Tag: Rees Bettinger

Construction, New Residence

House and Two ADU Condo on NE Multnomah

A novel condo project is nearing completion at 6909 NE Multnomah Street, where developer Neil Heller added two Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) next to a 1,234 square foot 1951-era home. This approach seems similar to other infill housing projects, but its focus on reducing city-paid fees and lessening infrastructure buildout should produce a more affordable product for buyers, according to Heller.

As a resident, living just blocks away from his worksite, making space for more neighbors without upsizing the cost of entry to home ownership in the community is important to Heller. “I live here in the neighborhood, and I take my daily walk or two over to the project. It’s about seven blocks away from where I live,” remarked Heller. He also mentioned his commitment to keeping the original house on the site, which had been the home to Robert and Suzanne Matney, longtime residents who were central to the surrounding community. “They were the original owners, from what I understand. The guy even planted that big cedar tree that’s on the corner. When you see how big it is, you realize that they’ve been there a long time. They raise their kids there, and I guess they were a staple in that part of the neighborhood,” said Heller. “People just loved them, and so when they heard that we weren’t going to tear the house down and we would take good care of it, they were happy about it.”

A blue house with a porch shaded by a large tree, surrounded by a small fence and green grass.
Original 1,234 square foot 1951-era home at 6909 NE Multnomah St with tall cedar tree

The existing home spanned several lots but was massed near the corner, leaving plenty of yard space for the two 800-square-foot detached ADUs. “We removed some sheds and gazebos,” recalled Heller. His Heller Development Company then followed the condo plat process to create a micro three-unit condo he is calling “Cedar Corner Cottages.” Each of the new homes the contractor created has two bedrooms and a full bathroom on the top level. The main floor has a kitchen, a living area, and a half bathroom. Heller explained that people may recognize the construction style from other area homes created by Rees Bettinger Properties. “Rees Bettinger is my general contractor on this, and sort of my development advisor.”

Heller says this is his maiden project in which all the homes on the property are intended for individual sale. “This is the first project where we are not using owner-occupied finance strategies. We have investment partners, and this is the first time we don’t have to live in the construction dust.” He is not new to the housing creation process. He has tested out his work at his own property. “I added a basement apartment and an ADU out back so we turned our single-family lot into three households,” Heller said. Additionally, he spends a considerable amount of his professional life thinking about housing supply and its impact on communities. “I have an urban planning consulting firm, and I work with cities around the country to update their zoning codes. I’m [also] faculty with the Incremental Development Alliance. It’s a national nonprofit. And we teach local people how to invest in real estate and contribute to their communities.”

Front view of a modern two-story blue house with a wooden fence and walkway.
Street facing unit has a zero-step entry with an accessible bathroom but the lack of a sidewalk creates a step at the property’s edge

This condo project is Heller’s way of bringing his philosophy and professional experience close to home. “It’s nice being able to invest into the neighborhood that I live in, bring more affordable, diverse housing options to help people looking for homes,” Heller admits that there is a limit to how much of his style of infill housing is possible in the area, but he is committed to local contributions to the housing market. “I would ideally like to stay in Montavilla and continue to contribute to the vitality here. But I know that’s not always possible because deals do pop up elsewhere.”

These new homes are designed to be naturally affordable, without income restrictions. Heller accomplished this by building the units as ADUs rather than using some of Portland’s modern lot-division tools that do not require a condo Home Owners Association (HOA). “I did consider the middle housing land division. We felt like the ADU was going to be a bit more cost-effective. Right now there’s an SDC (System Development Charges) vacation, but at the time [we started] there was not. To not have to pay those SDCs, $25,000 per unit, that’s a lot of savings. And when you permit ADUs, the [city won’t] require you to improve the right-of-way,” explained Heller. “That would have been cost-prohibitive, either requiring us to build larger homes and sell them for more, or potentially leading to a project that just wouldn’t even pencil.”

Exterior view of a blue two-story house with a covered porch, surrounded by a small garden and fence.
Back unit with large patio and yard space. Each ADU has a 44-square-foot storage room with external door

In the case of this property, NE Multnomah Street is not fully improved, with gravel parking lanes on both sides and no sidewalks. Adding that infrastructure and the rainwater management required when you fully pave a street would have significant financial consequences. “Stormwater could be a $150,000 cost, which these small projects can’t really support,” said Heller. The original home received updates to the kitchen and bathroom, but Heller said it was in great shape, just a little outdated, until crews refreshed it. It also retained its single-car garage for onsite vehicle parking.

