When investing in single family rehab real estate projects, location is everything when it comes to generating a healthy return on investment. Working in the ideal area will enable you to find better properties that will offer you better odds of turning a higher profit when the time comes to sell. That is especially true in the current real estate market. Older retirees and young families alike are leaving the inner Bay Area and moving north in search of neighborhoods where they can get more square footage for their budget and have more access to the tremendous outdoor resources California has to offer. With the work-from-home model becoming increasingly popular for employees in all industries, professionals of all ages and demographics are in search of housing options in Northern California.
In a robust housing market like Northern California, investors often find it challenging to know if the area they are scouting for rehab projects is going to end up being the right one for them. That is why we have compiled this useful guide to assist you in determining which market you should target.
Sacramento
There are few cities better for Northern California single family real estate investors than Sacramento County. New statistics indicate that Sacramento leads the region in the number of rehab projects and was one of a handful of counties where the profit margin increased consistently year-after-year. Rehab projects accounted for approximately 7% of sales last year, a slightly higher rate than the 6.9% statewide total. This trend is largely attributable to the current market conditions in which consumers are eager to buy—as indicated by the fact that the number of days to rehab a given property fell in the Sacramento area by 10% in 2020. Due to the recent drop in interest rates, real estate investors are opting to relieve some of their inventory or choosing to finance the acquisition of their properties prior to starting renovations.
Sonoma
Despite state and municipal shelter-in-place mandates shuttering home sales in early 2020 by 30% across the state, the Sonoma real estate market experienced a window of opportunity in terms of both sales activity and increased home price averages. With more and more displaced tech workers from Southern California discovering they can live and work from anywhere in light of the pandemic, more and more homebuyers are flooding the region. Currently, builders, investors and real estate companies alike are concentrating on the up-and-coming Sonoma market, where the median sales prices are steadily rising—up 22% from last year—and the inventories are the lowest they have been since 2005. Market analysts are forecasting that single family rehab projects could account for roughly 15% to 25% of the county’s traditional housing market.
Solano County
Median sales prices in Solano County have trended upwards on an annual basis—a great indicator of potential opportunity when it comes to single family rehab investors. The current median property sales price is $675,000, significantly higher than the statewide average of $606,410. As the real estate market continues to rebound after the initial lockdown associated with COVID-19, essentially all experts anticipate that sales rates will increase significantly in the coming months as a result of the mass exodus of individuals from urban areas. Within Solano County, the Fairfield and Vallejo housing markets in particularly are seeing a rise in demand from buyers. The market is competitive, with homebuyers often waving their contract contingencies just to lock in properties. All this demand—which is expected to continue for the foreseeable future—is promising for real estate investors as it ensures that renovated properties will not linger on the market for long before being resold.
Nevada County
Interest from eager homebuyers in Nevada County is on the rise, as buyers and sellers who were initially hesitant to proceed with transactions at the onset of the pandemic gradually return to the marketplace. At the same time, the area has a substantially limited inventory, which functions to keep the average home sales prices elevated. According to a recent market analysis, the average price per square footage of sold homes in Nevada County is appreciating, jumping up 2.1% in March 2020 to April 2020 and increasing by 5.3% since 2019. The average price of sold homes is also increasing, rising from $420,000 in March 2020 to $460,000 in April 2020. On average, properties listed in Nevada County only stay on the market for 45 days, a substantial reduction compared to the 60 day median listing time in 2019. With the area experiencing a large influx of former city-dwellers seeking more room and less exposure to the coronavirus, Nevada County is the perfect place to plan your next single-family rehab investment project.
If you are looking for a private lender to help you navigate your next real estate investment in Northern California, Security Financial Services would love to be a resource to you. Since 1943, our team of experts are proud to offer the most competitive pricing & terms for private money loans in Northern California and the ability to close quickly. Reach out to our team today to learn how to get started.