Multi-family Development 2.0 - no developer, no real estate agent, no marketing firm necessary?

Can multi-family development be done in a greener, more sustainable manner if the middle man (the developer) is taken out of the equation, and will it pencil out for less if no developer, real estate agent, or marketing firm is necessary? Possibly.

Keith over at Green House Collaborative has an inside-track into a 6,000 sq. ft L2-zoned property in Fremont. His maternal grandmother’s house currently sits there and he has an idea to build a beautiful (and I’m assuming green) 4-5 unit building here. And he’s looking for 3-4 other interested potential future unit owners who might be interested in working with him to get this idea off the ground. And, oh yeah, he’s also trying to learn more about co-op’s too as both a possible way to finance this development and to drive a better sense of community among the residents.

Got any ideas, I’m sure he’d like to hear them.

(photo from Green House Collaborative)