Let’s Talk About Seattle Real Estate

You may have heard of the phrase “live-work” applied to downtown lofts, commercial-industrial units that have a residential component as well as space (and zoning) that allows the owner to legally operate a business on the premises.

It happens that some alert developers have anticipated the needs of the next generation of real estate users, those people who are looking for better ways to deal with what I call the “new normal” economy.

Centrally located live-work townhomes are starting to appear on the market.  These are two-or three-bedroom townhomes that provide a first-floor commercial space, almost always with a bathroom. They incorporate what is called a “three-door system.” This means there is a separate exterior entrance for the “live” component and one for the “work” space, as well as an interior third door that can be locked between the two spaces.

Each space can be legally rented separately, and because both are sited in commercial-zoning, one should not experience the social hassles of running a business in a residential neighborhood. Pretty cool advantage.
The cost to build a live-work townhome can be cheaper than a regular, purely residential townhome. This fact combined, with other cost-efficiencies, allows builders to offer such units at a cheaper price.

I already live in a two-unit building, so it would be a natural transition for someone like me. A live-work townhome gives users flexibility, in both investment and residential use. Again, an advantage for the right owner seeking a legitimate way out of the “old normal” economy.

©2008/AllenJaworski

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 16th, 2008 at 11:50 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.