Portland extends System Development Charge waiver on ADUs by 2 years
Portland’s City Council just extended the waiver of systems development charges on accessory dwelling units for 2 additional years. Here’s a link to the exact language of the ordinance. After … Continue reading
Will short term rentals actually reduce long term housing in granny flats?
It’s not intuitive, but prohibiting short-term rentals in ADUs won’t necessarily lead to a bigger supply of long-term residential housing. This post includes new data about the number of ADUs and short-term rentals in Portland, and the longevity of short-term rental listings.
How to Buy or Sell a Property with an ADU (or ADU Potential)
When it comes time to buy or sell a property with an ADU (or ADU potential), there are a few important things you should know. I’ve drawn on the expertise of ADU aware Realtors in Portland, OR to identify some key considerations for each step: selecting a realtor, searching for a property, and listing your house with an ADU.
How Portland Became ADU-Friendly (And How Your City Can, Too)
Portland is probably America’s most ADU-friendly city. Portland has eliminated many of the Barriers to ADU Development in two big ways: by relaxing regulation and by offering generous financial incentives.
Creative ADU Types
I didn’t realize that there were so many creative ways to make an ADU. Here are the 10 most interesting examples of Creative ADU Types I’ve encountered.
ADUs Work for Multigenerational Families: The Hidden Value of ADUs
The hidden value of ADUs is particularly evident in the conversations I’ve had with multigenerational families who use an ADU to create greater housing flexibility and security. There are so many tangible and intangible benefits of creating a multi-generational housing situation that I can’t possibly catalog them all here. But I’d like to give you a sense of how ADUs are working for multigenerational families.
Options for ADU Owners: Rent One, Both, or Neither
ADU owners appreciate that having two dwelling units on their property provides a lot of options. In places where there are not owner occupancy requirements – such as Portland, OR – ADU owners can use their properties in any of the following ways…
ADU Case Studies 2016 Preview
Here’s what you can expect in 2016:
We’ll be sharing 20 brand new case studies of real projects. We’ll also be bringing you a set of profiles of Designers, Design-Builders, and Builders. Finally, I’ll be sharing a set of posts that address some themes I noticed as I talked with more than 80 people about their experiences creating ADUs.
The Death of Detached ADUs in Portland and What To Do About (Part IV)
Over Thanksgiving weekend in late November, more than thirty Portland homeowners emailed the Administrator Humphrey of the Oregon Department of Revenue with a formal request to return to the common improvement tax … Continue reading
AccessoryDwellings.org Wants Your Contributions
Do you love ADUs as much as we do? Got an ADU story or insight to share? Then contribute an ADU post to the readership of this blog (over 50,000 … Continue reading
Tangible Ways You Can Support Space-Efficient Housing
At the Build Small, Live Large Summit on Friday, November 6th, the five panelists in the Space-Efficient Housing Policy Round Table and left the audience with tangible ways they could support space-efficient housing. A member of the audience asked us to make the list available online and we thought that was a great idea, so we’ve obliged. Read on and pick an action item to help us promote small housing choices!
The Accessory Structures Zoning Code Update Passed
Good News for Detached ADUs It is great to see incremental improvements being made to regulatory ADU codes across the country. Austin, TX recently made some improvements to their ADU … Continue reading
The Death of Detached ADUs in Portland and What To Do About (Part III)
Commissioner Loretta Smith from Multnomah County, District 2 stepped up last week as the first of Multnomah County Commissioners to speak out against the unfair tax re-MAV issue that has been … Continue reading
The Accessory Structures Zoning Code Update- The Vote
What seemed to be a ‘slam-dunk’ set of great, proposed code updates for detached ADUs and other accessory structures have experienced yet another potential setback, so to speak. The day before the vote … Continue reading
The Death of Detached ADUs in Portland and What To Do About (Part II)
(This is Part II of The Death of Detached ADUs in Portland and What To Do About It. Part I, Part III, Part IV, and Part V are also available.) Action Items … Continue reading
Preview of Some of the ADUs Featured on the Fall, 2015 ADU Tour
The City-wide ADU Tour is just two weeks away.The ADUs on this tour are beautiful and we can’t wait for you see them in person. Here’s a preview of some of the ADUs you’ll be seeing.
The Death of Detached ADUs in Portland and What To Do About It
(Update: Part II , Part III , Part IV and Part V are also available.) This post is complicated, thick, and heavy – it’s about property taxes. Ick! For the purposes of retaining readers’ interest, I … Continue reading
Fall 2015 ADU Tour Information
Registration for the November 7th ADU Tour is now live; early bird sales end on October 24th. For those seeking design inspiration for small houses, the ADUs on this upcoming tour are exceptionally beautiful. Here’s a sneak preview of a few of some of them.
Alan Durning Keynote Speaker at the Fall Build Small Live Large Summit
Conference is Sold Out! Alan Durning, a long-time sustainability leader in the Northwest, is newly fired up—and for good reason. Since founding Sightline Institute in 1993, he has written more … Continue reading
Berkeley ADUs and Perceptions of Density
by Alberto Benejam, Based on a report by Sonia-Lynn Abenojar, Alberto Benejam, and Tamar Nativ Throughout the past year, the city of Berkeley, CA has been considering changes to the city’s … Continue reading
Accessory Structures Zoning Code Amendments – An Overview and Assessment
Introduction The City of Portland (Bureau of Planning and Sustainability) regularly reviews and updates planning and zoning codes through a process called RICAP (Regulatory Improvement Code Amendment Project). Part of … Continue reading
Lay Explanation of Conventional ADU Financing Options
Financing is, by far, the biggest barrier for most homeowners seeking to build an ADU on their property. Recently, I was trying to gain some clarification about three conventional loan products that can be used to help fund the construction of an ADU: First Mortgage Cash Out Refinance- taking out extra money when refinancing your ‘first mortgage’ .
