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Building Big Dreams in Small Spaces

When Forrest LeBaron needed a tiny home for his mountain property a few years ago, he discovered a problem. Most tiny homes on the market weren't built to withstand Idaho winters or provide genuine long-term living solutions. So he did what any builder with 30 years of experience would do—he designed and built his own.

This realization, paired with hard work, evolved into Southern Idaho Tiny Homes – a company that's redefining what tiny living can be across the region.

"We're actually in one of my tiny homes now, and this one's sold," Forrest explains from inside a model that will be delivered in three weeks to help a client’s aging parents move to their property. "When people come into our tiny homes, they go, 'This isn't a tiny home. This is huge.'"

That reaction is exactly what Forrest aims for. Unlike the cramped, mobile-focused tiny homes, Southern Idaho Tiny Homes builds maximum-size structures designed for permanent, comfortable living. Each home features full-size water heaters, tile showers, and quality construction that meets all energy code and snow load requirements for anywhere in Idaho and the Western United States. 

Quality Built to Last

Forrest spent considerable time researching the pitfalls of tiny home construction before building his first unit. Safety, structural integrity, and customer needs – including transportation frequency – were all carefully considered.

The company's primary customers are families seeking accommodations to keep loved ones close while enabling independence, but the applications extend far beyond that. Communities throughout Idaho face workforce housing challenges, and Southern Idaho Tiny Homes also provides a quality solution that can be deployed relatively quickly.

A Vital, Empowering Partnership

Forrest's relationship with First Federal Bank spans his entire 30-year building career, making them his longest and most valued business partner. When he started Southern Idaho Tiny Homes, one critical question shaped everything: could these homes be financed?

"Through the course of our research, we went through all the scenarios before we even built our first one to make sure that whatever we were building at the end had a value, and that the bank saw that value and were willing to lend on it," Forrest explains.

First Fed was the first bank to say yes.

"I do think that because of my relationship with them and their understanding of me and my business and my business practices over the years, it wasn't difficult for them to make that decision, because they knew the quality that we were going to be building," he notes.

For Forrest, First Fed's local decision-making makes all the difference. "I know the bankers. They know me. When I have a project, I can bring it to them, show them the cost analysis and what the expected profit margins would be, and they make the decisions here locally," he says. "It's done on a relationship basis, rather than just fitting into a big, broad corporate look."

Building Community, One Home at a Time

The impact of Southern Idaho Tiny Homes extends beyond providing housing solutions. Customers regularly send photos after moving in, showing how comfortable and energy-efficient the homes are. For Forrest, these moments of gratification remind him why he started this venture.

"We feel we build some of the highest quality tiny homes anywhere you can find in the world," he says with evident pride. "And we're really pleased about that."

With First Fed's continued support and a growing understanding of what quality tiny home living can offer, Southern Idaho Tiny Homes is helping Idaho families find creative solutions to their housing needs—proving that sometimes, thinking small can enable big dreams to come true.