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thelonesgroup · 7 months

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Accessory Dwelling Units Are Coming

This week's Zebra Report comes from our CEO, Shauna Naf, who recently returned from the ADU Academy in Berkeley, California, hosted by Earth Advantage. Please enjoy. - Denise

Accessory Dwelling Units are not new, but their adoption into Single Family Residential zoned cities on a more consistent basis is a fairly new phenomenon. Driven by the need to create more housing and density in our urban areas, cities and states are allowing these to be built in backyards, as well as carving out spaces in homes to accommodate them - think basement, garage, and attic conversions as well as renovating larger floorplans to carve out multiple living spaces within existing walls.

This last week, I had the opportunity to attend ADU Academy in Berkeley, California hosted by Earth Advantage. In addition to connecting with ADU aficionados from the west coast, Montana, and all the way to Florida, I learned quite a bit more about what is going on in markets that are ahead of most of Washington State in terms of design, building solutions, financing, and even challenges that others have overcome.

In addition to the learning and networking, I also joined in on an exclusive tour of ADUs in and around Berkeley. These are not only providing housing options, but they are also solving problems for the future owners or tenants.

Let's take a look at some of my favorite things I saw on the tour!

CITYSPACE STUDIOS

160 sq ft | Total cost: $75K (including $35K trailer)

This unit, a tiny home on wheels, is only 160 square feet, but it contained a living space, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It can be hooked up to permanent facilities, installed on concrete, or it can remain on the trailer. They can also be stacked! In fact, 39 of these are being used to create an apartment building to house formerly homeless people. Check it out:

Supportive Housing for 39 Formerly Homeless Residents Breaks Ground on University Avenue

What's awesome about this one? The price tag! At $75,000, this was the least expensive unit around AND the trailer costs $35,000 of that. So if it is removed from the trailer and the trailer reused for other purposes, that makes this unit a cool $40K. This was also a very durable unit - metal siding and all.

STUDIO FOR GRANDMA

390 sq ft | Total cost: $92K

This unit was in the backyard of a primary residence - the back housed Grandma while her kids and grandkids lived in the primary residence. This studio was only 390 sq ft and it was the cheapest to build of all the permanent ADUs on the tour at about $92,000 ($235 per square foot). However, she put in a lot of sweat equity and was very selective and frugal in the finishes she selected (such as an Ikea kitchen). In addition, this was formerly a garage, so some of the infrastructure was able to be reused.

This home featured a number of space-saving amenities such as a Murphy bed, and a walk-in closet with mirrors. Also, this structure was created to not interfere with the two amazing trees in the backyard.

HIDDEN GEM

618 sq ft | Total cost: $350K

Isn't the entry into the backyard for this unit amazing? Orange tree, bougainvillea, and trumpet vine make walking to the ADU feel like a sanctuary. This ADU was 1 bedroom with 1 bathroom and was built when the height limit for an ADU in Berkeley was 16 feet. At that height, a full second story was a challenge which is why there is a non-bedroom loft space at the top of the stairs. Great for an office, yoga, etc.

In Washington State, having the height limit be no less than 24 feet as per HB 1337 is a game-changer in terms of having a second story.

This unit also has solar panels (as the owner has the roof slope facing south) and smooth Hardiplank siding. The owner indicated that building the ADU was her retirement plan to allow for cashflow from rental, but she also designed it for when she can't live in the main house anymore for a space to age in place - with open space and curbless showers.

PAINTERS' STUDIO

388 sq ft + 200 sq ft storage| Total cost: $375K

This ADU was the most controversial on the tour as it wasn't intended to be used as a rental or for permanent housing, but several of the tour members thought it was intended for housing. An ADU for occupancy locally must include permanent cooking facilities. However, this unit sported a hot plate, so it really didn't qualify.

According to the owner, this was designed as a Painter's Studio. At 380 square feet and tucked behind the primary residence, this ADU did the best job, in my opinion, in working with the existing tree infrastructure.

I absolutely loved the pop-out window above the sink on this home as well as the wide and welcoming driveway.

