3 ms·

Show HN: SpendTree – A tool to analyze income properties

50 points by dpain 12y ago

infinitone 12y ago
So does this tool automatically pull in the data given a property or do I have to input some of the data? Definitely looks like something I'd want to use as a home buyer.
- dpain 12y ago
  Right now you can generate a report on the property using as little as Address, Purchase price, Square footage and a guess of beds/baths. We estimate the rest based on market data - the basis for each estimate is shown in the report.
  - dpain 12y ago
    We are targeting MLS integration with our next development phase, however, which would autofill all of this information.
    - CodyReichert 12y ago
      I actually saw this posted on Reddit earlier and was super impressed! Glad to see it here posted as well :) I was silently wondering if you were aggregating MLS data. I run SimplyRETS[0] - we provide a normalized API to MLS's RETS data. I'm not trying to sell you anything, but I'd love to team up - You should shoot me an email (cody@simplyrets.com)! Best of luck and great work on the product! [0] - https://simplyrets.com https://simplyrets.com
  - npace12 12y ago
    As someone who doesn't know much about real estate, this comment made me sign up, while the web site confused me a bit. Keep it up, I like the report on my house.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
cmottau 12y ago
Where does the data come from? We collect and publish building permit data at the property level which might be a good add-on for investors looking to for info on the the condition of the structure. If you're interested in adding building permit records to your reports I'd love to discuss. You can email me direclty at chris [at] buildzoom.com
- dpain 12y ago
  email sent!
breitling 12y ago
As a real estate investor, let me say this is fantastic. The only suggestion I have is to include more demographic information. I usually need a lot more detail about the neighbourhood (ethnicity, income, profession, married %, pop by age group, etc). Are you familiar with zipskinny.Com? They do a great job at the demographics. Edit: looks like zipskinny is down, but here's an image of what their chart looked like: http://www.bobguskind.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/zip-skinny-11215.jpg http://www.bobguskind.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/zip-ski...
- dpain 12y ago
  Awesome feedback, this is definitely on our list of things to add, you can be sure to see it soon!
gatsby 12y ago
This is really cool - congrats on the launch! Does all of the property analysis currently happen in individual reports? As a RE investor, I'd love some comparison tools to comp out similar properties side by side. Shoot me an email if you want to chat further. Love talking all things RE tech.
lvs 12y ago
Perhaps this crowd won't agree, but "income properties" and "real estate investment" are horrible things when it comes to residential real estate. This is THE major driving force for urban cost-of-living increases on both American coasts. If I could downvote the whole concept of this industry, I would. When speculators speculate on food commodities, people argue that it provides market liquidity to justify why that's not entirely illegal. Well, real estate is by definition illiquid, so speculative activity in this area benefits nobody but the speculators.
- gatsby 12y ago
  >If I could downvote the whole concept of this industry, I would. So, are you the one that downvoted most of the comments in this thread? >"income properties" and "real estate investment" are horrible things when it comes to residential real estate Don't confuse flipping houses with actual real estate investment. There are 45m renters in the US, all living in "income properties." Why is this horrible?
  - lvs 12y ago
    > are you the one that downvoted most of the comments in this thread? Yes, and I said I would. > Don't confuse flipping houses with actual real estate investment. I clearly haven't, but why you imagine there's some moral distinction is unknown to me.
    - gatsby 12y ago
      I still don't understand why you think RE investment is morally wrong. Would also love to know how you came up with, "real estate investment...is THE major driving force for urban cost-of-living increases on both American coasts."
      - lvs 12y ago
        Just read my top comment or talk to any economist. You're gambling with fundamental human assets (as are food speculators), except that in urban real estate, there is very limited elasticity in supply. So your self-interested activity takes profit off of and drives up the cost of living for no gain to anyone but you. The fundamental value of the asset is unchanged for your involvement, but the price is higher.
sauronlord 12y ago
This is awesome. I'm investing in Waterloo, Ontario and I've built my own spreadsheets to help me make good investment decisions. This blows it out of the water. I'm glad you made this product.
alexchamberlain 12y ago
Is psychological pricing (3 cents below the dollar) necessary? Does it make a material difference to sales?

