sburl

I work across quite a few repos and got tired of constantly checking GitHub to see how things were progressing. I built PRBar to get this information at a glance with quick links to the website. It also shows the number of branches and worktrees each repo has.

This works for all public GitHub repos and borrows your gh CLI token for private ones.

Install (macOS 14+, Xcode CLT, `gh auth login`):

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sburl/prBar/main/install.sh | bash

You pick the repos (add/remove/reorder). Dependabot PRs are listed under their own header. Refresh defaults to 2 minutes.

Instant quoting is a pretty powerful way for US manufacturers to combat "always on WhatsApp" Chinese shops, but exposing prices will shift the industry.

we'll see how this goes but it feels more differentiated

nang comes across as v genuine in his yt

This seems like a great construction robotics application since you have such an empty / controllable site. Did you ever consider teleoperations as well?

We did take a pretty deep look into shipping containers. There are a number of sites that will sell you a pretty fully featured container (https://www.curbed.com/2017/6/21/15839730/shipping-container...)

While many of them look pretty reasonable, longevity and sense of value are the main issues people have psychologically. Shipping containers often elicit worry about rust and decay which is not unreasonable by my understanding is that they have coatings and paint that can largely prevent this.

The bigger issue is the homeowner's sense of value. While any ADU should increase the value of the property it's on, a shipping container home may make the home a bit harder to sell.

Shipping container homes often come with a very technical installation. Since the entire unit is built, if access into the backyard is limited the unit needs to be lifted over the home (and all the power lines) by a massive and very expensive crane. An easier version of this installation by crane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDTLBbfKL3E

As we've thought about these problems, we've honed in on building beautiful largely prefabricated flat-packed units that are easy to get into the backyard and then bolt together kind of like Ikea furniture.

This is definitely something to think about as we get closer to renting these units. Our expectation is for tenant and homeowner to be fair and reasonable and we're developing a framework for what that looks like.

People definitely use traditional home equity loans to build ADUs but this can be quite risky. There are more full-stack providers (like one of our building partners https://node.eco/ who's headquartered in Washington State) which make the process a bit less nerve-wracking, but it's still a lot of time, effort, and risk.

The way this works with ADUs is a blended approach. The existing home's tax status is protected by Prop 13 and the ADU as a structure is appraised. While adding an ADU adds considerable resale value to a home, tax assessors don't typically value them that highly. It's also worth noting the ADU also becomes protected under Prop 13 after the initial assessment (https://maxablespace.com/granny-flat-tax-implications/)

Growing up on the East Coast, I was confused when I first visited the Valley and learned about how expensive housing is. People that don't work for big tech companies can't afford to live here anymore and even workers just starting out at Google are spending >30% of their income on housing. I'm afraid of what that means.

A couple of people actually do sell kits on Amazon for ~$10-50k (https://www.amazon.com/Jackson-275-119-Sq-Ft-Tiny/dp/B07SPTW...)

I can't speak to other kits -- some of the shipping container ones actually seem like they might work for some people (https://simpleterra.com/) but we looked into working with Amazon kits and it's really tough. The two main issues are on-site work and bringing the kit up to a livable standard.

On-site work is expensive -- think $50-80k depending on the site to secure a building permit, level the ground, and pour a foundation. There are some new types of low impact foundations (closer to $15k + $20-30k for permits) we've seen and are exploring but I don't know we could do that with a kit.

The main issue is with turning the kit into something livable. Kits are usually difficult (and loud) to assemble, the wood needs to be finished so it doesn't rot, they usually aren't designed to accommodate plumbing, gas, and electrical lines, and unless you want to spend hundreds of hours of your own time to learn those skills, you'll need to manage and hire 5-10 professionals which quickly eliminates the initial cost savings.

Unfortunately, a fully-featured unit is really expensive. For a unit like the ones we build (full bathroom with shower, kitchenette, on a full foundation) you'd be hard-pressed to build a unit for less than $100k. This number assumes you're spending a whole lot of your time working on the project. People are building these units and we're excited to see the stock of housing rise in the Bay Area but most people won't make the jump to borrow the money on a home equity line of credit and become a part-time construction manager.

The idea is that there's a third party who formally holds the contract so there's minimal disruption for the homeowner if something happens to our company.

We build units that are just as nice as your existing home. With proper upkeep, they'll last just as long too.

This was something the article didn't quite get right. You're able to pass this agreement on to a next of kin or new buyer. We'll even lower the priority of our lien to allow a mortgage to be issued.

You're right that one of our hopes is to enable people to stay in their homes amidst the rising cost of living. The income from this unit can be used to hire a caretaker or even enable the homeowner to downsize in place -- moving into the ADU and renting out the main home. In this scenario, the homeowner would just need to pay us half the market rent.

Finding a balance between renter and homeowner is a big concern of ours. The scale of the difficulty depends a lot of times on how much space there is on the lot. Most of the time we'll build as far from the main home as possible to help preserve privacy and independence but there's still a balance to find. We have an expectation for homeowners and renters alike to be reasonable and we don't want to need to enforce that with a contract but setting clear expectations and methods of recourse are important.

I don't think I've ever seen Brian wear a tie ;)

The part where you gain equity in the unit is a bit like a mortgage in that respect. This mortgage pays you though :) Also worth noting that you'll gain equity in the unit even if Rent the Backyard fails to find a tenant so you don't need to worry about the goalposts shifting.