A PLETHORA OF TILE

1000 sq ft | Total cost: $500K+

This ADU was under construction during the tour. We had the privilege of meeting with the owner who had prepared an entire spec sheet on how she was able to secure quality tile for under $3 a square foot. They wanted tile throughout because they have dogs and wanted a surface that would stand up. The structure was designed by InspiredADUs.com, but the owners were doing some of the finish work themselves and had some very custom selections.

For example, they had chosen a Portuguese tile for the backsplash, but could not find a quartz that was complementary. They decided to choose something different for their countertops - a high-quality walnut slab!

This owner was another who currently lives in the primary home, but having the ADU will allow them to move to the back when they were ready to downsize. They intend to rent the ADU out to others now, but when they move into the ADU, they will rent out the primary home. They really love their neighborhood and did not want the need to downsize chase them into another area.

I really loved all the windows in this home - from the triangle window in one of the bedrooms upstairs to the wide garden window in the primary bedroom to the corner window on the stair landing.

INDOOR-OUTDOOR ESCAPE

1000 sq ft | Total cost: $550K

This was a very interesting garage conversion since the garage was shared with the neighbor next door on a zero-lot line. Half of the garage frontage remained. The garage was housed behind a primary residence that had been converted to multifamily housing.

What I loved about this ADU was the outdoor spaces and the blending of the indoors and out with wood and green paint. The front door area had covered porch area with a bench to remove one's shoes. The olive tree in the front made the entry feel very set apart from the back of the multi-family house. There was a small fenced grass area (presumably for dogs) and a great patio for relaxing. Big windows, a neutral background, and wood accents in the home still let the outside shine through no matter where you were in the home. Even the tile in the bathroom was green to continue the indoor/outdoor feel and the toilet was positioned to float about it, lending to the feeling of space.

STORAGE GALORE

1000 sq ft | Total cost: $800K

This ADU was something else! It was originally designed as a single story due to the 16-foot height max, but as the build got underway, Berkeley allowed ADUs to go up to 20 feet. They stopped the build and went back to the drawing board to add a second story. That is part of the reason the price tag per square foot on this unit was so high. But the solutions that are packed into this space are also to blame. And did I mention the tile? Oh my goodness!

This ADU was built for two tall men, one of whom looked for storage opportunities at every corner. Above doors, in wall cubbies, over the shower, in the toe-kick in the kitchen, even in the banquette that is under construction. The kitchen is custom-custom-custom with counter cubbies for a compost collection bin and knife block. The countertops are about 6” higher than standard to support their tall frames.

They even invested in soundproof flooring for workout room. They have two sets of lights in the living room - one set for functionality and the second set to highlight their art. The tile is to swoon for (which I may have already mentioned). Did you see the super-small powder room sink, perfect for narrow bathrooms?

The goal of this build was free up the primary house as a rental and they will live in the ADU.

Teak Masterpiece

I heard that one of the companies that had a booth at the ADU tour afterparty was hosting an open house in which they had not one, but two modular teak ADU units on display in their showroom. I had to check it out. That company is Masaya who harvests and reforest teak in Central America. Although their primary focus is on furniture, they also have seven modular ADUs ranging from 120 square feet up to 1200 square feet with two bedrooms and an office that can be purchased and installed on individual lots. Check them out:

Masaya Homes

Other Cool Stuff

What else is new? Panelized designs! Although you may not have 15 minutes to watch this video, start it and skip through it to see how fast a build can come together. In this case, a local designer has created some plans that another company has panelized for super-easy and less waste installation.

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It is also worth noting that the most captivating ADUs had really thought about the relationship between the primary residence and the ADU with care given to shared and private outdoor spaces. This is a very big deal when thinking about how someone might live in that ADU space. Designers need to be careful to avoid the feeling of living in a fishbowl, especially when using a lot of windows to let in light. Carefully situating the ADU on the lot and giving it its own private courtyard is a good way to make a small space feel special.

Final Thoughts

I was very surprised to see the number of people who currently live in the primary residence who were building an ADU in their backyards for themselves to move into as they age. This speaks to the power of neighborhoods and the power of Aging in Place. ADUs are a wonderful solution to building additional density in neighborhoods. In most cases, one couldn't even see the ADU from the street and I would not have guessed there was one hiding in the back. They can fit seamlessly into our communities and I am excited for what the next chapter brings!

