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☆ How a Montana retiree will save on spiking home insurance and taxes by living in a type of housing that's illegal in many places
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

While her house is paid off, her home-related costs, including insurance, property taxes, and maintenance, have risen. In 2019, her home insurance cost about $890, but last year, according to her record-keeping, she paid almost $1,500. Increasingly, cities and states across the country are legalizing and even incentivizing ADU construction as a way to boost the supply of smaller, more affordable homes. Courtesy of SylviaThis comes as older people, including homeowners, are struggling with rising housing costs in communities across the country. But property taxes and insurance costs are also way up, making it hard for many homeowners to afford their payments.

Persons: —, Sylvia, She's, who's, I'm, it's, ADUs —, Sylvia ADUs, ADUs, Policygenius, Beverly Dashnaw Organizations: Service, Business, BI, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies Locations: Arizona, Missoula , Montana, California, Montana, Missoula, ADUs, In Montana, Helena

☆ It took an Austin developer 4 years to build 4 small homes that he made no money on as the city struggles to bridge the gap between tiny apartments and pricy houses
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

AdvertisementFor decades, the city's restrictive zoning and land-use policies have made missing-middle housing almost impossible to build. But there aren't many options, particularly for homeownership, between mostly high-end apartments and prohibitively expensive single-family homes. But he's concerned the law won't do enough to shorten the permitting process for missing-middle housing construction. The HOME Act will encourage the construction of smaller single-family homes and promote density, making housing — particularly homeownership — more affordable. Turner just wants the city to "level the playing field" for developers who are willing to build missing-middle housing.

Persons: —, Scott Turner, Turner, Austin's, Austin, Eliza Relman, that's, he's, Brennan Griffin, Joe Sohm, Brandon Bell, Greg Anderson, Anderson, there's, It's, Nicole Nabulsi Nosek, I've, townhomes Organizations: Service, Business, Riverside Homes, Austin, Austin Business, Texas, HOME, Austin Habitat, Humanity, Texans, Reasonable, Democrats Locations: Austin, Austin , Texas, Texas, Manor, Georgetown, City Hall

☆ The city of Malibu is taking a family to the state supreme court to stop them from building a tiny home in their backyard for their elderly parent
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But a Malibu couple's struggle to build an ADU shows how local governments are standing in the way. Jason and Elizabeth Riddick have been trying to build an ADU in their backyard in the pricey coastal enclave since July 2020. So they applied for a permit from the city to build a small ADU and a minor addition to their existing house. So the Riddicks sued the city and in July 2022, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge sided with the couple. Again, the city appealed the decision, this time to the state supreme court this month.

Persons: —, Elizabeth Riddick, Elizabeth, they've, Elizabeth said, Jason, David Deerson, Deerson, they're, ADUs Organizations: Service, Business, Malibu Times, Pacific Legal Foundation, New, New York City Locations: California, Los Angeles, LA County, New York

☆ A Gen Xer got $30,000 to build an extra apartment in her backyard. Renting it out makes paying her bills 'financially possible.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Alcynna Lloyd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

She received a total of $30,000 from the state to build an ADU in her backyard to rent out. The program provides grants to eligible homeowners to build an additional housing unit on what was a single-family lot. Advertisement"I definitely needed that extra income that a rental unit provides," Leiken told Business Insider. Courtesy of Marni LeikenDespite the cost, Leiken said she's happy, noting that the additional rental income helps cover her monthly expenses. Beyond the rental income she's receiving, Leiken is pleased that she's also helping provide housing to locals who need it.

Persons: Marni Leiken, —, Marni, Leiken, she's Organizations: Service, Housing Authority, Business Locations: Montpelier , Vermont, Vermont, California, New York, Leiken's, Montpelier

☆ Insider Today: Amazon's secret search plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementThe retail giant is overhauling its search bar with ChatGPT-like features that'll act as a sort of concierge for customers, offering expert answers and product suggestions. Dubbed Project Nile, Amazon's top leaders, including CEO Andy Jassy, view the new search bar as a top priority. AdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, Amazon's overhauled search bar will arguably be the most impactful implementation of generative AI from Big Tech for US consumers thus far. insider intelligenceIn reading Eugene's piece, three follow-up questions immediately came to mind:How will Amazon sellers try and game the new search bar? However, Joseph Sirosh serves as VP of Amazon Search and Alexa Shopping, suggesting Alexa could get a much-needed boost from the new search bar.

