Section 8 deal finder software. Think Zillow+Gov Data+Analytics
Hey everyone,
Lurker here (small-time landlord with just a handful of Section 8 units in the SE).
Like a lot of you, every time I hunt for the next deal, I waste hours:
- Scrolling MLS in one tab
- Digging through HUD FMR tables or PHA sites (half the time they're outdated PDFs)
- Trying to figure real payment standards by county/zip/bedrooms
- Plugging it all into spreadsheets to see if the numbers actually work (cash-on-cash with guaranteed rent, IRR, cap rate, NPV, etc., using my real expenses like repairs, management, vacancy)
It was driving me nuts — especially seeing "market rent" comps that have nothing to do with what Section 8 will actually pay.
So I dusted off some old coding skills and spent the last couple months building a simple web tool just for this: www.section8propertyfinder.com
The big thing that makes it different: It pulls live MLS listings and automatically overlays current Fair Market Rent (FMR) data + payment standards by county and zip. Then you set your own assumptions once (taxes, insurance, repairs, etc.), and it crunches all the Section 8-specific metrics in real-time:
- True cash-on-cash / cap rate with HAP portion
- IRR/NPV scenarios
- How much upside if you push rent a bit
- Interactive map search (like Zillow), favorites/watchlist, etc.
It's far from perfect — UI is basic (works way better on desktop/laptop for now), zip-level mapping is still coming, and I've been battling some data quirks.
I'm opening it up for free trials: Sign up and you get 50 API calls (enough to pull and analyze hundreds of properties) completely free, no card needed. After that, paid plans start low if you want more (basic for local searches, premium for statewide + extras).
Would love if some of you actual Section 8 landlords/investors kicked the tires and told me:
- Does this actually save time/help spot deals?
- What's missing or broken?
- Any features that would make you use it daily?
- Be brutal — I built this for me first, but if it sucks for everyone else, I'll scrap/improve it.
Special for this group: Use code s8landlordFB for a solid discount on the annual premium plan (first 100 users).
Thanks for reading — excited to hear your thoughts (good or bad)!
What do you think — worth trying, or am I overcomplicating something you already do easier another way?