently, the company's three-member board included a man whom a judge identified in a federal civil lawsuit as a conspirator in a plot to hide the Iranian government's ownership in a New York City office tower. 

On January 17, a little more than a week after Insider asked Tiramani about that man, Hamid Firooznia, and his role at Boxabl, the company announced it had "removed" him. 

While the tie is now severed, institutional investors of the stripe that Boxabl is courting are sensitive to perceptions. The connection to Firooznia may raise thorny questions.

"If there are red flags, depending on the investor, it might not mean anything, or it might mean a lot," Evan Levy, a cohead of the law firm Weil's real-estate practice, said.

In addition to the drama in its boardroom, there are unresolved challenges on Boxabl's production floor. 

A lack of output

In the year or so since its first factory has been in operation, the company has built fewer than 400 homes and is able to assemble as few as two homes a day, Tiramani said. The company will need to radically scale that rate to meet its goals of producing many thousands of homes annually.

Tiramani said the company was making progress and that Boxabl had tackled a beguiling engineering challenge of mass-producing homes at a low cost and high standard of quality. Crucially, its Casita homes can fold like a suitcase, allowing them to become slim enough to traverse roadways as they're towed from the factory to customers — a feature that minimizes the normally difficult logistics of delivering prefab homes.

"We're trying to solve a problem that the world hasn't been able to solve," Tiramani told Insider. "I'm very confident that we're going to end up with this $1 billion factory out in the Nevada desert in the next few years and push the cost to produce housing down to a level where no one can compete."

Tackling the US housing crisis

Stamped out on an assembly line, Boxabl homes could finally begin to help quench America's perpetual housing shortage. Casitas could be used by municipalities and developers to shelter homeless people and scores of Americans being squeezed by soaring housing costs. Homeowners, meanwhile, could rent out Boxabl units as secondary dwellings in their backyards or as Airbnbs. 

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One of Boxabl's first customers to take delivery was a mining company that purchased 176 Casitas last year to house workers in Bagdad, Arizona . Pronghorn Group, a real-estate investment firm and developer, is installing the units on behalf of the company.  

Travis Hess, Pronghorn's chief operating officer, told Insider in December that his company had received delivery of dozens of the Casitas and was able to set up about four of the homes a day, a rate far faster than raising a house from the ground up. That will help keep rents low, he said.

"The traditional means and methods of building a home wouldn't have come close to meeting this client's budget and deadline," Hess said.

The only other customer to receive of a sizable quantity of Boxabl homes is the US military, which is in the process of installing 156 units at its Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. Many of those units were plagued by leaky roofs and mold, The New York Times reported , though it's not clear whether the blame for that lies with Boxabl or a contractor that installed the homes.

A dearth of information

Unlike larger buyers who have bought blocks of Casita homes, individual purchasers who have put down money for a Casita have received little information on when their units will be delivered. There are signs of discontent. Of the roughly 8,000 down payments totaling $5.4 million that have been placed for Casitas, a little over $1 million has been refunded at the request of customers, Tiramani said. 

Insider spoke with one prospective purchaser named Max in Arizona who deposited $2,400 for two Casitas in 2021. He said he wanted to install them on land next to his home and rent them out on Airbnb to generate additional income. Max asked that his last name not be included in this story because he was still hoping to take delivery of the homes and didn't want to antagonize Boxabl. His full identity is known to Insider.

Boxabl, he said, also hasn't provided him with specifications for the Casita, which has complicated his site preparations. For instance, he doesn't know where to place water, sewage, and electrical utilities so that they'll match up with the units' kitchen, bathroom, and power connections.

"It's pissing me off, to be honest," Max said. "I think this year is the maximum I will wait before asking for my money back." 

Max added that banks he had communicated with wouldn't finance purchases of the units and that Boxabl hadn't received necessary state approvals to install Casitas in Arizona. The state requires that builders of prefab homes get a license and a factory certification, the state's housing department confirmed to Insider.

