The issue I'm seeing is that right now, you won't even be cashflow positive unless you can put 40-50% down on the construction costs. That's a HUGE ask for som

The issue I'm seeing is that right now, you won't even be cashflow positive unless you can put 40-50% down on the construction costs. That's a HUGE ask for someone to build an ADU! If you feel so strongly about it, why don't you just become a developer? The answer is obvious: capital. But that applies at every scale, and thus to a whole lot of those homeowners you're showing disdain for too. People complain the rents in my area are too high. But the costs of the underlying real estate, maintenance, construction, and repairs are so high right now that it barely pencils out if at all. Most houses in the area were constructed in the 70's or the 90's and have not been well-maintained. So there's added costs of trying to bring old structures back up to snuff. New construction, even medium/high density stuff doesn't make sense unless you have 40-50% down or access to some ridiculously low interest loan. Something has to give. Either prices need to come down on land, labor and construction materials, or rents need to go even higher.