Tag: zoning laws
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Is the Backyard Cottage Written Into the Deed, or Recorded Separately?
You might be familiar with guest houses or garden suites. You might have seen detached garages turned into cottages, or finished basements converted into rental space. Town managers call these extra living spaces ADUs: accessory dwelling units. A house deed typically does not point out an ADU on the property. But the additional living unit…
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Will There Still Be FHA Loans? How Trump’s Return Could Impact Housing
And here it is: a new administration. What’s changing for home seekers and deed holders? Yes, there will still be FHA mortgages. There will still be conventional loans with government backing. But we can expect… All of these possibilities impact the value and availability of deeds for ordinary people. So, let’s do some Q&A to…
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Momentum Builds: A New Wave of Pressure on States to Build Affordable Homes
Looking to acquire the deed to a home? A new federal administration could factor into the amount you’ll need to pay. For one thing, the incoming administration is talking about tariffs that would raise the cost of materials and construction work. On the other hand, actual housing policy falls to the states. Under their…
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Zoning It Up: “Downtowns Have to Evolve”
Since the pandemic unfolded, one of the most-used keywords for the way we live is flexibility. Now, towns across the United States are asking if the old, rigid approach to zoning meets our evolving needs. Take Seattle. There, the City Council has just decided to let condo and rental towers replace a string of struggling…
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Florida: The Newest Boomtown State
Of all states, California has the biggest housing market. But population growth is shifting. Since the pandemic began, it’s Florida, of all the states, that got the fastest population increase. More than a thousand people relocate to Florida daily. Florida’s now in second place for total home property value — surging ahead of New York…