Guide to financing an accessory dwelling unit

This new Finance Guide for ADUs shows some of the financing options available in the Portland, OR metro area today.  Even if you don’t live in Portland, this guide may show you the ways it has been done, so that your local lenders can find or create something similar.

Disclaimer: This is not a comprehensive guide to every ADU financing option, but rather a snapshot of the market during the Fall of 2014. This guide is an educational starting point for homeowners and is not meant to endorse any one financial institution.

Past ADU survey results indicate that 60% of people use “cash” savings to pay for their ADU. About 30% used equity from their main home. Better finacing options need to become available for ADUs to proliferate through a broader population of homeowners. This guide not only shows what is possible today but also points out some financing gaps that we hope will be filled in the future.

Updates of this guide may occur in the future, so please contact the site administrators of accessorydwellings.org if you know of any loan options that help fill the FINANCING GAP outlined in the guide.

Here’s a version of the guide that you can filter and sort.