Blog ADU Growing Spaces for Family

Growing Spaces for Family

By Andee Zeigler, May 26, 2021

I bought my first house as a newly single mama in 2008, I loved that little house. When I remarried and had another baby that space with one tiny bathroom just didn’t work anymore.  We found our dream home and moved, but I wasn’t ready to let that one go yet. I had my 3rd baby in that living room, I learned how to be independent and how to care for a home on my own and really I just love that place. I couldn’t let it go to just anyone. So, I rented it to my brother and his partner so I could visit!

Fast forward 4 years and they found themselves in a position to buy this home and keep it in the family. This put me in a position to need to do a 1031 exchange….in this market. Just a smidge of stress! I was on the hunt for a duplex, something I could hang onto for my kids and create space for people to save to buy their own home.

I found a sweet house in Arbor Lodge with a dreamy brand new ADU, I didn’t think it was the one so I crossed it off the list.  However, I just kept thinking about it and realized maybe I needed help with this decision. I ran it by my incredibly wise and trust worthy lender Jamie Helton at ENG and she said “Andee, how much time and energy do you want to spend trying to find a replacement property, this one is a no brainer!”

I returned with my husband, brother and mom for a second…third…fourth opinion. Turns out they loved it! So much so that mama is going to live in the ADU and other brother is going to live in the house. It isn’t the big family compound we spend hours dreaming of but it’s a little baby start!

Andee Zeigler

Principal Broker | OR

She/Her

I have called Portland home for over 20 years and can’t imagine raising my babies anywhere else. I have been a REALTOR® for over a decade and still wake up every day delighted that I truly love what I do. I love helping people find their home sweet home, score an investment property that pencils out better than expected, holding the hand of a first-time homebuyer, or guiding a nervous seller through the process of leaving a home they’ve loved. I know Portland like the back of my hand and have a wealth of knowledge about our unique homes and rapidly growing inventory of new construction. I have loved up many homes over the years, from a total restoration of an 1894 Victorian farmhouse to a full remodel of 1942 ranch and several in between. I enjoy educating my clients on the home buying and selling process as well as educating them on how to care for their home. I strive to help buyers understand their homes' unique qualities, how to love them up, and the realities of vintage homeownership. Each real estate transaction is different and for many people the entire process is new and can feel overwhelming. I work hard to help clients manage expectations and give them perspective along the way. I also truly love negotiating and believe it can be done with grace and cooperation. Over the years many of my clients have become my friends and I am grateful for the joy this career has brought me. When I am not scouring the new listings, meeting clients for pie or reading up on all things real estate, I am busy filling my days with goodness. I currently live in my dream home in St. Johns with my husband, 3 kids, 2 cats, 2 ducks and goose! I am an avid gardener, growing over 30 varieties of fruits and vegetables and countless plants and flowers, including nearly 1000 tulips and over 100 dahlia varieties. During the spring and summer we have a little free table with bouquets and plant starts for our community. When the garden doesn’t need me you can find me in the kitchen. I try to bake once a day, everything from sourdough to french macarons. I graduated with an art degree and find great joy in painting and making pottery, there is almost always an art project happening at the dining room table. I am a dedicated traveler and have made exploring the world with my babies a priority. When we aren’t traveling internationally we explore our corner of the world in our Vanagon, Dr. Coffey! I am in constant awe of the beauty of the PNW and feel grateful that this is my home sweet home. I absolutely believe that everyone should love where they live and won’t let anyone settle!
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  • T: 503-901-6864
  • andee@livingroomre.com

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