Also, for those of you who read and enjoyed our Accessory Dwelling Units: Not Just a Way out of the Housing Crisis issue from Oct 11, 2023, we have an update on the Whatcom Housing Alliance (WHA) design competition that we participated in with our Madrona multi-generational ADU design submission! Although we did not win the competition, we received honorable mention as the only design that considered both resale and rental potential of the home. We also received recognition as the only plan which included a full bathroom, bedroom, and living space on the second floor. Thank you to everyone who took a moment to vote!

By Shauna Naf, CEO Shauna Naf has successfully led The Lones Group through the challenges of real estate markets and small business since 2007. Many clients of The Lones Group rely on her thoughtful direction and advice to orient them toward business success. As a community leader and Rotarian, Shauna works to drive goodwill throughout Whatcom County alongside fellow local business leaders. An expert in branding and graphic design, Shauna is regularly called upon by local colleges to critique budding student designers and provide career guidance. In her role as CEO, Shauna is a passionate advocate of increasing housing options and affordability, developing ADU and middle-housing expertise, and helping industry professionals achieve peak performance.

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flamingomonkey-blog1 · 8 months

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https://naca.com

Housing programs #economic justice

Check it out! …helping the underserved build generational wealth through access to affordable mortgages and financial assistance.

#house #housing solutions #own your own home

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robinlynnemabin · 10 months

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Abiding Faith Housing Ministries 🏡 Tiny Town #40: Dellveiw, North Carolina Population = 672 acresZero Municipal SewerZero Municipal Police 🚓🚨 Local Housing ChaptersRadio 📻 Network 🛜Micro Town Network Housing Solutions Real Estate Property Taxes 💰Reverse MortgageSquatters House 🏠 Building 101

#abiding faith housing ministri #house building 101 #housing solutions #real estate property taxes #reverse mortgages

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e3housing · 1 year

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The concept of affordable housing occupancy is rarely the point. In fact, one can even find waiting lists at times. The major challenge for affordable housing property management is maintaining the waiting list and the housing preferences of a prospect.

#affordable housing consulting #affordable housing solutions #affordable housing webinars #housing solutions

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yuwuta · 26 days

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half of these tiktok relationship/break up/whatever pranks would not work on most of the jjk boys, but nanami is esp funny because he just becomes immune to it. you tell him you two should break up and he just sighs and nods, continues making dinner even as you flutter around him and try to start a fake argument. “kento, hello? i’m saying we’re finished!” and he just hums, and chops the vegetables, “that’s nice, dear. did you want red or yellow peppers this time?”

#he is not listening to a damn thing youre saying LMFAO #this also applies to levi ackerman bc 9/10 things i say about nanami also apply to levi they are lost cousins #honestly most of them do not care LMFAO. they all normally lose the idgaf wars terribly but in these instances they are gold medallists #the grandest reaction you could pull is out of megumi but even then #you say you want to break up and he’s like “i didn’t ask you tho? so moving on.”#you keep pestering megumi and eventually he is going to sigh and grab u by the scruff and drag u to eat or something #like that's the end all be all solution to everything i HATE HIM!#not even yuuji bc u mention anything like that and yuuji is like um... no! hope that helps! xoxo #yuuji is dense but it's also willfully ignorant LMFAO. u could even say u wanna hang out w somebody else instead of him today #and hes like yeah... no! i'm outside ur house 😁😁 where u go i go 😁😁#nanami x reader #💌

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galacticlamps · 28 days

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the way Edwin's immediate reaction upon seeing the misery wraith in the Devlin house is to grab Crystal and cover her mouth, even while he's explaining (apparently calmly) that it hunts by sensing negativity and pain - presumably instead of using sight or sound

and the way that he does the exact same thing to Charles when they're reunited in Hell, but here he urges him specifically to be quiet (in what must be the most barely audible line of dialogue in the whole show) because he's found that's the only way he can get a short reprieve between bouts of torture from the spider thing (to the point that when he ran into Simon earlier he - rather nonsensically - believed the sound of tearing paper behind a closed door was also a big risk)