Boxabl has received its license but has not completed the factory certification, the department said.

Tiramani said Boxabl had been going through that approval process in Arizona for "over a year" and expressed frustration at the bureaucracy. Once he has approvals in hand there, he said that should speed regulatory clearances in other states.

"It's totally insane," Tiramani said. "A lot of stuff the government does with this overregulation is just hurting people."

In January, Boxabl tweeted that its second factory, a 130,000-square-foot space next door to its current manufacturing facility, was "open." In truth, the recently developed warehouse is finished but virtually empty inside. Tiramani said it would take about six months to bring the new building into service and that the company planned to spend about $15 million to install automation equipment in both buildings.

He estimated that once the second factory was up and running, Boxabl's production capacity would expand to about 5,000 homes annually. It "remains to be seen" when Boxabl will hit that target, he added.

A combative entrepreneur

Tiramani grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, and attended Sacred Heart University. During college, he showed early flashes of his maverick persona, renting out a Greenwich home with friends that he dubbed the "hobo mansion," where he hosted raucous parties that drew complaints from neighbors.

He and friends built a muddy track in the backyard for riding motorbikes, an activity that spilled over into the surrounding posh neighborhood and even the mansion itself . In a rap music video filmed at the property in 2015, Tiramani can be seen in an American flag shirt with two women on his arms standing next to a man with a pistol on his hip.

Later that year, the home was seized in a foreclosure. One evening, police entered the property through a broken garage door after confusing Tiramani for a burglar.

"Get the fuck out of here, you don't have a warrant," Tiramani told police while standing in his underwear as they trained their guns on him, according to court documents and Tiramani's recollection of the incident. Tiramani subsequently sued the Greenwich Police Department , accusing it of warrantless entry. A judge threw out the case.

After receiving a degree in international business in 2015, Tiramani moved to California and founded a cannabis-growing and hash-oil-distilling company that benefited from the legalization of recreational marijuana use in the state the year after. He also founded a bitcoin exchange that operated from 2013 to 2019.

Outsiders looking for insider money

Tiramani's father, Paolo, studied industrial design and mechanical engineering, a background that helped him invent and refine the company's product.

But neither he, nor Galiano, has direct experience in the real-estate industry or in building houses. Backers of the company have been unbothered by their outsider status.

"Everyone is a naysayer," said Zain Jaffer, a tech executive and venture capitalist who invested $50,000 into Boxabl in 2019 through his family office, Zain Ventures. "But in real estate, there are so many people set in their ways. You need someone to come in from the outside with a fresh perspective and bring disruptive innovation."

Tiramani said he and his father were in talks with major institutions, including pensions and Wall Street investment firms, to procure the roughly $1 billion in debt and equity he estimated the company would need to build a third factory, which could help ramp up production and diversify its product line.

The founder said that in addition to its Casita, the company planned to eventually build modular units that could be joined together flexibly to create homes of varying configurations and sizes.

An inconvenient Iranian connection

As Boxabl is at a sensitive juncture, a troublesome connection has surfaced. 

Its recently dismissed board member, Firooznia, is a figure in a more than decadelong legal battle between the Justice Department and two entities that the US government says helped illegally disguise the Iranian government's involvement in a Manhattan office tower.

A civil complaint in federal court says Firooznia was a longtime outside accountant for a nonprofit called the Alavi Foundation and had also worked with the Assa Corp., which together owned the building. Prosecutors said the latter entity served as a front for an Iranian state bank. The organizations, the suit alleges, sought to conceal their ownership of the 36-story office building at 650 Fifth Ave. in New York City in order to evade US sanctions.

On a recording of a conversation with an FBI informant in December 2008, Firooznia indicated that he knew he was working for shell companies that were ultimately controlled by the Iranian government and was aware he was aiding them in hiding that. During the recorded chat, he said he had warned Iranian leaders two years earlier that the US might seize the tower and "take your positions" and told them the property should be sold or transferred to an "owner that can be counted upon."

