Roomy

Feature 1: Create group post
Feature 2: Browse groups
Feature 3: Join/Leave a group

Inspiration

Roomy came from the growing need for affordable housing solutions, especially in cities where rent prices continue to rise. For individuals, especially those in the early stages of their careers, finding a roommate to share living expenses is often the best option. However, finding roommates and fairly splitting rental costs can be overwhelming. We want to help build a community where people can help each other keep a roof over their heads.

What it does

Roomy allows users to easily find potential roommates to share rental spaces and estimates the rent based on the number of roommates and the address. By integrating the APIFY API, we provide real-time rental information to users. Roomy connects users with potential roommates based on the user’s shared interests in specific properties.

How we built it

The backend utilized Python, FastAPI, SQLite, and the APIFY API to get estimates and information about the property. We used React on the frontend to build an interactive user interface that allows users to input their information, view apartment listings, and connect with potential roommates.

Challenges we ran into

One of the biggest challenges we encountered was changing the requirements of the API endpoints. We had a plan for what we expected to be in the JSON body when the front end requested the API. During development, we observed that the front end had limited information when making these requests. We overcame this with constant feedback from the front and back-end teams to continue making quick progress.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

One of our favorite accomplishments in the backend was improving the performance of the Apify API. During development, we noticed that the Apify API takes 10-15 seconds to fully fetch data, and returns about 20 pages in length of information. Users would most likely not enjoy waiting during that time, so we implemented a method to fetch the same submissions from the database, retrieving the info from there instead of waiting 10-15 seconds for the API to finish gathering the data. Another fun accomplishment came from our front end with Mapbox’s visuals. We animated the transition to the target location using mapBox’s API with the help of the data collected from Apify’s API.

What we learned

Throughout this project, we learned a lot about APIs, particularly integrating APIFY to scrape Zillow’s data. Some of us were also unfamiliar with the tech stack, making it a fun learning experience for everyone. We also gained valuable experience working with backend systems to get data and present them on the front end. We also learned a lot about the challenges of working with external data sources and how to handle incomplete or inconsistent data.

What's next for Roomy

The next step for Roomy is to expand the platform to support additional features, such as providing personalized recommendations to match roommates based on lifestyle preferences. Additionally, we would like to add more functionality for users. This includes creating roommate agreements, transferring ownership in unwanted groups, and making the website more accessible for mobile users. We would also like to launch our website as an app that users can download. An important feature we would like to add is an AI agent. It would help users find the best rental listing that is suited to their own personal interests. Ultimately, we hope to continue developing Roomy into a comprehensive tool that makes renting easier, affordable, and accessible for a wider audience.