Invest

Tools to help.

Know when to act, and when to pass.

Rent comps, two market reports, risk maps, remote tours, a vendor network and an agent who answers from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

You can source short, mid, and long-term rentals across greater Sacramento with confidence.

Every deal looks good on a spreadsheet.

The trouble is what the spreadsheet assumes.

The rent comes from a few online listings. The insurance cost hasn’t been priced yet. The market read is from last month’s report. The neighborhood is one you’ve only seen on Street View.

When those assumptions are wrong, you find out the expensive way. A vacancy drags on, an insurance bill eats your cash flow, or the neighborhood buckles in the next downturn. If you don’t live here, every one of those blind spots gets bigger. Investing should be a decision built on data, not a bet on best guesses.

Why investors work with me.

Whether it’s your first rental or your fifth, the hard part isn’t finding listings.

It’s knowing which ones to pass on.

I’m Ben Howard, a third-generation Sacramento-area native. Every investor gets the same three things from me: third-party data on each property, my deal analysis including area trends and news that could impact demand for the investment, and advice to proceed or pass. As your fiduciary, your interests come first. My years representing LG and Whirlpool taught me which appliances add the most value to a home and which add the least. I’ve also spent years hiring and managing on-site vendors. Both help when you’re budgeting a turnover or a remodel.

The results: across the 41 purchases I’ve represented, my buyers have toured an average of just four homes with me. Their offers have been chosen over an average of 2.4 others. One client came to me through a Bay Area agent’s referral after working with nine other agents. Since 2021 we’ve closed six-plus transactions together, primary homes and investment properties from Elk Grove to El Dorado Hills.

Here is what two investors have said about my help:

“A fair yet highly skilled negotiator.” Phong P., investor client since 2021

“I just checked the property. I think it is a really good value.” Andrei C., investor client since 2020

How it works:

1. Share your strategy.

Tell me whether you want a short, mid, or long-term rental, your budget, the returns you’re after and how hands-on you want to be.

2. Underwrite every property.

Each property that fits gets the full workup below. You can tour it in person or join me over Zoom or FaceTime.

3. Act or pass with confidence.

When the numbers work, I write and negotiate your offer and connect you with the people who’ll help you run the property. When the investment doesn’t make sense, you pass knowing exactly why.

Nine questions worth answering before you buy:

Any agent can send you listings.

Here’s what you’ll know before you commit to one.

The income

What will it actually rent for? It’s the hardest question in any rental analysis. Free sites like Zillow and Rent.com give you limited data and an afternoon of homework. For every property we view, you get a Rentometer Pro report on comparable rents. Planning a short- or mid-term rental? The report also tells you what the home could rent for long-term if your plans change.

Which way is this market moving? Every local agent can pull the monthly MLS numbers and a TrendGraphix report. I add a market-specific Altos Research report, because two independent reads on a market are better than one. You’ll know whether conditions favor you before you make an offer.

How much competition will my rental face? You’ll see which nearby homes are lived in by their owners and which belong to owners who live out of the area or out of state. A street full of rentals tells you other investors already like it, and that you’ll compete for tenants. A street where most owners live in their homes tells you something different.

The risks

Will insurance eat my cash flow? Insurers and counties keep tightening standards for homes in fire-prone areas, and that shows up in what you’ll pay to insure a property. You’ll see the risk from three sources before you make an offer. Otherwise you’d learn it from the natural hazard disclosure report during escrow, after you’ve already paid for inspections and an appraisal.

Will tenants and guests feel comfortable here? I won’t give you my opinion of an area. Instead, for every property we view, I give you third-party data on personal and property crime down to the street level. You can compare areas and decide what you’re comfortable with, just as your future tenants and guests will.

Will this neighborhood hold up in a downturn? In the 2007–2009 recession, foreclosures hit hardest where owners had little equity, and those bank-owned sales pulled down nearby values. In the Sacramento region, prices kept falling until 2012. Neighborhoods where owners had real equity held up better and turned over less. This map shows estimated owner equity, so you can see which kind of neighborhood you’re buying into.

The support

Can I invest without being there? I’ll tour properties in person while you join by Zoom or FaceTime. Want a second look? I’ll walk the property again with you in person. Your location and schedule shouldn’t slow your search.

Who will manage, fix, finance and insure it? A rental is only as good as the team behind it. I’ll suggest experienced property managers, licensed contractors, lenders, Certified Financial Planners, photographers, house and window cleaners, insurance professionals, and landscapers from my own network. Your team is in place on day one while other investors are still making calls.

Who picks up when the deal moves? When I was the client, my own agents were hard to reach. So I’m available from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Pacific, which is 8 a.m. on the East Coast. Real estate rewards speed, whether it’s an 11 p.m. offer after an evening of showings or a question that can’t wait for morning.

Act on the right deals. Pass on the rest.

Who answers when it matters? New listings, offer deadlines and late-night second thoughts don’t keep business hours. You can reach me from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week, and it’s me you’ll reach. The agent who tours homes with you is the one who writes and negotiates your offer. No hand-offs to team mambers.

You can buy a rental on a hunch, an online estimate and the rent you hope to get. Plenty of investors do, and some spend years working off a bad purchase. Or you can buy knowing the rent, the market, the risks and the team before you sign, and walk away from the deals that don’t measure up without second-guessing.

Let’s talk about your next investment. Schedule an investor consultation, call or text me at 916-390-7060.

Have a property in mind?

Send me the address, and I’ll show you what the data says.

All Of These Are Included To Help You Find The Perfect Home:

Examples of how I have helped clients purchase a home:

3085 Ridgeview Dr

Buyer Saved $60,000 — Sold 10/7/2024

1509 River Oak Way

Buyer Saved $37,500 — Sold 2/6/2024             

9801 Blue Lake Dr

Buyer Saved $35,000 — Sold 6/7/2024               

10484 Forty Niner Cir

Buyer Saved $33,550 — Sold 6/11/2018                  

3061 Aerosmith Way

Buyer Saved $30,000 — Sold 5/8/2025 

 

5644 Verner Oak Ct. #9

Buyer Saved $27,500 — Sold 9/1/2023

3161 Weymouth Way

Buyer Saved $26,900 — Sold 10/30/2020

7440 - 7444 Garden Meadow Ln

Buyer Saved $20,900 — Sold 11/30/2020

A pattern of performance from a proven system.

Experience:

Ben Howard

Realtor

916-390-7060