Residential or Retail? What Will The Rise of The Cottage Industry Mean For Neighborhoods?

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Cottage Industry

Let me tell you, folks, working from home is awesome. Sometimes I don’t change out of my pajamas until I have to leave the house, which can often be sometime in the afternoon, guys. I thank my lucky stars for this career option, which has made being a mother so much easier.

But while I sit and navel-gaze at my desk all day while my son wreaks havoc on our playroom or runs around with other hellions at Mother’s Day Out, other people who work from home are serving jams, preserves, and delicious baked goods from their front door. That’s all thanks to a bill that Gov. Rick Perry recently signed into law allowing “cottage industries” to sell their wares right from their home kitchens.

There are a few restrictions, including that the kitchens that create these various concoctions pass health and safety inspections, but what raises my eyebrow is how this will affect neighbors and neighborhoods where this kind of business isn’t exactly the norm. (I’m looking at you, Park Cities.) Cottage industry, which predated the industrial revolution, allowed women to seek work (spinning, knitting, weaving, and sewing) without leaving the home, which was often looked down upon. Boy, have we come full circle, eh?

I guess what I want to know is, would you buy a house near a cottage business? Does your HOA allow this kind of thing?

Joanna England is the Executive Editor at CandysDirt.com and covers the North Texas housing market.

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