All Forum Posts by: Caitlin Bigelow
Caitlin Bigelow has started 3 posts and replied 32 times.
Post: How to evaluate building an ADU vs. buying a SFR.
- Specialist
- San Jose, CA
- Posts 34
- Votes 20
@Kevin Fox the city council is voting Monday to eliminate Development and Impact fees, which will make this 8-20K cheaper to permit. I'll be testifying and Channel 10 did a news segment on it. Fingers crossed!
Post: How to evaluate building an ADU vs. buying a SFR.
- Specialist
- San Jose, CA
- Posts 34
- Votes 20
@Dan H. that does sound exciting. Can't wait to hear more about it! Best of luck. What neighborhood is it in?
Post: How to evaluate building an ADU vs. buying a SFR.
- Specialist
- San Jose, CA
- Posts 34
- Votes 20
@Dan H. , I see. Ok, this makes sense. And a value-add could be something like an ADU -- or something much smaller like a remodel or addition?
Post: How to evaluate building an ADU vs. buying a SFR.
- Specialist
- San Jose, CA
- Posts 34
- Votes 20
@Dan H. what would you consider to be a good rent to cost ratio?
Post: How to evaluate building an ADU vs. buying a SFR.
- Specialist
- San Jose, CA
- Posts 34
- Votes 20
I recently spoke with a friend who lives in North Park (San Diego) in a 3 bedroom 1 bath. They are considering putting an ADU in the backyard and renting it out ocassionally and using it for family and guest that come into town. She's worried that the permitting process will be too challenging and so she's trying to evaluate should she:
A. Build an ADU in the backyard now, she can pay for it all with cash. (~100K)
B. Wait 2-3 years and save for a downpayment of a SFR and skip the whole ADU hassle.
I thought it was an interesting question. I think her goal is more to have a comfortable place for family to stay, but if you were motivated by cash flow, how would you assess this opportunity?
Post: Accessory Dwelling Unit Houshack in Austin Tx
- Specialist
- San Jose, CA
- Posts 34
- Votes 20
@David Ivy Thanks for the info! Reaching out now :)
Post: Accessory Dwelling Unit Houshack in Austin Tx
- Specialist
- San Jose, CA
- Posts 34
- Votes 20
Can someone please explain to me how the condo regime in Austin works? is this a lottery system, or quota based? How do you qualify? I'm interested from the standpoint of an SFH + ADU.
Post: ADUs in Los Angeles - do you have any experience
- Specialist
- San Jose, CA
- Posts 34
- Votes 20
Can someone explain the 2% rule? Sorry, feeling like a newbie here!
Post: ADUs in Los Angeles - do you have any experience
- Specialist
- San Jose, CA
- Posts 34
- Votes 20
Originally posted by @Adriana Good:
Originally posted by @Andy Brohard:
@Sanford Holst I'm not sure if there's a minimum sq ft requirement. LADBS was pretty helpful when I was designing mine. Might be worth a trip. Pouring the extra foundation and vaulting the ceilings was worth it in my opinion but certainly adds to the cost.
What are the costs for an ADU in Los Angeles?
The minimum sq footage requirement for the state is 150 sq ft. Now, you'd have to check if your jurisdiction has passed an ordinance increasing the minimum. To do that you can look at HCD.CA.GOV
Post: ADUs in Los Angeles - do you have any experience
- Specialist
- San Jose, CA
- Posts 34
- Votes 20
@Ben A an ADU can absolutely be part of the main house! As long as it has a separate entrance, kitchen, bath and living space you're good to go and can definitely go through the permitting process. The most common ADU is actually a basement conversion. Converting part of your house is often much easier than building a new stand-alone structure.