The best part of Bali has, by far, been the people, he said: "I've always experienced people's willingness to help."
Explore Hempstead House on Long Island's Gold Coast, once home to the Guggenheims and now a public museum at Sands Point Preserve.
The front section of the house is shielded by a giant insect net to prevent mosquitoes. There's even an indoor garden to help keep the place cool.
Seven years ago, they sold their teenagers the idea of a yearlong sabbatical in Bali as a break from stressful NYC life and a chance to see the rest of Asia.
Medical school student Ethan Liebross says he parks his van on the street about 10 minutes from campus and usually cycles to class.
Winning the housing lottery is a pipe dream for most applicants: In 2018, The New York Times reported that the odds of winning were 1 in 592.
Although it's off limits to visitors, Graceland caretakers have preserved Elvis Presley's master suite exactly the way he left it.
"It's much cheaper to build. The final product that I have here, I couldn't have afforded to buy that off the shelf," Johnny Ward told BI.
Oheka Castle, the second-largest private home in the US, has been through a lot over the last 100 years. It cost $40 million to restore in the '80s.
The couple wanted to invest in a tangible asset, and settled on the idea of building a villa in Bali. They hope to retire there within six years.
Moving out of his parents' house was the right decision for this millennial. "I'm so much more at ease. I have my own place to go back to," Kenneth Tan said.
In 2018, the odds of winning the affordable-housing lottery were 1 in 592, The New York Times reported.
They were unemployed when they arrived in Paris, which made renting a place difficult.
As first-time homeowners, they were determined not to settle for less. "I think we traveled the whole of Singapore to find what we wanted," Colin Yong told BI.
"I wasn't going to be rich, but I was comfortable every month having more than I would need in the Philippines," Corey Fraser said about retiring early.
The couple said that although the home wasn't in bad condition, they wanted to remove features such as the false ceiling and built-in cabinets.
Kate Fincham lives on a houseboat 30 minutes from the city. "It's a very serene and calm way of life compared to downtown," Fincham told BI.
Tabetha Heemstra told BI she enjoyed the restoration process so much that she's even got her next project already lined up — the house next door.
The couple estimate they spent $90,000 building a floating home on a lake in North Carolina. They say the only bill they have is a $5,000 annual mooring fee.
Even though it's a tiny house, the interiors feel spacious thanks to large windows and foldable furniture.