Definitely a good use case! We make the borrower a bit more stable and creditworthy with a unit like this so that might be something for us to dig into in the long run

A lot of people we've talked to have been in this exact situation. Older folks who have lived in their home for a long time and watched the cost of living rise while remaining on a fixed income from something like Social Security. Our hope with Rent the Backyard is to help people like this remain in their homes and have a higher quality of life.

Hi everyone, my name is Spencer and I’m one of the co-founders of Rent the Backyard.

Rent the Backyard was founded to help homeowners who want to earn extra income from their underused backyards but don’t want to spend a ton of time or money to make it happen. Rent the Backyard provides a turnkey solution — we handle all the logistics of putting a studio apartment in your backyard — helping you earn $10-$20k per year in rental income with as little loss of privacy for you as possible.

We’re focused on the Bay Area (particularly San Jose) to start. California has passed a lot of laws in recent years that make these “accessory dwelling units” or ADU easier to build because they believe these units can help play a role in solving the affordable housing crisis. 4,300 ADU were built last year in California and we’re hoping to help more homeowners access this new type of housing without needing to borrow money and become a part-time construction manager.

We’re building this business not only to help homeowners make more money from their underutilized space but also to help communities increase their supply of housing. We want to be sensitive to the communities we serve and as we build, we’re committed to listening to stakeholders and exceeding California’s requirements when it’s the right thing to do.

Excited to answer your questions here and by email: [email protected] !

Thank you for the kind words :)

We're interested in platforms like Fundrise but really focused on the initial sales process and proving this model with 10 units. The hope is this will make it easier to go to real estate investment platforms and other sites like it.

We have a lot of good info on appreciation in the emails we send to people who are interested in learning more about the product. As we've gone through the launch process, I think this is the thing we've fumbled most. We've been focused on the initial value prop, but the long tail is really valuable too. As we build the website and other public-facing content out, this will be something we prioritize.

We're really thankful for the Hacker News community pushing us hard on this and other points, and bearing with us as we focus on getting the messaging right :)

We thought about calling the company this :)

Hi there - my name is Spencer and I'm one of the co-founders of Rent the Backyard.

It's tricky (years and $$$) to become a mortgage lender but we have flexibility in our agreement for a homeowner to pass the agreement to a new owner (we'll even move our lien back to the second position so the new homeowner can get a mortgage)

Hi there - my name is Spencer and I'm one of the co-founders of Rent the Backyard.

@simonebrunozzi -- great summation of the ADU climate in the US. In California, the government has become even more receptive to ADU in the last few years (https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Are-accessory-dw...)

Our financial model is different than a loan. We use the split from the profits of the unit to make back our money and secure that with a lien on the home. The great thing here is that this lien decreases each year over 30 years until it goes away and you own 100% of the unit and its proceeds.

The great thing about an ADU is that it appreciates the value of your home. We're focused on building long term partnerships with homeowners but if you decide to move before the lien decreases to 0 you can pass the contract to the next homeowner who can continue it to completion. Or you have the flexibility to buy out the contract. When this happens, the increase in value the ADU brings your home can often cancel out or make you money compared to if you didn't have the ADU.

You are right about the potential limits on taking further debt on a home with our agreement and that's a value call each customer will need to make: earn rental income from working with Rent the Backyard, or maximize the access I have to my home's equity.

Hi there - my name is Spencer and I'm one of the co-founders of Rent the Backyard.

You're totally right about possible zoning restrictions in most places. The climate in California has really changed in the last two years to allow what the state calls "accessory dwelling units" or ADU (https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Are-accessory-dw...). These laws cover everything from parking, to setbacks, to privacy requirements. We'll go beyond what is required by those laws when it's the right thing to do.

These new laws have led to an explosion of building. 4300 of these units were permitted in California last year with 187 in the City of San Jose -- our main focus to start.

We love dogs too but this is definitely an issue. Ultimately, this is a product you'll have to decide works or doesn't work for you :)

Hi there - my name is Spencer and I'm one of the co-founders of Rent the Backyard.

It's worth noting that this is actually something the article wasn't great on. If your buyer is excited about continuing this agreement, we're happy to sign the unit over and even take a second position to a new mortgage so you don't ever need to pay anything.

The great thing about a backyard apartment is that it is a permanent improvement to your property and increases the value of the home but you have a great point. We aren't the best short term partner. If you don't plan on staying in your home for a long time, making substantial improvements to your property doesn't make sense. We're focused on helping homeowners be able to stay in their home as the cost of living rises. We're committed to doing the right thing and turning away prospective customers who don't fit this profile.

Hi there - my name is Spencer and I'm one of the co-founders of Rent the Backyard.

We're very much focused not taking the Uber approach. We're working within the context of a set of laws California has passed over the last several years that establish and regulate what the state calls "accessory dwelling units" aka ADU. We're initially focused on building in cities like San Jose that have factored the sustainable and conscious development of ADU into their thoughts on how to combat the housing crisis they face.

4300 ADU were permitted and built last year in California with hundreds of these units being built in the Bay Area (https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Are-accessory-dw...).

We're really conscious of the impact we'll have on the neighborhoods we operate in and are committed to working with everyone involved to make the process of installation and ongoing housing have a minimal impact. Our studio apartments are almost completely built when they arrive in your backyard and require very minimal (a few weeks if not days) to bolt together and be ready to go. We're excited to see California have strong laws to protect neighbor's privacy and rights as well and will go beyond what is required by those laws when it's the right thing to do.