Marin County supervisors took steps this week to encourage Marin residents to create accessory dwelling and junior accessory dwelling units. The board voted Tuesday to extend a financial incentive to create junior accessory dwelling units for another year. The existing [...]
The #1 question is usually: “How much does a YardPod cost?” We have delivered YardPods for between $7,000 and $40,000. Cost is dependent on size, geometry and finishes. If you want to have a YardPod at the lowest possible cost, [...]
Q1: What is a YardPod? A: A YardPod is a well-designed, modern, high-quality, insulated stand-alone building of 120 sq.ft. or less, designed for use as a Home Office or Studio. Q2: Are Permits required? A: Most local authorities allow such [...]
Given the movement of inhabiting smaller, more modest homes, dedicated rooms and room-specific furniture are becoming more and more rare. In many cases around the world, living spaces have continued to become smaller, requiring their inhabitants to seek out space-saving [...]
Burlingame officials agreed to loosen accessory dwelling unit building regulations as a means of combating the local affordability crisis, despite the parking and property management concerns raised by some. The Burlingame City Council voted 3-2, with Mayor Michael Brownrigg and [...]
A HomeReady Mortgage is a Fannie Mae, first-time home buyer loan program, with minimum down payment requirements, and some very particular underwriting characteristics. When a borrower is purchasing a single-unit primary residence with a 3% minimum down payment and [...]
Housing lessons Interested in accessory dwelling units? The Housing Trust of Silicon Valley is collecting names for homeowners interested in learning more about ADUs. They will convene a focus group this month to help develop loan program parameters and will [...]
The demand for housing in the metro Bay Area is far outpacing the supply, a phenomenon that is driving inflated real estate prices even higher. There are high-rise apartment buildings popping up all over San Francisco to meet the housing [...]
Minarc has thrown their hat into the ring with their answer to California’s housing crisis – the Plús Hús, which is Icelandic for “plus house”. State regulations on ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units), or “Granny flats”, have been loosened, meaning tiny [...]
Recent local stories underscore the necessity of the Fair Housing Act today… It has been 50 years since the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act. While discrimination today is usually more covert – often done with a smile and [...]