The recording prompted Judge Katherine Forrest, who was presiding over the case, to refer to Firooznia in 2017 as "among the conspirators" in the scheme.

The Justice Department won the case that year and took ownership of 650 Fifth Ave. That decision was overturned by the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in 2019 over legal technicalities and is now awaiting retrial.

Firooznia did not return a request to comment.

When asked how Firooznia, 75, had come to be the third man on Boxabl's board, Tiramani said he was his father's longtime accountant and business advisor. Firooznia, Tiramani said, sometimes provided a tiebreaking vote when the father and son disagreed on business decisions.

"This is just a guy that, you know, we have a lot of respect for, who is giving solid advice," Tiramani said.

Boxabl replaced Firooznia with Stan Leopard, a principal at Joseki Capital , which has invested in the Boxabl through a subsidiary. Firooznia, Tiramani said, had not participated in fundraising for the company. Tiramani, however, declined to disclose whether Firooznia had invested himself in Boxabl, or had an ownership interest in the company.

"Respectfully, I am asking you to please stop focusing on Hamid," Tiramani wrote in an email after Insider followed up to inquire about Firooznia's dismissal. "He stepped in to help us with the company because we were short-staffed as a startup and I don't want him dragged through the mud for doing me that favor."

But at least one investor, Edoardo Zarghetta, a fund manager at Pre IPO Club, which poured $1.5 million in Boxabl, expressed alarm and surprise that Firooznia had been a board member when Insider informed him of Firooznia's background.

"That's a bit curious, and I would hope to find out a good reason for that," Zarghetta told Insider.

Large valuations, heavy arms

Tiramani hopes to eventually take Boxabl public, which could make him and his father very wealthy. At the company's claimed $3 billion valuation, Tiramani estimated his personal ownership stake was worth about $600 million.

There are signs that the pressures of realizing such an extraordinary windfall and grappling with Boxabl's many challenges have begun to weigh on the seemingly carefree wild man.

During a tour of Boxabl's factory in December, a freelance reporter for Insider saw Tiramani's wife, Shauna, arrive with their four young children. Accompanying them was a personal bodyguard dressed in black fatigues and armed with an AR-style rifle.

"I'm just becoming a target in general," Tiramani said, referring to his family's heavy security detail. "Obviously, people are going to realize I have a lot of money, and they may want to, you know, do something. It's just for the sake of beefing up security for my own peace of mind. It's worth it, and I probably will continue to beef up security more."

Additional reporting by Sindhu Sundar, Daniel Allen, and Guy Wagner.

Watch: This Mexican entrepreneur builds houses out of bricks made from invasive seaweed. Then he gives them away.

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Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia

The capital city of Ulyanovsk oblast: Ulyanovsk .

Ulyanovsk Oblast - Overview

Ulyanovsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia, part of the Volga Federal District. Ulyanovsk is the capital city of the region.

The population of Ulyanovsk Oblast is about 1,204,000 (2022), the area - 37,181 sq. km.

Ulyanovsk oblast flag

Ulyanovsk oblast coat of arms.

Ulyanovsk oblast map, Russia

Ulyanovsk oblast latest news and posts from our blog:.

26 June, 2014 / Abandoned church in the middle of nowhere .

3 February, 2011 / Tough minibus of Ulyanovsk city .

14 November, 2009 / Ulianovsk city ammunition depot explosion .

History of Ulyanovsk Oblast

According to archaeological research, the first people began to settle in the Middle Volga region, the territory of the present Ulyanovsk region, about 100 thousand years ago. In the second half of the 7th century, the Bulgars began to move to this territory.

In the 8th-9th centuries, this region became part of the state of Volga Bulgaria - an alliance of nomadic Turkic-speaking and sedentary Finno-Ugric tribes. At the end of the 14th - the beginning of the 15th centuries, after the devastating raid of the Central Asian ruler of Tamerlane, the desolation of this territory began. Since the late 1430s, the region became part of the Kazan Khanate.

