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Tag Archives: permitted
Why Are Permitted ADUs So Rare?
From Washington DC to Vancouver BC to Boston, MA, there are more and more examples in the media of individuals attempting to build and live in smaller dwellings and in more flexible living arrangements. Passive income, multi-generational housing, and other … Continue reading
Appraisal Journal on ADUs: they could be worth more than you think
Today the Appraisal Journal publishes a research paper about residential properties with accessory dwelling units (ADUs). The paper describes an income-based method for appraising properties with ADUs, and concludes that using an income-based approach can give appraisers a valuable counterpoint … Continue reading
The Granger House: Own Two, Rent One
When I biked up to Bob and Julie Granger’s place I was greeted by their ten-year-old grandson, standing sentinel across the street. The young man asked a few questions about my intent before confiding that it’s great having his grandparents’ house … Continue reading
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Tagged attached, gallerypost, new construction, permitted, portland
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Refinancing an ADU – a mortgage broker’s perspective
As a mortgage broker in the Portland area for almost 8 years, I’ve learned “the harder I work, the luckier I get” is really true. In this instance hard work & a little bit of luck combined to culminate in … Continue reading
My tiny house after 5 years: things I would have done differently
I’ve written here about how well my tiny house is working out — I converted my detached 1.5-car garage to a little “accessory dwelling unit” and have mostly rented it out to my mother in law since then, though it’s … Continue reading
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Tagged conversion, design, detached, gallerypost, garage, permitted
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A Sister-In-Law House
Walt Quade has a knack for figuring out a work-around. The design and construction of his own ADU provided several opportunities to hone this skill. When he and his wife started looking for a plot of land on which to … Continue reading
Shawn’s Live-Work Accessory Dwelling
Shawn Busse bought a 950 square foot ranch house on a long, skinny lot with the intention of building an accessory dwelling unit behind it. His plan was to live in the ADU and rent out the front house. He … Continue reading
A research and action agenda for Accessory Dwelling Units and their advocates
I spent a lot of 2011 learning about Accessory Dwelling Units (also known as in-law units, granny flats, backyard cottages, etc). Beat that in terms of geekiness! (Okay, I bow to anyone involved in Viking re-enactment societies.) Now that my … Continue reading
New Energy Performance Incentive Available for New ADUs
In a post on my personal ADU blog, I described an awesome building incentive that was made available for my ADU from the Energy Trust of Oregon (ETO). My ADU project was the first case in which an ADU was … Continue reading
Appraising properties with accessory dwelling units: a preview of new methods and findings
[update Nov. 2012: the paper is out in Appraisal Journal... click here] This year I’ve been working with appraiser Taylor Watkins of problem of appraising properties with accessory dwelling units, and we’ve finally got something to show for it. Here … Continue reading
