Local businesses partner to offer affordable housing solution
Solution hybridCore homes, Friedman’s home improvement, and Redwood Credit Union partner to provide affordable cottages/“granny” units
SANTA ROSA, CA (September 1, 2017) — Three Sonoma County businesses—hybridCore Homes, Friedman’s Home Improvement, and Redwood Credit Union (RCU)—have partnered to provide a solution to help local homeowners add affordable cottages/“granny” units to their property as accessory dwelling units (ADUs) for a family member, caregiver, rental income, or other reasons.
Earlier this year, California passed two laws, AB2299 and SB1069, which eased restrictions and requirements for ADUs on private property. After the state laws passed, several local cities—including Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and Sonoma—reviewed and amended their policies to align with the new law to make it easier and affordable for local homeowners to add a second unit to their property as one way to help ease local housing challenges, such as lack of affordable housing, low housing inventory, and skyrocketing home and rental prices.
With eight floorplans and two elevations to choose from, the cottages range from 459 to 1,190 square feet, and come with the core unit—including kitchen and bathroom—finished and delivered to the property. hybridCore oversees delivery and placement of the cottage. All remaining materials needed to finish the exterior (including siding, roofing, gutters, paint, and nails) are available in partnership with Friedman’s. For an additional cost, hybridCore offers full turnkey service to complete the entire project. With Redwood Credit Union’s affordable financing, homeowners can obtain a home equity line of credit (HELOC) to access up to 85% of their existing home’s equity to pay for the cottage.
“With the new California laws, homeowners can now affordably add a second unit to their property to provide additional housing for family or renters,” said Shaun Faber, co-founder and partner of hybridCore Homes. “By partnering with Friedman’s for the finishing materials and Redwood Credit Union for the financing, we’ve made it easy, fast and affordable for residents to make this happen.”
Kiosks are now available in Friedman’s Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and Sonoma locations to provide an experience for local homeowners to learn about the cottages, view videos, place an order, and apply for financing. “This is a make-sense partnership between our three companies,” said Barry Friedman, president of Friedman’s. “We’re confident this will help ease some of the North Bay’s housing crisis and improve the lives of people in our community,” he added.
Redwood Credit Union will provide affordable home equity line or loan financing for the cottages, up to $500,000, although hybridCore Homes and Friedman’s has estimated the average cottage will range between $150,000-$300,000, depending on the size and finishes chosen by the consumer.
“We’re honored to partner with these two local businesses, because it serves a critical need in our community, and fits with our focus on helping people succeed,” said Brett Martinez, RCU’s president and CEO. “The cottages provide opportunities for multigenerational families to live affordably on the same property, for seniors to live comfortably and/or have on-site caregivers while maintaining independence, or to provide homeowners with rental income. RCU is pleased to provide affordable financing and contribute to housing solutions for our community.”
For additional information about the cottages, visit Friedman’s Home Improvement stores in Santa Rosa, Petaluma or Sonoma, or visit www.hybridcorecottages.com. For information about financing, visit www.redwoodcu.org.
A hybridCore Cottage kiosk at Friedman’s Home Improvement
A rendering of the Russian River cottage – one of the eight options available through the hybridCore Cottage program
A hybridCore Cottage floorplan
About Redwood Credit Union
Founded in 1950, Redwood Credit Union is a full-service financial institution providing personal and business banking to consumers and businesses in the North Bay and San Francisco. With a mission to passionately serve the best interests of its Members, team members, and communities, RCU delivers many ways for its Members to save and build money through checking and savings accounts, auto and home loans, credit cards, digital banking, business services, commercial and SBA lending, and more. Wealth management and investment services are available through CUSO Financial Services L.P., and insurance and auto-purchasing services are also offered through RCU Services Group (RCU’s wholly owned subsidiary). RCU has more than $8 billion in assets and serves more than 445,000 members with full-service branches from San Francisco to Ukiah. For more information, call 1 (800) 479-7928, visit redwoodcu.org, or follow RCU on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn for news and updates.
About hybridCore Homes
hybridCore Homes was formed by Kevin Farrell and Shaun Faber of the award-winning architectural firm Farrell-Faber and Associates, who envisioned a “hybrid” home that married the traditional stick-built structure with one partially constructed in a facility utilizing precision production. The result is the revolutionary hybridCore Home, a solution that keeps builders ahead of the economic curve by allowing them to construct a beautifully designed, high-quality home for less money, time, and energy. For more information, visit www.hybridcorehomes.com.
