October News from the Napa Sonoma ADU Center
Autumn Brings Good News for ADUs
It’s the time of year when homeowners in Napa and Sonoma Counties hold our breath and watch the weather report anxiously to see if fire or rain is on the horizon. And we’re currently breathing a sigh of relief as the forecast predicts welcome rains, possibly enough to even end this year’s fire season, according to some news reports.
With rain also comes what we traditionally consider the end of building season, and that may lead you to believe that a pause in your accessory dwelling unit plans is in order.
But this is not the case -- in fact, if you are on the front end of your ADU project in particular, now is the time to really get kicking on your accessory dwelling unit planning! It’s just enough time to complete the pre development stage of your ADU journey: Selecting the type of ADU you want to build, identifying your financing for the project, seeking bids to put together your professional team -- and even getting the design and permitting stages completed in time to begin the building process by early Spring.
Here at our nonprofit the Napa Sonoma ADU Center, we work year-round to provide support to local homeowners across the full spectrum of your accessory dwelling unit journey -- from pre development all the way through the move-in stage. In fact, you can sign up here for an ADU Feasibility Consult to get individualized information about your specific accessory dwelling unit project.
And as the build season winds down, we are hosting a whole slew of free ADU webinars to walk you through those crucial steps of predevelopment, design, and permitting -- just in time to prepare you for the beginning of the next build season.
So if you missed it earlier this month, check out the recording of our webinar, “The Financial Case for Building an ADU Now & Not Later!” where our ADU Expert and a financing professional walked us through:
8 reasons the best time to build your ADU is today
How to use our ADU calculator tool to think through the highest return on your investment
Prefab/modular vs. stick build construction
Key ways to finance your ADU project
And you can register here today for more free upcoming ADU webinars, including:
All You Need to Know About Prefab & Modular ADUs
How to Create an ADU Permit Application
Info Session: Brand New ADU Financing Options
Plus, catch us speaking at Sonoma County-based nonprofit Generation Housing’s forthcoming 2021 Innovation in Housing Development Conference on November 2 during Session 3: Small Spaces with Big Impact -- learn more and register here!
In addition to the good news autumn brings for our weather forecast comes welcome news on the ADU financing front, as well: In September, the California Housing Finance Agency announced a new ADU Grant Program, which will provide as much as $25,000 in assistance to low- to moderate-income homeowners to build accessory dwelling units on their property. You can learn more here.
As autumn kicks in, let our team help you with your accessory dwelling unit plans to make your dream of a move-in ready unit a reality coming out of the next build season!
Warmly,
Renée J. Schomp
Director, Napa Sonoma ADU Center
Neighbor Spotlight:
Chasing warmer weather and better wine, Carl and BB moved to Yountville in 2016, “It’s one of the greatest places you can live. We park our car and walk everywhere.” As local shoppers, over time they began making friends with the restaurant owners and staff near their home. But they noticed a problem, every year too many people moved away. People who worked at the stores, no matter how hard they tried, could not afford to live nearby. So, they had a solution. They built an ADU not only for additional income, but specifically to support employees at nearby Yountville restaurants, from sous chefs to bussers. And it worked! “There’s been lots of interest in renting it. We’re particular about who we rent it to because we share the back yard, but there has been no problem finding people”.
“GREAT WEBINAR. Loved the polls. Loved hearing and seeing from [planning & building] department people—it makes it far less intimidating to move forward ... Thank You.”
Give to Napa Valley Community Foundation
If you would like to support our nonprofit program’s continued efforts to help homeowners in Napa and Sonoma Counties, please feel free to do so at this link (to our fiscal sponsor, Napa Valley Community Foundation) where you can designate it to the Napa Sonoma ADU Center.