Real Estate Photographers Play an Important Role in SoCal’s Affordable Housing Programs

Real estate photographers in Orange County are currently in hight demand as the number of homeowners renting out so-called “granny flats,” is on the rise. Statistically, Orange County, SoCal, reflected an unusually high number of homes included in Real Estate, Rental and Leasing listings.

The trend of renting out “granny flats,” otherwise known as Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) built by homeowners, has picked up even in other Southern California counties. ADU rentals increased ever since the California legislature embraced the ADU concept as a way to solve the state’s housing crisis; legislating a package of state laws that homeowners must observe when building and leasing ADUs in their private property.

In 2016 alone, it was estimated that one (1) out of every four (4) houses in SoCal has an ADU to offer to interested renters. The number has since risen, now that the state Congress made amendments that eliminated the minimum lot-size requirement and the number of owner-occupancy that one must meet in order to qualify for ADU building and letting.

Rise in Numbers of ADUs Spurred a Demand for Professional Real Estate Photographers

Initially, when OC homeowners placed their ADUs in Real Estate listings, they merely used their phone cameras to photograph their ADU, just so they could give searchers a view of what a homeowner is offering for lease.

Later however, as the number of available ADUs increased, it came to be that using professionally taken photographs can make a big difference in attracting renters. After all, real estate photographers are backed, not only by years of experience in real estate photography; but also by their broad understanding of what attracts buyers or renters when looking at real estate listings.

More so now that Orange County has been statistically surveyed as having an exceptionally high number of real estate for rent or lease, when compared to other counties.

Taking Out Home Mortgage Financing to Build ADUs in Orange County

The legislation signed by Governor Brown in 2016 made it easier for homeowners to build new ADUs and get existing ADUs code-compliant. Through the California Housing Finance Agency’s Single Family Lending Division, more than 163,000 families in California were able to take out mortgages that enabled them to buy their own home by including ADUs in their plan, as doing so can enhance their qualifications as borrowers.

Seek an Orange County mortgage broker to help with the financing aspect. He or she is in a a better position to explain the qualifications that borrowers must satisfy in order to qualify for FHA fixed-rate mortgages for the traditional 15- or 30-year term, currently at 2.875% and 3.375% respectively; depending on the amount of FHA loan that will be taken out.