SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- On his podcast and frequent social media posts, a Northern California man dreamed of becoming a billionaire by selling tiny homes. But now, his offices are closed and hundreds of customers across the country are wondering where their money went. "I think that becoming a billionaire is a worthy goal because in order for that to happen, I'm going to have to become a completely different version of who I am today," said Colton Paulhus.
For someone who loves to appear on social media, Paulhus has been very difficult to reach. And many people want to talk to him - customers, employees, contractors, and several hard money lenders to whom he owes money. MORE: Bay Area embracing ADUs amid housing crisis - are they worth the investment? After more than 20 years of teaching, Margot Simpson is planning for retirement.
She told the I-Team's Dan Noyes, "I'm deaf with cochlear implants and a teacher of the deaf in Hayward." To make some extra money, she thought she had a perfect spot for an ADU or "accessory dwelling unit." She took us to her backyard.
"I have a thousand square-foot house on a ten thousand square-foot lot." She wanted to move a renter from her spare bedroom to the ADU, to make space for one of her students she is fostering. Simpson hired Anchored Tiny Homes to build the ADU and gave them $28,000 to start, but it's all gone.
She cried, "Well, it's my retirement." Their offices in Fair Oaks closed before she could even break ground. Last week, Noyes sp.