All I'm saying is, it doesn't look like it was actually all that important he stop Crystal from making noise in the Devlin house, and as much as that scene originally read as Edwin kinda having his shit together while Charles & Crystal were both more affected & then literally incapacitated, his head couldn't have been half as clear as it first seemed if his immediate reaction was reverting to Surviving Hell Tactics even when they weren't really helpful or applicable here

#dead boy detectives #edwin payne #the case of the devlin house #im sorry but i was so shocked by the way he just grabs her like that the first time i watched it & crystal clearly is too #but then he goes into his whole 'when i was in hell' thing and we're all like ah ok this is a moment of Hardened & Experienced Edwin #knowing what needs to be done & doing it even if it goes against everyone's usual boundaries with like personal space and such #but then you look at it again and it's like #aw no i see why you did that actually #and it had nothing to do with that being the actual solution to the problem #i'll take The Edwardian Ghost Has Trauma Again for 800 alex

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co-dependance · 1 year

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I’ve seen people talk about the main theme of the owl house being acceptance, and I think they’re completely right about that. But I haven’t really seen anyone look at the sub themes depicted in the show around the acceptance theme.

Specifically how the owl house is really advocating for child autonomy. Specifically in the ways of discipline, showing that communicating and talking with children ends up being a lot more beneficial and effective than punishing them.

The most obvious example comes with the collector, where instead of talking to him, King’s dad punished the kid by putting him in essentially time out, for the actions of his siblings. Which he would’ve learned if he had talked to the collector. And then following that, every interaction before talking with Luz, has the collector being used or placated in some way instead of being treated like an actual child due to the amount of power he has. The titan trappers revering him as some sort of god, Belos manipulating him, and even king attempting to appease the collector, instead of really talking to him. Though for king it’s a bit more understandable. Even so, the show showcases the collector’s change only after he’s talked to like a person, and then shown why his views were wrong.

Luz, who’s the main focus of the show, has her character arc and journey centered around being punished for her not fitting in at school. And while, yes, some of Luz’s antics that were shown seemed to be legitimately dangerous, the real solution would’ve been to talk with her and teach her about safety and why bringing wild animals and fireworks into a school building is dangerous. It should have also been that Luz should be able to talk and negotiate with her teacher about what would be acceptable for her projects with her endless creativity. The solution was not to essentially punish Luz for being creative, and what that only did was make her feel worse about herself and more isolated from the people she thought would be on her side. And then we were shown in thanks to them and for the future, Camilla’s growth into understanding that not talking to Luz about this, and essentially forcing her into normality, was not the way to go about things.

And we see this theme again, with Willow forced into the abomination track because her parent’s thought that was what was best for her, until she was able to showcase her skills and switch to what she was actually good at. Alador realizing he missed a lot of Amity’s growth by not talking to her, and then making it up to Amity by letting her set the boundaries and reestablishing their relationship. Odalia being controlling and not listening to her children which lead to actively harming their social development, until she was confronted and then shut out. Belos manipulating Hunter, isolating him, and abusing him, not even listening to what he had to say. And all of these situations were made better and more bearable when they were given the chance to take charge and be heard.

All this, in an attempt to showcase that children can be vulnerable and malleable, but they are also smart and understanding. And instead of deciding what a child needs, it’s important to communicate with the child instead, asking what they need and listening to what they’re saying. And implementing that by guiding and supporting them, not attempting to control them to what someone else thinks is right.

Children are smart and observant, they just need to be taught how to communicate, and viewed and thought of as actual human beings.

In a way, the owl house is attempting to advocate for it’s audience, and that’s beautiful.

#the owl house #toh #toh spoilers #toh season finale #luz nozeda #toh hunter #willow park #amity blight #child autonomy #honestly i think it's a really important thing to be taught to everyone at every age #Children are seen as dumb and it's disheartening because they're not #they're open to new ideas and possibilities and not yet stifled by their own learned w-orld veiw #and they don't know everything so that's why they need to be taught #refusing to teach them ultimately takes away any chance of growth #no kid is a lost cause #and kids can understand when something is wrong #ignoring them looses the chance for the kid to learn how to understand and indepen-dently come up with a solution later #toh meta

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tatretot · 2 months

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*ham-hamifies your desert duo* :3c *ham-hamifies your jizzie* :3c *ham-hamifies your imp & skizz* :3c

