Smaller House Equals Smaller Price

"Recently Portland and Vancouver established zoning and design guidelines to encourage the development of smaller houses, as long as they meet exacting design criteria. A new program in Vancouver that falls under the mayor's overall policy of "eco-density" encourages the reconfig­uration of lots in certain single-family districts. In Portland a new set of ordinances and guidelines seeks to promote "skinny houses," intended to fit lots less than 36 feet wide."

In Seattle's Central District, local architect Dave Sarti created a 800-square-foot house in the backyard of an existing home.

"Although the Central District is dominated by old single-family homes on large lots, Sarti says that much of it is zoned for multifamily devel­opment. So as the traditionally low-income, once predominantly black area gentrifies, the single-family homes are often replaced with town houses. Sarti, however, bought someone's backyard for $35,000 and built his house there for about $180,000. And this unorthodox maneuver was perfectly legal under existing zoning."