Neighborhood input in Sacramento

[Janelle Byrkit]

So it’s no secret that ALL cities have their rough areas. With that said, are there any areas within Sacramento to be cautious of? And on the flip side, any areas to lean more towards? I'm looking to possibly Buy & Hold a 2-4 plex $300K max.

Being from Hayward (2-3 hour drive depending on California’s LOVELY traffic) it’s not feasible to load up the kids and drive-by every property that sparks interest. I can only do so much with Google & plus I’m more of a “word of mouth” type of gal. Any input would be appreciated! 

[Wes Blackwell]

@Janelle Byrkit

In general, you'll probably want to avoid Old North Sacramento (95815) and Del Paso Heights (95838), as well as Parkway / South Sac (95823 & 95823). Once you go south of Fruitridge the crime steps up dramatically.

You should probably be working with a local real estate who could provide you with a map outlining the various Sacramento neighborhoods with a brief overview of each. Also, make sure they analyze all 2-4 unit properties every week and run all the numbers for you. If they are a GREAT agent, they'll even drive by a couple properties and scope out the neighborhood and send you some videos to review so you don't have to make the drive out for every single property.

You can find diamonds in the zip codes mentioned above, as it's really street-by-street not zip code by zip code. Most of the properties in your price range will be in those zip codes too. But outside of that, try looking in 95660, 95841, 95842 and 95670.

Also, I would recommend you try looking in Stockton as well, since your money will go much further. Currently there are 23 two-to-four unit properties on the market in Sacramento priced under $300k, but there are 31 in San Joaquin county which will give you a lot more options.

Here's a guide to Stockton and Sacramento just in case you're interested:

• https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/621/topics/396725-millennial-migration-to-sacramento-2017---here-comes-the-rush
• https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/627/topics/424510-how-to-invest-in-stockton-ca---a-detailed-overview

Hope that information helps. Let me know if you have any follow-up questions. Best of luck!