This smaller infill project joins others on this block, both by developers and by existing property owners. That scale of housing development pleases Heller, as it aligns with what the Incremental Development Alliance teaches. “We say ‘nobody’s coming to save you.’ If you’ve ever looked at a building and said ‘you know what that could be…’ then you’re probably that person who needs to figure out how to make it become that thing,” said Heller. “The idea here is to embolden and strengthen a whole swarm of local small-scale developers that can invest in their neighborhoods.”

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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Construction, Demolition, History, New Residence, Renovation

Four Affordable Townhouses on NE Hassalo

Crews will soon begin work preparing the vacant lot at 8425 NE Hassalo Street for a quartet of new townhouses. The seller will offer the new homes under an affordability program that exempts buyers from paying reassessed property taxes for a decade, cutting their monthly escrow payments. The developer will use the Middle Housing Land Division (MHLD) process to split the parcel into four distinct lots for individual sale. The frontmost home’s door will open onto the street, with the back three accessed by a shared walkway along the western edge of the properties. The attached units will provide buyers with three bedrooms in around 1,200 square feet of living space spread across two floors.

Aerial view of a vacant lot at 8425 NE Hassalo Street, surrounded by residential properties, outlined for future development of townhomes.
Portland Maps image showing 8425 NE Hassalo St outlined in red

Area developer Rees Bettinger purchased the 15,700-square-foot investment property at 8413 NE Hassalo Street in May, splitting its two linked lots. NW Development bought the undeveloped tract east of the existing house for this housing project. That company’s owner, Brett Barton, explained that he and Bettinger are longtime friends, working cooperatively when possible. Another developer purchased the corner lot and is using Cascade Homes NW to construct an additional four townhouses off NE 84th Avenue, as well as renovate the existing 1908-era two-story home that originally occupied the site. In the 1930s, a plumbing permit for the century-old property listed the “World War Veterans’ State Aid Commission” as the owner of this home, possibly indicating that a past resident was a World War I or Spanish-American War veteran who received the supportive organization’s loan to purchase the house. Although the house on NE Hassalo Street has used the adjacent property as a side yard for decades, the original platting of this block indicates that its subdividers intended the undeveloped 5,650-square-foot parcel to serve as a distinct property, and this current project is likely its first housing development.

Architectural floor plan for a development featuring four townhouse units, showing first and second floor layouts with labeled storage spaces.
8425, 8427, 8429, 8431 NE Hassalo St, floor plans courtesy NW Development

The 50-by-114-foot lot offers considerable space for the new housing. Barton said his project will utilize the same architect who designed Rees Bettinger’s townhouses, located a block over on NE Holladay Street. However, with the increased property size, the NE Hassalo Street units will offer their owners a few extra feet in critical spaces, such as bathrooms. The main level’s open layout places the “L” shaped kitchen in the back corner near the rear sliding door that leads to a patio space on the east side of the homes. An outdoor storage closet, located near the back patio, provides space for seasonal outdoor furniture or other deck items. A kitchen island has space for counter seating from the living room side and helps define the kitchen space from the rest of the open main room. The northern walls support a pantry, a half-bath washroom, and an under-staircase storage area containing the water heater. The second floor features two standard-sized bedrooms, each with a shared bathroom located in the hallway near a stacked laundry closet. An “owner’s” third bedroom features an ensuite bathroom and a walk-in closet.

Architectural rendering of a row of four townhouses showing modern design elements, large windows, and a symmetrical facade.
8425, 8427, 8429, 8431 NE Hassalo St, renderings courtesy NW Development

Barton said the new homes will also have more yard space, thanks to the deeper and wider lot. However, development plans will not allow for attached onsite vehicle storage. He explained that he registered the development in the “Homebuyer Opportunity Limited Tax Exemption” (HOLTE) program, which grants a property tax exemption of up to ten years to single-unit homes, as long as the property and owner remain eligible according to HOLTE Program requirements. Owners remain responsible for paying the original assessed value of the land without a building during the exemption period. This program only applies to housing with at least three bedrooms or some Two-bedroom homes within transit-oriented areas. Buyers must remain below the Median Family Income (MFI) restriction levels, and the home sale price for this program cannot exceed a maximum price currently set at $455,000. Barton intends to sell the houses for under $400,000 and expects the HOLTE option to make this obtainable for people qualified for loans in the $330,000 to $370,000 range.