Follow up to the Spring, 2015 ADU Tour
The spring, 2015 ADU Tour was amazing! Here’s a few snapshots that will provide a sense of what the event was like.
On Friday evening, 349 people attended a 3-hour ADU 101 workshop.
Save the Date for the 2015 Build Small Live Large Summit: Friday, Nov. 6!
Conference is Sold Out! The Build Small Live Large Summit is back by popular demand! This unique, one-day event will convene leading small home designers, builders, developers, realtors and policy … Continue reading
Real estate rage in Portland! Or, ode on a purple shed
Up for rent in Portland, February 2015: a tiny purple structure in someone’s backyard, apparently a converted garden shed. At 165 square feet, it had the same area of 5 … Continue reading
Spring, 2015 ADU Tour – Final Week Updates
*Update as of 6/3/2015. Read a follow up post about the tour here: https://accessorydwellings.org/2015/06/02/follow-up-to-the-spring-2015-adu-tour/*
Updates for the Spring, 2015, ADU Tour
The city-wide ADU tour is almost here. There will be 12 ADUs to tour in NE Portland on Saturday, May 30th, and 13 ADUs in Portland SE on Sunday.
The inaugural ADU Tour in the spring of 2014 sold out a week early at 850 tickets, and drew attendees from across the country, showing the surging interest in small housing.
Ten ADU Aspirations for 2015. Let the countdown begin!
As we all know, New Years is a time to conjure up lofty ideas. Here are a few great ideas that we, the editors of accessorydwellings.org, probably won’t have the time to … Continue reading
SAVE THE DATE—Portland’s 2nd Annual Accessory Dwelling Unit Tour – Spring, 2015
SAVE THE DATE: May 29th- May 31st!
I’m very excited to announce Build Small, Live Large: Portland’s Accessory Dwelling Unit Tour – Spring, 2015.
Innovative “Junior” accessory dwelling unit Zoning Ordinance Passed in Novato, California
Novato, California will allow a simpler, lower-cost style of accessory dwelling unit starting in 2015 — the JADU or “junior accessory dwelling unit.”
Model Code for Accessory Dwelling Units
Practically every week, we learn of a new US city or county that is adopting or revisiting zoning code language on accessory dwelling units (ADUs). Some are thinking of allowing … Continue reading
Garage apartments in Houston
Houston, Texas has a long tradition of accessory dwelling units. It also has a unique lack of zoning rules. Could it be the next hotbed of ADU creativity?
Guide to financing an accessory dwelling unit
Here is nicely formatted summary to the ways ADUs are being financed in Portland today. Even if you don’t live in the area, it should provide some ideas and precedents you can use. Enjoy!
ADUs and Condos: Separating Ownership
Q. How is it that the accessory dwelling unit pictured below is being sold separately from the primary home on the same lot? A. It’s legally structured as a condominium. … Continue reading
New ADU Class for Realtors
Following on the heels of the Value it Green tour in early September, Earth Advantage will be offering a new class called All About ADUs – A Primer Course for Brokers. … Continue reading
Summing up ADU research: are accessory dwelling units as great, or as horrible, as people say?
Collected research about accessory dwelling units (AKA granny flats, laneway houses, in-law units, etc) suggests they have many potential benefits, and two common arguments “against” are unsupported.
Accessory dwelling units: what further research should be done?
ADUs are especially promising as environmentally sensitive and affordable housing, and this potential should be investigated in detail.
Value it Green Tour Features ADUs
Join other REALTORs, appraisers and lenders visiting green homes and ADUs across Portland. Have fun with your peers while you’re escorted by experts on buses to and from the … Continue reading
What are the barriers to ADU development?
Government rules strongly limit the development of ADUs, but they are not the only factor.
ADU Tour, Spring 2015
We wanted to update readers about the plan for the next ADU Tour. The last ADU tour was a trememdous success, so we’ve decided to run it again next spring. … Continue reading
Do ADUs provide affordable housing?
If the “grassroots” nature of their development is properly understood, ADUs have a lot of potential to address affordable housing needs.
How do ADUs contribute to the local economy? (Or, will building an ADU raise my property taxes?)
Will building an ADU raise your property taxes? Very likely yes. Is that a good thing for the community?
Do accessory dwelling units serve older persons? (Or, who lives in, and owns, ADUs?)
Older persons are expected to benefit from ADUs. Is this happening now, and will it happen more in the future?
Do ADUs cause neighborhood parking problems?
The single biggest and most specific fear mentioned by ADU opponents is loss of street parking. Is there any evidence on this?
Repost of Housing Solution: Backyard Cottages Could Add One-Third More Homes to San Francisco
Many cities may claim to allow ADUs in their code, but in fact, their regulations prevent citizens from actually building them. In San Francisco’s case, there are ‘discretionary reviews’ and other … Continue reading
Are ADUs green housing?
New evidence shows that ADUs have serious potential as environmentally sensitive housing.
How do ADUs affect property values?
Opponents of ADUs frequently charge they will bring down property values for the whole neighborhood. What is the evidence?
How much do ADUs cost to build?
Some survey results about ADU costs… and some thoughts about why ADU developers aren’t usually real estate “pros.”
Do ADUs actually provide housing?
It may seem odd to ask whether a housing form actually provides housing, but it’s a key premise in civic debates about accessory dwelling units.
A Practitioner’s Guide to Appraising ADUs
Appraisals for ADUs have always been tricky. Here is a new guide to help appraisers, real estate agents, and finance professionals understand current “best practices” for appraising ADUs.
Accessory Dwellings 