After the destruction of the Kazan Khanate by the troops of Ivan IV (Grozny), the territory of the future Simbirsk governorship was gradually populated by Russians, some of whom mingled with local Tatars.

In the late 1640s, under the overall guidance of the voivode Bogdan Khitrovo, the construction of the Karsun-Simbirsk fortified line began (1647-1654). In 1648, the fortress of Sinbirsk (later - Simbirsk) was founded. The fortresses were built in order to protect the eastern borders of the Russian state from the raids of nomadic tribes.

More Historical Facts…

In the 18th century, in connection with the expansion of the territory of the Russian state, in particular, in the eastern direction, the southern areas of the present territory of the Ulyanovsk region began to be intensively developed and populated, and Simbirsk itself began to lose its military-strategic importance.

In 1774, Emelian Pugachev, the leader of the Peasants’ War of 1773-1775, was brought to Simbirsk. In 1763, Empress Catherine II visited Simbirsk. April 22, 1870, Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin), the future leader of the Bolsheviks, was born in Simbirsk.

In 1924, Simbirsk, in memory of Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin), was renamed to Ulyanovsk. In 1941, the population of Ulyanovsk was 110,000 people. During the Second World War, several enterprises and institutions, population from the western regions of the country, from Moscow and Leningrad, were evacuated to Ulyanovsk. Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant (UAZ) arose on the basis of the evacuated Moscow ZIL in 1941.

On January 19, 1943, a separate Ulyanovsk Oblast (region) was formed from districts of the Kuibyshev and Penza regions. During the war, about 226,000 residents of the Ulyanovsk region were drafted into the Soviet army, about 120,000 of them were killed in action.

In the 1950s-1960s, new industrial enterprises (a plant of heavy and unique machine tools, a mechanical plant, the Dimitrovgrad Scientific Research Institute of Nuclear Reactors, etc.) were established in the Ulyanovsk region. In 1970, in honor of the centenary of Lenin’s birth, Leonid Brezhnev opened the Lenin Memorial Museum in Ulyanovsk.

In the 1970s and 1980s, new industrial enterprises were opened in the region: the Dimitrovgrad Automobile Units Plant, the Aviation Industrial Complex (Avistar) and the Vostochny Airport, the Ulyanovsk Microelectronics Center, the Volzhanka Confectionery Factory.

Beautiful nature of Ulyanovsk Oblast

Field of dandelions in the Ulyanovsk region

Author: Vladimir Baboshin

Nature of Ulyanovsk Oblast

Author: Pavel Naumkin

Ulyanovsk Oblast landscape

Author: Alexander Urgalkin

Ulyanovsk Oblast - Features

Ulyanovsk Oblast is located in the southeast of the European part of Russia, in the Middle Volga region. From north to south, this region stretches for 250 km, from west to east - for 290 km. The Volga River divides the territory of the region into the elevated right bank and the low-lying left bank (Zavolzhye).

The climate is moderately continental, with cold snowy winters and hot summers. The average temperature in January is minus 12 degrees Celsius, in July - plus 20 degrees Celsius. In summer, precipitation falls unevenly and droughts are not uncommon.

Within the region there is the Kuibyshev reservoir with an area of 1,878 sq. km. The largest lakes are Belolebyazhye (217 hectares), Beloye (96 hectares), Kryazh (56 hectares). Forests occupy about 25% of the territory.

The leading place in the structure of mineral resources of the region is occupied by oil (explored reserves amount to 42 million tons). Also there are rich deposits of glass, cement, siliceous, and carbonate raw materials, peat.

The national composition of the Ulyanovsk region according to the All-Russian Population Census 2010: Russians (73.6%), Tatars (12.2%), Chuvash (7.7%), Mordva (3.2%). The largest cities of Ulyanovsk Oblast are Ulyanovsk (622,900) and Dimitrovgrad (111,100).