Persons: —, Mike Blake, Alyssa Powell, Amazon's, Andy Jassy, Eugene Kim, Joseph Sirosh, Alexa, TikTok, Ben Sun, Anu Duggal, Susan Lyne, Josh Wolfe, Matt Harris, Jillian Williams, Melissa Kwan, Sergey Brin, Brin, Hugo Herrera, Sam Bankman, Fried, Dan DeFrancesco, Naga Siu, Hallam Bullock, Lisa Ryan Organizations: Service, Reuters, Nile, Microsoft, Big Tech, Alexa, Amazon Search, Getty, Wall Street, BBG Ventures, Lux Capital, Apple, Bain Capital Ventures, Cowboy Ventures, Prosecutors, BET, MLB, American League and National League, Houston Astros Locations: Atlanta, Sonoma , California, New York City, San Diego, London, New York

☆ California gave us $40,000 to turn our garage into a tiny home. There was a lot of paperwork, but it lets us live next to our grandkids.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Daniel Romo, 61, and his wife Kristin, 63, got a $40,000 grant from California to build an ADU. Dan: We live in Whittier in Southern California and we just transformed our garage into an accessory dwelling unit. At that time, the only way you could get the grant was you had to go through a state-approved vendor. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, our middle daughter and son-in-law and grandson moved in — my daughter's second child was due any day. They were determined that they were going to bring their daughter home to the ADU, not to our house.

Persons: Daniel Romo, Kristin, Dan, Kristin Romo, Kristin Romo Kristin, YouTube — Ryan O'Connell's, Ryan, Kristin Romo Dan Organizations: Service, YouTube, HPP Locations: California, Wall, Silicon, Whittier , California, Whittier, Southern California, New Hampshire, —

☆ Why the US should be more excited about tiny homes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

While there is a lot of interest in tiny homes, it's too early to measure their success. Tiny homes, generally defined as homes under 1,000 square feet — compared with the typical US home size of 2,500 square feet — are a growing market for those seeking affordability, community, and simplicity. Tiny homes — and accessory dwelling units, their slightly larger counterpart — are being eyed as a solution to the country's housing shortage. A tiny home designed and built by Colorado-based tiny home developer, Mitchcraft Tiny Homes. Tiny homes are "a spear point against the armor" to these restrictions, he added.

Persons: Katie Sandoval, Clark, Blue Wells, you've, Skylar Olsen, Zack Giffin, Giffin, Louise Beaumont, Getty, Rebecca Zisser, Muhammad Alameldin, Gavin Newsom, Joyce Higashi, Tiny, Newsom, Alameldin, It's, Barbara Clark, Sandoval Organizations: Service, Consumers, California, University of California, Housing Innovation, state's Department of Housing, Gov, Washington D.C Locations: California backyards, Wall, Silicon, Bay, Blue, South Carolina, New Hampshire, San Diego, Denver, Portland, Cities, Indianapolis, Austin, Colorado, California, ADUs, Jose, While California, —, Washington, Jersey, Sonoma .

☆ It's about to get easier for homeowners in Denver to build tiny homes in their backyards
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Denver's housing shortage has reached crisis proportions. When the law goes into place on Wednesday, homeowners will be allowed to build ADUs big enough to house a family. Courtesy of AboduSince 2018, more than 60,000 new units have been approved throughout the Golden State, which has an estimated housing shortage of 2 million. She also serves as the Director of Planning at the Denver Housing Authority. Keeping families togetherAlonso Carrillo-Muñoz, a Spanish-speaker, who has lived in the West Denver area for over 20 years, was a part of the WDRC's ADU pilot program, per WDRC.

Persons: —, They'll, Chris Herndon, Renee Martinez, Stone, WDRC, Alonso Carrillo, Jon Paciaroni, Miriam Carillo Organizations: Service, City, Denver, Golden State, West Denver Renaissance, Denver Housing Authority Locations: California, High City, City of Denver, Sonoma ., Golden, Denver, West Denver, Spanish, . Denver, FirstBank

Tiny homes had a coming-out party in 2022, as more places began building or budgeting for tiny home villages. Gimmicks aside, tiny homes are being used as solutions to housing crises in cities like Chicago or Bridgeton, New Jersey — where tiny homes are being used to house former inmates for free after their release. The often-modular approach of tiny homes can help reduce construction costs and make housing cheaper. Tiny homes can range in price and aesthetics, but typically remain under 600 square feet. We've compiled a list of the hottest tiny-home companies to look out for in 2023, all shaking up real estate in different ways.

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