A partially renovated house with wooden siding and a new roof stands on a lot that has been cleared of vegetation and debris. Surrounding trees and shrubs are visible in the background under a blue sky.
Renovation work underway at 8413 NE Hassalo St with 8425 NE Hassalo St seen behind it

New changes to Portland’s System Development Charges (SDCs) will also have a positive impact on this project. Barton said he would have needed to enroll in other affordability programs to reduce the fees the City charges builders to pay for new infrastructure. Those expenses can make some projects too costly. In July 2025, the Portland City Council adopted an ordinance that temporarily exempts newly created housing units from SDCs. With that change, Barton said prospective buyers will face fewer restrictions when qualifying for these affordable units. For other market-rate projects, it could keep costs within the profit margins needed to undertake a development.

City staff are still reviewing permits for the new housing. When construction crews complete work on these concurrent developments, the land that once supported a single home will now contain at least nine residences. People can expect significant progress on this project in 2026.

Article and photo by

Jacob Loeb

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Construction, New Residence

MHLD Approved on Tabor North 70th Cottages

On July 31st, the City of Portland approved a Middle Housing Land Division (MHLD) application at 1004 NE 70th Avenue, creating four new lots. Rees Bettinger Properties recently constructed three single-family homes behind the 1950-era single-story house at this address. Each new two-story structure offers an open-concept main level with two bedrooms and a stacked laundry closet on the second floor. Each bedroom has an ensuite bathroom with a walk-in shower. The architect placed a half-bathroom under the staircase on the first floor that extends out beyond the eastern wall of the center two units, adding another three feet to those washrooms.

Site plan of the new housing development at 1004 NE 70th Avenue in Portland, showing the layout of four new lots along NE 70th Avenue.
Exhibit C from Decision Notice for LU 25-036927 MLDS showing new lot configuration

The new homes, nearing completion, will offer residents just under 1,000 square feet of living space in almost identical floor plans. People can enter the new detached houses from a shared pathway along the property’s southern edge, and sliding glass doors at the north of the new structures lead to a back patio space. The “U” shaped kitchens feature a breakfast bar facing the center of the home and a dining area off to its side. The MHLD created four lots with an easement for utility lines and the walkway. Power for all homes comes in off the overhead lines to the front house, where electricians placed the power meters. The new structures have their utilities run underground. Demolition crews remove a semi-attached garage on the home’s southeast corner to allow adequate access to the back units.

Architectural rendering of two modern two-story homes with white exteriors, featuring large windows and distinctive gable roofs.
Left rendering show 1000 NE 70th Ave and 996 NE 70th Ave design. Right is 992 NE 70th Ave. Renderings courtesy of Rees Bettinger Properties

The developer, Rees Bettinger, created a cottage cluster arranged development on NE Holladay Street that wrapped up construction in 2024, and has another recently completed project underway that added four townhouses on the same street. He often works to preserve and improve existing homes while adding more residential inventory to the area. This approach to housing infill has the added benefit of retaining material investments in a structure and maintaining some of the existing streetscape’s age and scale. However, the NE 70th Avenue property is between several new homes built in the last two decades, so matching the adjacent structures is less of a concern.

Exterior view of a 1950-era single-story house in Portland, Oregon, with a mint green facade and a purple door, next to newly constructed two-story homes. The image shows a gravel pathway and surrounding landscaping.

The homes at this property should go on sale sometime this year after crews complete the interior work and painters cover the primed siding.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Greg Beddor – SEO Specialist, an Oregon based digital marketing consultancy. The company markets customer’s websites and provide SEO services to grow their business. We thank them for their support.

Construction, New Residence

NE Holladay ADU and Townhouse Update

Crews are nearing completion on the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) at 8358 NE Holladay Street Unit # B as other workers conclude framing work on the four townhouses next door. On January 22nd, Portlands Permitting & Development (PP&D) staff approved a Middle Housing Land Division (MHLD) application to create four distinct lots for the new two-story townhomes that will replace the garages that once served the single-family-home at the corner of NE 84th Avenue and Holladay Street.