There are several specially protected natural territories on the territory of the Ulyanovsk region:

• National Park “Sengileevskie Gory”,
• State Reserve “Privolzhskaya forest-steppe”,
• Nature monuments “Undorovsky mineral spring”, “Relict forests”, “Borok” island, Genko forest belt and others.

Ulyanovsk Oblast - Economy

The main branch of specialization of the local economy is engineering (aircraft building, instrument making, machine-tool building, automotive industry). An important place is occupied by a group of factories of the automobile industry producing about more than 90% of Russian buses and 10% of trucks.

Aviastar-SP, one of the largest aviation plants in Europe, is located in Ulyanovsk. The plant specializes in the production of IL-76MD-90A transport aircraft, passenger and cargo planes of the Tu-204 family, service and in-depth modernization of the unique heavy An-124 Ruslan transport aircraft. The region ranks first in Russia in the production of civil aircraft and the fifth - in the production of cars.

Ulyanovsk Oblast is an important agrarian regions of Russia (poultry farming, cattle, pig, sheep, and rabbit breeding, fish farming). The leading place in crop production belongs to the production of industrial crops (sugar beets) and potatoes, cereals (wheat, barley, rye, oats) and fodder (corn, alfalfa, sunflower) crops.

This region is a major transport hub. Important aviation, railway and automobile routes pass through its territory. Ulyanovsk is the only city in the Volga Federal District, on the territory of which there are two airports of class “A”: “Ulyanovsk-Tsentralny” and the international airport “Ulyanovsk-Vostochny”, equipped with modern radio-electronic navigation equipment, allowing to receive aircraft of all types including An-124 Ruslan and Boeing 747.

In addition, the international airport “Ulyanovsk-Vostochny” has a unique runway 5,100 m long and 105 m wide, capable of receiving space shuttles. In 2014, the Karamzin airport (formerly Ulyanovsk-Tsentralny) was given the status of an international airport, thus Ulyanovsk became the second city after Moscow with more than one international airport.

Ulyanovsk Oblast scenery

Country life in Ulyanovsk Oblast

Author: V.Kildushov

Abandoned church in Ulyanovsk Oblast

Author: Solovjov Anton

Author: Sergei Shylov

Tourism in Ulyanovsk Oblast

Ulyanovsk is primarily known as the birthplace of V.I. Lenin, the Lenin Memorial is the largest museum dedicated to his life. The historical center of the city unites 15 museums that are part of the State Historical and Memorial Museum-Reserve “The Birthplace of V.I. Lenin.”

Another famous person born in this city standing on the Volga River is I.A. Goncharov. A lot of memorable places are connected with his name in Ulyanovsk and the Ulyanovsk region.

The nature of the region, located on the banks of the Volga, is quite diverse, which is why many of the sights of the Ulyanovsk region are included in the list of specially protected natural areas. For example, created in 1988, the reserve “The Beach of the Eagles”. There are sources of Undorovskaya medicinal mineral water (the sanatoriums of “Dubki”, “V.I. Lenin”, “Pribrezhny”, “Bely Yar”).

Ulyanovsk Oblast is also famous for the Museum of Civil Aviation, “Kolobok Manor”, “Center of Crafts”, the Paleontological Museum. A large number of interregional tourist festivals take place on the territory of the Ulyanovsk region: “Volga Way”, “Volga Quest” and others. Among the main tourist projects are the “Red Route” and the “Museum of the USSR”.

Ulyanovsk oblast of Russia photos

Pictures of ulyanovsk oblast.

Village in Ulyanovsk Oblast

Winter in the Ulyanovsk region

Author: Yuri Roshchevsky

Bridge in Ulyanovsk Oblast

Author: Franz Schiffers

Churches in the Ulyanovsk region

Orthodox church in Ulyanovsk Oblast

Author: Oleg Dolgov

Cathedral in the Ulyanovsk region

Author: Vladimir Kropotin

Church in Ulyanovsk Oblast

Author: Boyko Alexander

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