Lew Sichelman
Do you want to know whether you can add an accessory dwelling unit to your property without going through the hassle of dealing with government bureaucracy? Do you dread trying to figure out if solar energy will work on your house?
If you answered in the affirmative to any of these questions, then a couple of new tools are about to make your dilemma easier.
One, from Breezy, will tell you not only whether you can build an ADU but also the potential for adding a second-story addition, digging a basement or making other major improvements. The other, from Aurora Solar, allows you to evaluate the possibility of solar with little legwork on your part.
A New Way to Scope Out Investments
Breezy’s “Underbuilt Radar” platform analyzes zoning data to calculate a site’s buildable area and any setbacks, height limits and slopes, and creates an overall development potential score.
Previously available only to real estate agents, who use the information to advise their clients, the company has recently expanded the service to homeowners and buyers.
For $89, you can enter an address and receive a report outlining a property’s development potential. The service is currently available for more than 23,000 ZIP codes in 49 states, with additional markets being added regularly.
The company said the service is intended to reduce the time and expense owners and would-be buyers often incur when determining whether proposed additions comply with local zoning regulations. Many spend as much as $30,000 on architectural plans before discovering a project does not meet municipal requirements, it said.
“One of the biggest challenges when buying real estate is understanding a property’s true potential,” Breezy co-founder James Harris said in a statement. “Too often, buyers are making decisions without knowing what can actually be built or what’s possible. UnderBuilt changes that by removing the guesswork and giving homeowners and buyers the inside track on the full potential of any property before they make one of the biggest investments of their lives.”
Information provided to Banker & Tradesman by a Breezy representative shows Underbuilt Radar covers single-family zoning districts in most communities across Greater Boston, and in a number of communities on Cape Cod, in Central Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts.
Shining a Light on Solar Potential
Meanwhile, Aurora Solar Marketplace is aimed at taming the solar energy sector. The service gives owners a personalized solar and storage estimate and compares local installers. And you can do it all on your own timeline, without having to share your contact information.
The platform is backed by Aurora Solar, a platform used by 7,000 solar professionals, including, the company says, 7 of the top 10 solar contractors. Since 2013, it has been used for more than 20 million installations.
If there is one thing other than cost that is holding the solar business back, it’s trust. Homeowners can’t obtain advice or accurate estimates without handing over their phone numbers and risk being pestered by overzealous salespeople. And they often are unable to compare competing proposals while trying to determine if they are even fair, let alone accurate.
Because it runs on the same system used by professionals, Aurora Solar Marketplace offers a trustworthy place to start. Estimates are built on your own roof dimensions and electricity use, as opposed to regional usage. You can resize the system and add battery storage to see how your estimated energy savings change.
The platform doesn’t sell or install solar. Instead, it allows you to compare installers in your area, side by side, with details like long-term savings, system size, equipment, financing and more. And when you are ready, you can contact the installer of your choice.
Estimates are non-binding and must be confirmed by the installer once they visit your property. But the online marketplace is free to use.
Intel for Condo-Buyers
A third new tool, currently available only in Florida with plans to expand, provides pre-purchase building intelligence reports for condominium buyers.
Called CleanCondo, the service states that it compiles data from public records, cites every source and presents findings in plain language. It “presents records, not advice,” so the decision whether to move forward is up to the buyer. Reports detail buildings and associations, not individuals.
Since the Surfside collapse in 2021, Florida has required structural inspections and reserve studies for older condominium buildings. These reports create a paper trail, but what they uncover can be costly. Many owners end up facing special assessments and sometimes run into high figures to make the necessary repairs.
But most would-be buyers never see these all-important documents, which are scattered across state filings, county safety lists, court dockets and news archives.
CleanCondo plans to expand to New York City and Chicago next, where buyer waitlists are already open. Other locations will follow.
Lew Sichelman has been covering real estate for more than 50 years. He is a regular contributor to numerous shelter magazines and housing and housing-finance industry publications. Readers can contact him at lsichelman@aol.com.
