Redwood City Duplex Permitting

[Alex Chin]

I have a close friend who is looking at purchasing in the Redwood City area.

He has found a duplex but it is currently only permitted as single-family home and the seller is not willing to complete the permitting process.

My question is: Do you or someone you know, have experience with converting SFRs to duplexes and the cost/time/paperwork involved with that process? Is it a route that is feasible for a non-investor, someone who just wants to buy a home they can househack and potentially convert to their long-term residence a few years down the road?

Keywords: California. San Francisco.