SkyDA… Who?
Our founder, Tod Sakai (pronounced like “Sky”), has been in the homebuilding industry since the early 1990s. He created SkyDADU to address local housing challenges and offer accessible solutions. Tod began his career in custom home building internationally and founded Sockeye Homes in 2007, earning a respected reputation in the industry. With SkyDADU, Tod is committed to tackling the housing crisis in the Puget Sound region and beyond by building affordable DADUs.
Solving the Housing Crisis One DADU at a Time
Tod says, “Before I went on my own to start Sockeye Homes, I was working for a company here in Washington that shipped building material for homes we built in Japan. After the Kobe [Great Hanshin] earthquake in 1995, I set up 43 franchisees in Japan. The thing about Japanese homes is a lot of them are only 1,200 square feet, and the whole family lives there.”
Tod brings what he learned building small homes in Japan to DADUs in North America.
“We’re always thinking about better storage solutions and space optimization. In larger homes, you can have a dead-end hallway [for displaying art], but at the 1,000-squarefoot scale, you can’t waste any of that space. You’ve got to be very smart about how to lay everything out efficiently and think about sound deadening between rooms. The designer must utilize every nook and cranny, every square inch.”
“With a DADU,” Tod says, “the property owner can rent it to anyone and/or sell the unit as a condo without splitting the property. They’re on the ground level in established neighborhoods where your kids can go and play. You’re not shoved into unit 602 and must take the elevator.”
Because of the recently passed laws that Tod helped write [he’s an executive voting member of the Legislative Policy Council for Washington State], DADUs now offer independence and autonomous living in a way that conventional condos can’t. “There’s a big difference when you have an actual house.”
A story of dedication, innovation, and community service.
Innovative Solutions for DADU Housing in the Puget Sound Region
Addressing the Housing Crisis
SkyDADU was founded to provide affordable and accessible DADU options. By creating cohesive solutions and addressing the lack of DADU-specific lending, SkyDADU helps homeowners add valuable units to their properties, increasing housing availability in the Puget Sound region.
Advocacy and Industry Leadership
Leadership and Contributions
Tod has been a key figure in both state and national industry associations, including Master Builders Association of King & Snohomish Counties (MBA-KS), Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). He has held various leadership positions and received numerous awards for his contributions.
Legislative Efforts
Tod has actively lobbied for home building industry support, including working on Washington State HB 1337, which provides new opportunities for homeowners to build DADUs and address housing shortages.
Giving Back
Recognition and Community Engagement
Tod’s work has been widely recognized, with awards from state and national organizations. He frequently shares his expertise through lectures and presentations and Tod and his wife, Kristin, are active participants, giving back to the community through volunteering with Rebuilding Families Inc., Rampathon, Habitat for Humanities and more.
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