Straight answers for Massachusetts families weighing an ADU, and for the REALTORS® guiding them. Published by The ADU Exchange, New England's ADU Ecosystem, in collaboration with South Shore REALTORS®.
Most ADU projects do not fail on construction. They stall on the questions that come before it: what the law allows, what the lot can support, who owns what, how the money works, and how the family stays on the same page. This library takes those questions in the order real projects meet them, in plain language, with every statistic sourced and every legal claim traced to the statute or agency that made it.
The ADU Exchange is an education and connection platform. We do not build, permit, or sell construction. Every article here is educational, and none of it replaces advice from a licensed attorney, lender, or tax professional for your specific situation.
One ADU by right on single family lots statewide since February 2, 2025. The 900 square foot rule and how it really works, what towns can and cannot require, and what the law does not do, translated from statute into sentences.
Read the articleOn septic lots, the ground votes before zoning does. Title 5 bedroom math, what happens at time of sale, and the one-more-bedroom question every agent should raise when a system needs replacing anyway.
Read the articleFHA now counts a portion of ADU rental income toward qualifying, and the 203(k) program finances the renovation that creates the unit. The real rules, the real limits, and the questions for a lender.
Read the articleWhen a parent helps fund an ADU on a child's property, the ownership structure shapes the mortgage, MassHealth eligibility, taxes, and the family itself. Four structures, compared honestly.
Read the articleParents funding an ADU on a child's property face a sixty month review if long term care is ever needed. The gift versus purchase distinction, and why the paperwork comes before the shovel.
Read the article75% of adults 50+ want to stay in their homes, fewer than 4% of homes are built for it, and the alternatives cost six figures a year. What AARP, Harvard, and Census data mean in practice.
Read the articleNearly half of adults under 30 now live with their parents, up from 37% in 2019. Why the childhood bedroom fails both generations, and how an ADU turns staying home into launching from home.
Read the articleMassachusetts needs 222,000 homes by 2035, ADU rights are statewide law, and every client demographic has an ADU question. Why fluency is becoming core competence, and why associations belong on the frontline of the housing crisis.
Read the articleNew articles publish throughout the campaign. Each one goes through the same standard: plain language, sourced statistics, no sales pitch, and a clear line between education and professional advice.
Coming SoonFrom container homes to custom builds, this campaign is for every family and every budget on the South Shore. Housing options for aging parents, adult children, and multigenerational life under one property.
Want the campaign overview, the eligibility tool, and everything else this collaboration offers South Shore homeowners?
Visit the Campaign Page Explore the Ecosystem