Joel Allen was just 26 when he quit his job as a software developer to pursue his lifelong dream of inventing a get-rich-quick scheme.

Things didn't pan exactly as planned: He ran out of money, fell in love and found his calling as a carpenter.

But a brilliant new idea struck him. Allen could use his carpentry skills and materials gathered from Craigslist to build an incredible treehouse on government land in the wilds of British Columbia. He'd live for free in style, right in the middle of one of the most inflated housing markets in the world.

Allen's treehouse, Hemloft, has been featured on his blog and in Dwell magazine. We asked him to share his story and some pictures.