AffordaHome

An AI-powered housing affordability platform that helps users find affordable housing options based on personalized criteria and environmental factors.

Description

AffordaHome is a web application that leverages Melissa's APIs and AI to provide personalized housing recommendations and affordability insights. The platform empowers users to make informed decisions by considering both financial factors and environmental risks, such as recent wildfire hazards in California.

Features

• 🔍 Address input for property search – Users can input property addresses to fetch real-time data.
• 🏠 Real-time property data retrieval – Powered by Melissa API for property details and valuations.
• 💰 Affordability analysis – Based on user income and credit score, the system evaluates housing affordability.
• 🌍 Location-based recommendations – Considering wildfire risk and other environmental factors.
• 📱 User-friendly interface – Responsive design for seamless user experience across devices.

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Installation

Step 1: Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/affordahome.git
cd Irvinehacks25

Step 2: Install dependencies

npm install

Step 3: Set up environment variables

REACT_APP_API_URL= ex: http://localhost:5001
REACT_APP_MELISSA_API_KEY=your_melissa_api_key

Usage

Technologies Used

• Frontend: React.js

• Backend: Node.js with Express.js

• API Services:

  • Melissa Property Web API
  • Global Address Verification API

• State Management: React Hooks (useState, useEffect)

• Styling: CSS Modules for component-level styling

Challenges We Faced

• 🔧 Database Complexity: Handling and structuring large property datasets.
• 🔀 Merge Conflicts: Collaborating as a team on GitHub introduced version control issues that were challenging to resolve.
• 🔥 Wildfire Risk Data Integration: Incorporating accurate wildfire risk data while ensuring real-time updates.

Accomplishments We're Proud Of

Successfully integrating Melissa's property API for real-time data retrieval. Overcoming technical challenges in structuring affordability analysis based on user input. Building an intuitive and responsive interface that enhances user experience.

What We Learned

Efficient API data handling and response optimization. The importance of planning and communication in collaborative development. Using React Hooks for state management and improving UI responsiveness.

What's Next for AffordaHome

• 🧠 AI-driven insights – More advanced affordability predictions using machine learning.
• 🔔 User notifications – Alerts for price drops and wildfire risks.
• 📊 Data visualization – Interactive graphs and reports for better decision-making.
• 📱 Mobile app version – Bringing affordability insights to users on the go.

Contributing

Fork the repository. Create a new feature branch (git checkout -b feature-branch). Commit your changes (git commit -m "Add new feature"). Push to the branch (git push origin feature-branch). Open a pull request. For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss proposed changes.

Acknowledgments

A huge thanks to:

Melissa API for providing accurate property and location data. Our amazing team for their dedication and collaboration. Open-source libraries and communities that supported us throughout development. And last and foremost Irvinehacks 2025 Team :> <3