This project took shape a year ago as developer Rees Bettinger looked to add housing to the corner lot while preserving the original 1940-era home. Work on the ADU progressed quickly, with crews completing much of the building’s exterior before cement masons poured the foundation of the four townhomes. With the MHLD approved, the site will offer future residents five properties with the rear townhome units accessible from a shared walkway to the east of the structure connecting with NE Holladay Street.

Floor Plan from LU 24-103864 MLDS

The townhomes each contain under 1,200 square feet of living space with similar floor plans. The main level’s open layout places the “L” shaped kitchen in the northwest corner near the rear sliding door that leads to a small patio space on the western side of the homes. A kitchen island has space for counter seating from the living room side and helps define the kitchen space from the rest of the main room. The southern walls support a pantry, a half-bath washroom, and an under-staircase storage area containing the water heater. The second floor has two standard-sized bedrooms with a full bathroom accessed from the hallway near a stacked laundry closet. An “owner’s” third bedroom features an ensuite bathroom and walk-in closet.

Draft rendering of townhouse building from side, subject to change. Courtesy Rees Bettinger

Crews are on pace to complete this project in the middle of 2025, with the listing for the original home with ADU potentially happening ahead of the townhome’s completion. Outside of landscaping, work should transition inside the structures within the coming months, and new residents could start living at this site before the end of the year.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Greg Beddor – SEO Specialist, an Oregon based digital marketing consultancy. The company markets customer’s websites and provide SEO services to grow their business. We thank them for their support.

Construction, New Residence

3 Homes Behind Existing Unit on NE 70th

Later this year, Rees Bettinger Properties will construct three single-family homes behind the 1950-era single-story house at 1004 NE 70th Avenue. Each new two-story structure will offer an open-concept main level with two bedrooms and a stacked laundry closet on the second floor. Each bedroom has an ensuite bathroom with a walk-in shower. The architect placed a half-bathroom under the staircase on the first floor that extends out beyond the eastern wall of the center two units, adding another three feet to those washrooms.

Site plan courtesy of Rees Bettinger Properties

The new homes will offer residents just under 1,000 square feet of living space in nearly identical floor plans. People can enter the new detached houses from a shared pathway along the property’s southern edge, and sliding glass doors at the north of the structures lead to a back patio space. The “U” shaped kitchens feature a breakfast bar facing the center of the home and a dining area off to its side. The developer will use a Middle Housing Land Division to split the property into four lots with an easement for utility lines and the walkway. Demolition crews will remove the semi-attached garage on the home’s southeast corner to allow people adequate access to the back units.

Image of 1004 NE 70th Avenue from Google Maps

The developer, Rees Bettinger, has undertaken other projects like this one in Montavilla over the last few years. He created a cottage cluster arranged development on NE Holladay Street that wrapped up construction in 2024 and has another project underway, creating four townhouses on the same street. He often works to preserve and improve existing homes while adding more residential inventory to areas. This approach to housing infill has the added benefit of retaining material investments in a structure and maintaining some of the existing streetscape’s age and scale. However, the NE 70th Avenue property is between several new homes built in the last two decades, so matching the adjacent structures is less of a concern. Bettinger anticipates construction beginning in March or April this year, depending on building permit approval timelines.

Left image show units A and B design. Right is unit C. Renderings courtesy of Rees Bettinger Properties

By

Jacob Loeb

Construction, Demolition, New Residence

Lot Division on NE Holladay Brings More Housing

The new owners of 8358 NE Holladay Street recently submitted a request to replat their double lot, making way for a new four-home development and Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) while preserving the original 1940-era home. Rees Bettinger purchased the corner property through a Limited Liability Company in September 2023 as he was in the process of building a new cottage cluster across the street. The housing density he created with his first project on Holladay Street was an effort to repurpose the lot’s vast yard. However, the density planned for this second property is mandated by City zoning rules for redevelopment.

