We delivered the logs... paid off the Timber deed.. now we have made 200k large.. and own the ground free and clear.Took the top 40 busted it into 4 10's sold those for 125k each to home owners.. then METRO ( quasi government agency ) came in and bough the lower 120 from us for 1.1 million.. its now the Cooper Mtn..

If your still residing in the property then government and conventional financing would be available. 

Hi Debbie,That sounds like a really awesome setup and bravo to the local government to allowing this!

Or does the small footprint and lack of utilities basically make them glorified tents as far as the government's concerned?

I'd check with your local government to see what kind of programs they have for improving neighborhoods.  

There may be a Hysterical Society or local muni regs that govern exterior rehab so that you can't just slap something over the existing siding.  

If I gave everyone a first position on a lien, I'm thinking that certain government agencies might not be to happy with me.  

People who can't do for themselves cry for the government to help and the only tool that government seems to have is regulations and subsidizes and most of the time these tools actually make the problems worse.

Some townhomes are governed as a condo in FL according to association documents. 

Our government pours so much money into new laws aimed at landlords, but they don't do anything to go after the real thieves.