Legal pathway case study

Third Street Cottages

Langley, WA

Eight cottages under a thousand square feet around a garden courtyard on Whidbey Island, built on four ordinary residential lots in 1998. It is recorded here as a legal pathway: the developer states it was the first development in the United States built under a cottage-housing land use code.

This case study explains a legal and development pathway. It is not a statement that a home is currently available.

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How this place works

Living model
General living
Kind of place
Built-out owner-occupied cottage court
Participation
Participation optional
Residential fit
Year-round conventional cottage residence when a resale becomes available
Current availability detail
The developer's official community page states that Third Street Cottages is sold.
Evidence
Operator website observed · last researched September 23, 2026

These are research findings from public sources, not an operator confirmation. The primary source is the page this was read from. Confirm every requirement, cost and opening with the community before making plans.

At a glance

Community stage
Historical or model
Current availability
Not applicable
Availability last checked September 10, 2026
Tenure
Not confirmed
Full-time living
Not confirmed
Bring your own home
Not confirmed
Cost
Not confirmed
Household or age requirements
Not confirmed
Children
Not confirmed
Pets
Not confirmed

Current housing and availability

Not applicable

Availability last checked September 10, 2026

Availability does not apply to a case study or historical model.

Land to Village lists a home or site here only when a current, related record supports it.

The cottages sold out in 1998. The developer offers notification of future resales; that is a way to hear about a resale, not a current home, site, waitlist or listing. Visit community website

What Land to Village has confirmed

  • The cottages sold out in 1998. The developer offers notification of future resales; that is a way to hear about a resale, not a current home, site, waitlist or listing.
  • Community description (Third Street Cottages)
  • Evidence status (Third Street Cottages)
  • Current availability (Third Street Cottages)
  • Legal pathway (Third Street Cottages)
  • Official website (Third Street Cottages)
  • Housing arrangements (Third Street Cottages)

What still needs confirmation

These details are material and Land to Village has not confirmed them. Ask about them before making a decision.

  • The cottages sold out in 1998 and the developer offers a list for resale opportunities, so whether anything is available has not yet been confirmed.
  • The developer states this was the first development in the United States under a cottage housing land use code, and the ordinance itself has not yet been read.
  • What a cottage costs, and whether there are association dues, have not yet been confirmed.
  • Whether there is an owners association, or shared ownership of the courtyard, has not yet been confirmed.
  • Whether children may live here, the pet policy and any occupancy limit have not yet been confirmed.

Legal and financial caution

This pathway is property-specific

Land-use rules and approvals are property-specific and change over time. A pathway that worked here may not apply to another property.

Sources and review history

This profile was last reviewed September 8, 2026.

Corrections

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