Supplemental map from Replat Review LU 23-098034

Although both corner lots sit across NE 84th Avenue from each other, 8358 NE Holladay Street is in a pocket of Residential Multi-Dwelling 2 (RM2) zoned properties instead of Residential 2,500 (R2.5). RM2 zoning allows large buildings up to three or four floors. However, it has a base size requirement triggered by redevelopment to encourage efficient land use in the zone. The minimum density for an RM2 zoned property per Portland City Code 33.120.213 is 1 unit per 1,450 square feet. For this 10,000-square-foot site, the City requires at least seven housing units. That was more housing than the development team felt would fit the existing scale of the area, so they got creative. “If the existing house is retained, then that house will count as two units,” explained Bettinger. Now only needing to create five more homes, he plans to achieve the required density by building four townhouse units on the new lot where the garages once stood and adding an ADU to the original home’s yard facing NE 84th Avenue. 

Draft rendering of townhouse building from side, subject to change. Courtesy Rees Bettinger

In preparation for the replat, crews demolished the attached garage that would have extended over the property line. The original home will sit on a 5,438 square-foot parcel, and the smaller 4,562 square-foot property will contain an older accessory structure. Demolition workers will return to remove that detached garage ahead of the townhouse construction. Those two-story units will offer residents around 1,200 square feet of living space, three bedrooms, and two-and-a-half bathrooms. The northmost home will face onto NE Holladay Street, and a walkway will provide access to the back three units with doors facing east. “We’ll have ten feet between the building and the western lot line to have some outdoor areas for a patio with a place to put a little outdoor picnic table and a barbecue,” said Bettinger. The two-bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom, detached ADU will remain with the original house, with its door opening onto NE 84th Avenue.  

Similar to the project across the street, Bettinger will need to reconstruct the sidewalk corner ramps to comply with current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. He also expects to re-pour the sidewalk concrete and rebuild curb segments around the property, particularly where crews removed the driveway. This site will not offer onsite vehicle storage. Instead, it will rely on curbside parking for residents and guests. “I think [parking] is probably the biggest deal in terms of where people are negative on these types of projects. There are a lot of projects that the City of Portland won’t allow off-street parking on. As a realtor, I know most people want a garage, and now the codes [require] quite a bit of [building] width to even have a garage approved. I understand the City’s perspective on it; by the time you get a [driveway] approach and then the wings of that approach, oftentimes you’re taking two [on-street parking spaces] away to create one onsite,” said Bettinger.

Draft site map for townhouse building, subject to change. Courtesy Rees Bettinger

Bettinger and his family live in the area, and this development work grew out of seeing many infill opportunities in Montavilla yards. Early in his life, he worked in construction as a framer and a remodeler before going into real estate. In 2020, Bettinger bought his first lot and paid a builder to develop a new home intended for sale. By 2021, he obtained an Oregon Construction Contractors Board license and started taking on subcontractor management work on his projects. However, Bettinger continued working as a realtor, sometimes working more than reasonable hours. Development work came at the right time, as a hot housing market meant many of his clients could not close on a property in a bidding war, and he was not making regular commissions on the sales. For Bettinger, becoming a full-time builder is not an easy solution to weathering a challenging housing market. It has its own problems and frustrations, including nearly a dozen instances of break-ins and vandalism at his last project site. On top of building delays, that damage cuts into project feasibility, creating a sense of dread during some parts of the work cycle.  

Draft rendering of townhouse building from street, subject to change. Courtesy Rees Bettinger

Bettinger’s knowledge of the selling side of the market helps shape the projects he takes on, but his consideration for the community also plays a factor. “My wife’s been a wonderful partner in every way. She’s great at asking me questions. ‘What are we doing to these neighborhoods? Can we run a business that’s profitable but also something you can be proud of at the end of the day?'” recalled Bettinger. That consultation helps the business adjust project scope to factor in the neighboring properties, which is why Bettinger does not always build to the highest density allowed. As he moves forward, projects will trend to smaller-sized units as that is what people can afford at an entry level.

Bettinger expects this project to take a few more months before he can submit building permits, likely pushing construction back to the end of this year. Details of the project could change based on the City of Portland’s feedback, and the total number of units for sale will depend on further land division allowances. Residents in this area should expect more construction at this site towards the end of the year. Additionally, people can anticipate greater density in the RM2-zoned blocks as properties redevelop with the City’s higher minimum unit requirements. 

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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