Quickscrews
Quickscrews Cabinet Install Screws
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House Feature
A Financial Approach to a Net Zero and Hurricane Proof Retrofit
After a career that has included designing solar-energy systems and energy-efficient lighting systems; starting his own company, ShineRetrofits, which he built up and sold; and working in eCommerce, real estate investing, and finance, entrepreneur Erin Shine had an idea:
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By Camille LeFevre, Home Feature Editor
Mar 10, 2025 · 5 min read
Let's prove you can sustainably and attainably build houses that are actually affordable for first-time homebuyers.
His first project, a retrofit and remodel of a 1984 wood-frame home in the Cape Coral area of Florida, proves just that. After pouring through MLS listing in cities throughout the US, he says that community was his best option. He grew up in the area, still has family there, and knows the real estate market. Also, the house had a perfect roof for a solar array.
"It was an experiment to see if it would work," he says. "I'm in my mid-30s. Half of my successful professional friends still can't buy a house." In Cape Coral, Shine purchased the 1,835-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bath house for $199,900. His project costs were $84,357.14. The total amount spent, then, was $284,257.14. For reference, the median home price for this area is $318,301.
Shine's solar-powered, all-electric, net-zero, and hurricane-resistant home is now his primary residence. He also started a new company, Attainable Home, to showcase the home and grow the home retrofit business to be more sustainable.
For Shine, the process of retrofitting a home to be more sustainable was all about numbers. Using a spreadsheet, he analyzed the upfront and payback costs of every upgrade. Why? "Real estate is the number-one wealth-building vehicle," he says. "Attainable Home is about how we can remodel homes realistically and affordably."
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The main focus of Attainable Home, he says, "is the financial side of the industry and sustainability. Start with the lowest hanging fruit when you're doing efficiency or renewable projects and trying to make the financing work. Chip away at all the items with the lowest payback on your money and highest return on investment first. This approach will, in turn, bring down the overall costs for the complete project."
Home Feature Editor
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Article by
Camille LeFevre
Camille LeFevre is an architecture and design writer based in the Twin Cities.
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