Due Diligence

The problem

Due diligence on an NYC property means checking 6+ different city databases — DOB for permits and violations, LPC for landmarks, ACRIS for ownership, HPD for residential compliance, BSA for variances. Each has its own portal, query format, and data structure. A thorough check takes 30-60 minutes of manual clicking across multiple systems.

How it works

7 standalone skills that each query a specific data domain from NYC Open Data (Socrata). Every skill resolves addresses via PLUTO — no API key needed, works out of the box. Run them individually or use the combined report for the full picture.

Skills

Skill	What it covers
/nyc-landmarks	LPC landmark & historic district check — designation status, LP number, architect, style
/nyc-dob-permits	DOB permit & filing history across Legacy BIS and DOB NOW (4 datasets)
/nyc-dob-violations	DOB & ECB violations — open violations flagged, penalties with balance due
/nyc-acris	ACRIS property records — deeds, mortgages, liens via 3-table join
/nyc-hpd	HPD violations, complaints & building registration (residential only)
/nyc-bsa	BSA variances & special permits (1998–present)
/nyc-property-report	Combined report — runs all 6 skills, one document

Data sources

18 Socrata datasets across 6 city agencies, all queried via the public NYC Open Data API. No registration or API key required.

Agency	Datasets	Coverage
LPC	1	36,000+ buildings, 141 historic districts
DOB	7	Permits, filings, violations (legacy + DOB NOW)
DOF/ACRIS	4	Property transactions (3-table relational join)
HPD	4	Residential violations, complaints, registrations
BSA	1	Variances and special permits since 1998
DCP	1	PLUTO (address resolution + building metadata)

Output

Each skill prints structured markdown inline and optionally writes to a file. The combined report produces a single markdown document covering all 7 sections with source links and data currency caveats.

Install

Claude Desktop:

1. Open Customize → Browse plugins
2. Click + → Add marketplace from GitHub
3. Enter AlpacaLabsLLC/skills-for-architects
4. Install the Due Diligence plugin

Claude Code (terminal):

claude plugin marketplace add AlpacaLabsLLC/skills-for-architects
claude plugin install 00-due-diligence@skills-for-architects

Manual:

git clone https://github.com/AlpacaLabsLLC/skills-for-architects.git
ln -s $(pwd)/skills-for-architects/plugins/00-due-diligence/skills/nyc-property-report ~/.claude/skills/nyc-property-report