In 2003, on a trip from Vancouver, BC to Seattle I made a point of stopping in at an open house of the Conover Commons Cottages.

Photos do not do justice to the Cottage Company’s masterful execution of the designs. I can’t speak highly enough of Ross Chapin’s thoughtfulness and thorough use of space. These homes appear to be constructed by craftsman not construction workers and the end results are proof of this.

Keep up the great work Linda. You are helping to restore the true meaning of Home.

Price appreciation of both our homes, and other homes in our region continues because of our strong economy and job growth. Folks continue to move to our area from other parts of the U.S. As our homes are well-located within employment centers, close to transit and amenities – these locations are highly desired.

Keep checking our web site for the rare resale in our completed communities as well as announcements of our next projects. http://www.cottagecompany.com

Thanks!

Your blog is lovely!

Yes, I remember when I first saw the Third Street Cottage prices, how affordable they were at about $150,000. That changed very quickly during the housing boom. I also think that these communities became so popular that the prices rose to meet that popularity. Have you seen a continuing and even a rising interest in smaller homes?

Thanks for your interest in our innovative new communities we’ve been pioneering here in the Pacific NW since 1998. Regarding prices – land is very expensive here in the PNW compared to any other place in the U.S. Thus, new homes (of any size, small or large) are expensive given the land values. For instance, in the Kirkland/Redmond area close in to Microsoft world headquarters and our technology employers, a single, 7200 SF lot sells for $350,000.00 That’s just the raw land before permits, utilities, improvements, or any structure is constructed. This is important to remember as you try to compare prices here vs. other parts of the U.S. The typical new home of about 2500 – 3000 SF sells for about $1M. This is nothing fancy, just a basic new house in a close in neighborhood close to jobs and transit.

Price appreciation continues in this area as there aren’t enough houses to meet our strong jobs growth in the region. Prices in our existing communities have risen since Christina visited. We built Third Street Cottages ten years ago, Greenwood Avenue Cottages six years ago. Prices have risen in that timeframe a good bit.

The pocket communities are pretty expensive. When I was at the Third Street Cottages, they were being sold for around $150,000-$200,000. That went up after a few years. The Greenwood Avenue cottage were selling for about $350,000 to $400,000 when I was there.

The plans for the cottages are priced between $750-$950.