This week, our screen ran across 6 ZIPs in East Bay. The funnel:

Assumptions: 3% down, 2-year owner-occupy, then full rental. 10-year hold vs S&P 500 total return.

The case, and the catch

A 1968 fourplex in the Iron Triangle / Downtown Richmond, 0.77 mi from the BART/Amtrak transfer, renting three units for $5,250/mo while you live in the fourth. Newer stock than most of the board means a lighter capex reserve, and the $130M Metrowalk II village anchors a 5.5% appreciation base. Beating it would take the S&P 14.9% annually for a decade; all four rented is $7,000/mo.

Our number one, the $629,500 Fruitvale fourplex, posts the strongest breakeven on the board, but it earns that spot partly by being a foreclosure that just came back at a $40K cut, and foreclosures hide their condition. We model a rehab reserve and the deal still clears at cautious rents: three units cover $7,100 a month while you live in the fourth. The honest risk is deferred maintenance you cannot see until you are inside. If a full gut runs past our reserve, that 18.5% breakeven erodes toward the middle of the pack. Verify the roof, the foundation, and unit legality before you fall for the basis. The model's at therenthacker.com/methodology if you want to challenge any of the inputs.

Every one of this week's picks sits within a half-mile of a BART station or a major hospital campus.

This week's 4 ZIPs

Every figure uses cautious rent estimates backed by documented comps and computed distances to named growth catalysts. Property taxes are modeled at each ZIP's median effective rate unless a parcel-verified figure is stated; confirm the actual tax basis with the county before you underwrite. No invented numbers. No hype. This is not investment advice.

Know someone hunting for East Bay deals? Forward this — they can pick their region at therenthacker.com.

The Rent Hacker · SF East Bay, CA · July 29, 2026

Manage regions · Unsubscribe