50 points by dpain 12y ago

So does this tool automatically pull in the data given a property or do I have to input some of the data? Definitely looks like something I'd want to use as a home buyer.

dpain 12y ago
Right now you can generate a report on the property using as little as Address, Purchase price, Square footage and a guess of beds/baths. We estimate the rest based on market data - the basis for each estimate is shown in the report.
- dpain 12y ago
  We are targeting MLS integration with our next development phase, however, which would autofill all of this information.
  - CodyReichert 12y ago
    I actually saw this posted on Reddit earlier and was super impressed! Glad to see it here posted as well :) I was silently wondering if you were aggregating MLS data. I run SimplyRETS[0] - we provide a normalized API to MLS's RETS data. I'm not trying to sell you anything, but I'd love to team up - You should shoot me an email (cody@simplyrets.com)! Best of luck and great work on the product! [0] - https://simplyrets.com https://simplyrets.com
- npace12 12y ago
  As someone who doesn't know much about real estate, this comment made me sign up, while the web site confused me a bit. Keep it up, I like the report on my house.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]

cmottau 12y ago

Where does the data come from? We collect and publish building permit data at the property level which might be a good add-on for investors looking to for info on the the condition of the structure. If you're interested in adding building permit records to your reports I'd love to discuss. You can email me direclty at chris [at] buildzoom.com

dpain 12y ago
email sent!

breitling 12y ago

As a real estate investor, let me say this is fantastic. The only suggestion I have is to include more demographic information. I usually need a lot more detail about the neighbourhood (ethnicity, income, profession, married %, pop by age group, etc). Are you familiar with zipskinny.Com? They do a great job at the demographics. Edit: looks like zipskinny is down, but here's an image of what their chart looked like: http://www.bobguskind.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/zip-skinny-11215.jpg http://www.bobguskind.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/zip-ski...

dpain 12y ago
Awesome feedback, this is definitely on our list of things to add, you can be sure to see it soon!

gatsby 12y ago

This is really cool - congrats on the launch! Does all of the property analysis currently happen in individual reports? As a RE investor, I'd love some comparison tools to comp out similar properties side by side. Shoot me an email if you want to chat further. Love talking all things RE tech.

lvs 12y ago

Perhaps this crowd won't agree, but "income properties" and "real estate investment" are horrible things when it comes to residential real estate. This is THE major driving force for urban cost-of-living increases on both American coasts. If I could downvote the whole concept of this industry, I would. When speculators speculate on food commodities, people argue that it provides market liquidity to justify why that's not entirely illegal. Well, real estate is by definition illiquid, so speculative activity in this area benefits nobody but the speculators.

gatsby 12y ago
>If I could downvote the whole concept of this industry, I would. So, are you the one that downvoted most of the comments in this thread? >"income properties" and "real estate investment" are horrible things when it comes to residential real estate Don't confuse flipping houses with actual real estate investment. There are 45m renters in the US, all living in "income properties." Why is this horrible?
- lvs 12y ago
  > are you the one that downvoted most of the comments in this thread? Yes, and I said I would. > Don't confuse flipping houses with actual real estate investment. I clearly haven't, but why you imagine there's some moral distinction is unknown to me.
  - gatsby 12y ago
    I still don't understand why you think RE investment is morally wrong. Would also love to know how you came up with, "real estate investment...is THE major driving force for urban cost-of-living increases on both American coasts."
    - lvs 12y ago
      Just read my top comment or talk to any economist. You're gambling with fundamental human assets (as are food speculators), except that in urban real estate, there is very limited elasticity in supply. So your self-interested activity takes profit off of and drives up the cost of living for no gain to anyone but you. The fundamental value of the asset is unchanged for your involvement, but the price is higher.

sauronlord 12y ago

This is awesome. I'm investing in Waterloo, Ontario and I've built my own spreadsheets to help me make good investment decisions. This blows it out of the water. I'm glad you made this product.

alexchamberlain 12y ago

Is psychological pricing (3 cents below the dollar) necessary? Does it make a material difference to sales?