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thankstothe · 4 months

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Rating: Not Cute

Messing with twink to dilf pipeline is very damaging and can lead to a lasting trauma in an aspiring dilf

#house md #james wilson #gregory house #sam carr #screencap #s07e05 “Unplanned Parenthood”#s07e07 “A Pox on Our House”#s07e10 “Carrot or Stick”#s08e05 “The Confession”#s08e16 “Gut Check”#solution?#impregnate him immediately #him - house and/or wilson #dilf is a state of mind tho you don't need a child #do you.....#do you think he knew/suspected earlier in season 8 and that why he had this arc?#depending on how early he felt unhealthy it ramps up the tragedy #longpost #long post

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ceilidho · 4 months

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a writer here could put everything under a read more, highlight and bold the tags, put another layer of warnings beneath the read more just to catch anyone that accidentally clicked in, preemptively block the more vocal antis, and you’d still have dumbass comments like “I didn’t enjoy reading this because I don’t like noncon :(“ like help me help you lmao

#I’m sorry I just can’t take an argument seriously when the perfect solution is: click the button that says block on it #have I broken into your house and made you read my fic à la a clockwork orange #have I taped your eyelids open?

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thelonesgroup · 9 months

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Wake Up Washington! HB1110 and HB1337 Are Now Law

AND THEY ARE CHANGING HOW YOU WILL DO BUSINESS!

This week I want to talk about what is changing in housing here in Washington State, with two new housing bills that Governor Jay Inslee signed-into law this past May, 2023.

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The first one I want to talk about is HB1110. For those of you who don't know about it, please look it up. This legislation was designed to increase middle-housing opportunities in areas that were traditionally zoned single-family residential (SFR). That means that there are huge changes that have happened regarding what can be done with land that was originally zoned to only have one home on it. This legislation is changing how agents:

Price Property: Finding comparative properties and knowing how to price property that can support middle-housing development just got a whole lot more interesting.

Market Property: No longer are we just focused on the home. Suddenly, the property potential could be a huge game-changer to how you market a listing.

Research Property: If middle-housing development is an option, you need to know how this will benefit home sellers and how to communicate this opportunity to them.

If you are selling a single-family home now and that property or home has the ability to have additional units or product put onto it, could that property now be worth more money? These are the kinds of things that you will need to know.

SPECIALIZED ADU AND DEVELOPMENT TRAINING STARTS THIS OCTOBER AND LESS THAN FIVE SPOTS REMAIN!

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This training on ADUs, valuation, condoization, development, density, and more will take place during ENCORE beginning in October through April. This is the cutting-edge training you need to understand the massive changes that are coming to our market with House Bills 1337 and 1110, as well as Comprehensive Plan Updates.

REACH OUT TO LEARN MORE

The other house bill that was signed into law is HB1337. This bill was specifically designed to expand housing options by easing the barriers to construction. This is a huge one. Here, you have single-family residence properties that can now support ADU/DADU buildings and additions. This is going to affect not just property value, but will affect neighbors, the selling and buying of property, and more.

Both of these house bills are changing everything that agents think they know about valuing property and I highly recommend that you become familiar with both of these bills, because you are going to be hearing a lot more about them.

I've been following these bills since they were first presented, the conversations around them as they have been debated, amended, and evolved. These bills weren't just introduced and then passed. They have seen extensive review, conversation, and input. The bottom-line is that at the highest levels of government in the State of Washington, they are aware that there is simply not enough housing. Affordable housing continues to be a major challenge in many markets and that is one of the reasons these bills were created. We must have that middle market for housing and the changes to the barriers for construction will be a big part of the long-term solution that these bills help provide.

By Denise Lones CSP, M.I.R.M., CDEI - The founding partner of The Lones Group, Denise Lones, brings nearly three decades of experience in the real estate industry. With agent/broker coaching, expertise in branding, lead generation, strategic marketing, business analysis, new home project planning, product development, Denise is nationally recognized as the source for all things real estate. With a passion for improvement, Denise has helped thousands of real estate agents, brokers, and managers build their business to unprecedented levels of success, while helping them maintain balance and quality of life.

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