All Forum Posts by: Ben Howard

I regularly use: Christian at HomeCheck Inspections: http://www.homecheckinspections.net/about.htm Or Nate at California Home Investigations: http://www.cahomeinvestigations.com Christian will last you book online and has 22 years of experience. Nate will use a drone for the roof and a RC vehicle for a crawl space (if needed). Both are very nice.

Residing in that area for eight years should definitely help you if you choose to purchase a buy and hold investment. There seems to be much more economic activity West of Marysville. With HWY 65/Interstate 80 improvements coming and more people working from home I would anticipate a further expansion of growth north from Lincoln. Should you venture further south into Placer/El Dorado/Sacramento counties for your investment as you mentioned in your original post there will be a significant increase in available inventory. Many will also point out that prices are higher although that is not always the case. There are many pockets of the region where value may be found, particularly if you are looking for a home on a larger lot. To answer your question, I have been a full time agent since 2016. My team also has a lead agent of 27 years and a dedicated transaction manager. We did 34 transaction sides last year, I had ten. My profile goes into more detail about my Sacramento/Folsom native background and experience which contributes to real estate investors. For five years I conducted weekly business visits to the Home Depot and Lowe’s stores in Yuba City as well as 50 stores throughout the region.

Welcome David, thank you for your service. The foothills to the east of Olivehurst/Beale are a beautiful area to enjoy your free time.

It’s all about relationships. If your agent knows other agents well then your agent will hear about properties before they hit the market. If you are a Buyer then this may help, however those relationships won’t necessarily produce a sale if the Buyer’s offer is low. Any agent listing a property that is working as a fiduciary for their Seller should let the property reach the market for at least a few days before suggesting that an offer be accepted. Ask your agent if they attend their local broker tour and also how often. While these tours may seem unnecessary from an outsider’s perspective, the relationships with other agents and vendors is a significant value to the agent’s Buyer or Seller. Also, the more homes an agent sees the more they can credibly speak to the market’s conditions.

Welcome to BiggerPockets Steven. Good to see another Folsom resident on here!

Deepa, you should’t have much trouble renting out a condo in the Folsom or El Dorado Hills area as there are few rentals available and a significant demand. People here rent for several reasons such as short term employment at Intel, waiting for a home to be constructed, or access to good schools.

Welcome Gagandeep!

Hello Deepa, welcome to Bigger Pockets and congratulations on your job. There are several condo/townhouse communities in the greater Sacramento area to choose from. You may want to inquire which would allow you to rent the unit out long term. Many may have limits as to how many units may be rented at any given time. In addition to the areas that you mentioned you might also consider Folsom, El Dorado Hills, and Rocklin. 

Welcome Ashley, Granite Bay is a beautiful area!

Welcome to Bigger Pockets Bindu!