Tag: Accessory Dwelling Units
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Here It Comes: San Francisco’s AI Deed Rush
San Francisco, California, now has the priciest housing market anywhere in the United States. Plenty of San Francisco homes now fetch $2 million—and higher. (The national median is about $450K.) Sale prices in San Francisco are up 14% in just one year. Condos are up 27% year-over-year, with the typical unit going for well over…
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Is Now a Good Time to Start a Short-Term Rental Business?
Have you been mulling over the prospect of renting out part of your property on a home-sharing platform? Many deed holders use platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo® to rent out backyard cottages, guest rooms, and vacation homes. Using the “air mattress bed and breakfast” model, you can offer rooms for overnight bookings, get exposure…
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States Have Been on a Housing Affordability Roll. Can Cities Stop Standing in the Way?
Just a few months ago, we reported on state lawmakers stepping up for housing affordability and creating big, bold changes. If Congress is slow to act, at least the states can bring relief to the people. Optimism, and the winds of change, have gained strength. Texas even passed a law to stop small groups of…
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Zoning for Affordability in Minnesota: Is a Law Allowing More Units Doomed?
A new law to boost starter-home construction in Minnesota is “on life support” now, media reports say. Its backers are scrambling to save it as the lawmaking session concludes this month. Starter homes seem to be an endangered species. In the early 1980s, four in every ten new homes created were within the reach of…
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Housing Affordability Buzz: Pennsylvania’s Governor Just Laid Out the Plan
For many Pennsylvanians, deeds are out of reach. Housing is relatively scarce in some of its most popular areas: the Philadelphia suburbs, Harrisburg, York, and Lancaster, and its northeastern cities. The governor has a plan to make housing attainable. Housing costs are rising, Josh Shapiro told Pennsylvanians. “And the housing we do have is getting…
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Shakedown in Miami: City Presses Deed Holder to Give Up Front Yard Space for Potential Street Expansion
Chad is a deed holder in Miami. He says the city is trying to take front yard space away from him. He only wanted to create a backyard dwelling unit. When he requested permission, Miami insisted that Chad must transfer a part of his front yard to the city. What’s more, the strange process Miami…
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The ADU: A Housing Fix for Seniors and Their Families
Accessory dwelling units (also known as ADUs, backyard cottages, guest homes, or granny flats) can enable seniors to enjoy privacy, yet remain close to family and neighborhood friends. They don’t depend on clearing natural spaces to develop properties. Yet they offer affordable housing options — which are ever scarcer these days. No wonder ADUs have…
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Making Deeds Affordable: State Lawmakers Bring a Breath of Fresh Air
People need homes. Solutions are possible. Where are the politicians and what are they doing — or not doing? We’ve already highlighted the federal ROAD to Housing Act of 2025. We’re watching Congress to see how that proceeds in a turbulent year. With a government shutdown casting its chaotic shadow of confusion and delays, many…
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How Middle-Income Earners Considering Retirement Housing Get “Trapped in a Gap”
It’s a great time to sell a home at a profit, but…not the easiest time to downsize. Across the United States, attractively priced homes are hard to find. And opting for a retirement community keeps getting pricier, too. As an article in Forbes recently put it, “There just doesn’t seem to be anything affordable for…
