Beau Baker

10/27/2026

10/22/2026

There's a bill in Congress that would let you keep your mortgage rate when you move.

I read it. Real proposal (H.R. 10028), early, not law yet.

The idea: the two agencies that back most conventional mortgages would have to buy "portable" mortgages, so you could carry your rate, balance, and term to your next house instead of resetting today.

For homeowners around Del Dayo, Sierra Oaks, and Arden Park sitting on a rate from a few years back, that's the exact thing keeping them from listing.

Before real estate I worked in fiscal forecasting, so I read past the press release. It skips jumbo loans, common here. And the investors who bought those mortgage bonds priced in a payoff when you moved. Not a simple fix.

Bills like this take years, if they move at all. Watch it, don't plan around it.

Want to know your numbers today? DM me "RATE" and I'll break down what staying vs. moving actually costs.

10/20/2026

“Beau, what do we need to do before we sell?”

Whether a $275K condo or a $3M estate, it's always the same question. I approach each with the same level of care and expertise.

Here’s what it actually means in practice. Vetting who touches the house before it goes on the market. Timing inspections so nothing surprises a buyer later. Knowing which repairs change the sale price and which ones just yield an invoice.

Every house is different. Every client is different. Every neighborhood tells you something different.

But the question stays the same. What do we actually need to do?

Not what’s easiest. Not what’s quickest to get a sign in the yard.

10/07/2026

The perfect layout. And a butler pantry in possibly my favorite location I've seen 🤎

Just sold on Burrell Way, tucked into a beautiful (secret) cul-de-sac just inside Arden Oaks.

About five years ago, these clients were referred to me as they planned their move from the Bay Area to Arden Park. We've been connected ever since, so being trusted with their next step meant a lot.

This time they were stepping up. They wanted more space inside and out, and a neighborhood they were excited to call home. The layout gave them both. The butler pantry is a big part of it, and the floors are beautiful in a way photos don't capture.

Then there's the lot. It's a rear-heavy, pie-shaped 1/3 acre that perfectly breaks up the backyard into three sections: one just off the primary, as if private, and two more placed for perfect utility. Mature trees and a wall of windows overlooking it all, PERFECT for her, a master gardener, transplanting 🌺 🌹 🥀 close to centuries old.

Referrals are the best part of this business. Someone trusts you with a move, and years later they trust you with the next one. Thank you for the introduction, and congratulations to you both on the new home.

Swipe through for a look inside 👉

📍 Arden Oaks, Sacramento

10/01/2026

The evolution of the Realtor continues.

I do appreciate the QR code... but it's never once offered me a stale cookie and a strong opinion on granite countertops.

Some things about an open house never change. The rest changed completely.

1995 brought out the good plate, cookies "baked fresh" that morning (translation: Costco, twenty minutes ago), and enough small talk to qualify as a full social event.

2026 brought out a diffuser, an ocean view, and a code that lets people float through in blissful, cookie-free silence.

That code isn't just for show. It captures who actually walked through, what they looked at, and gives you a way to follow up, something a paper plate and vibes never managed to do.

Still no cookies, though. Just ambient lighting, a water feature somewhere, and a QR code quietly doing more work than the entire snack table combined.

09/29/2026

From $15K to $50K for the same home.

Sacramento may raise the fee to sell homes over $1.5M, from $2.75 per $1,000 to $10 per $1,000.

If you're close to that range, it changes your math. I always look at net proceeds first, not just the offer, before we set a strategy.

Still just a proposal, not finalized yet. DM "TAX" if you want to know how this could affect you.

09/15/2026

More units doesn't mean fewer bad months.

I got asked that recently, at what point does owning more rental units actually make vacancy easier to deal with. Worth a real answer.

Vacancy rate is a number you calculate when analyzing an investment property, and re-evaluated as often as once a year. Every property and neighborhood has a different approach, though the rule of thumb for smaller single family homes and smaller multi-unit properties is somewhere between 8% - 12%.

Owning more units doesn't fix that by itself. Ten units still means one reserve fund trying to cover three problems at once. Having more units help the yearly average, barring location and class type.

One thing that helps before you're even in that spot, when you calculate your return on a property, cash on cash return (CoCROI), basically how much actual cash you're making each year compared to how much cash you put in, build in a cut for vacancy from the start instead of only relying on a reserve fund later. Set aside a percentage of the expected rent and treat it like it's already gone. It changes the real number you're working with from day one.

This is also easier to manage yourself. That said, five units is a very different job than a hundred.

The rental owners who feel prepared usually aren't the lucky ones. They planned for the hard months, and kept things smaller, before those months showed up.

09/03/2026

Okay, houses… and Spanish pork that tastes better than a ribeye.

Someone at the restaurant walked us through it. Iberian pigs, acorn fed, roaming free…the BEST pork shoulder I’ve ever had. Better than most ribeyes. Our waiter joked they're treated better than humans. I believed him.

Best pork I've had, and I had it more than once.

Funny thing is, it's the same principle I use every day here. The best homes, the best deals, the best pricing intel, none of it comes from a search bar. It comes from knowing the right people in the right market. I AM YOUR LOCAL.

Local knowledge is still undefeated. Even 6,000 miles from Carmichael.

07/15/2026

Proudly, this one set a record. HIGHEST PRICE for this floorplan:

20% OVER asking, in a county where the average is just 1% below or above. 65 saves in the first 60 minutes on the market.

Every sale has its own story behind it. This one had a few extra layers, the timing, the condition of the home, a couple of decisions that ended up mattering more than expected. Multiple POAs, a key piece of a special family estate, and a past client and friend.

Swipe through to see the rest of it.

If you've ever wondered what your home could sell for, send me a DM. I read every one.

07/10/2026

Three houses worth clearing your weekend for. Some of my favorite neighborhoods in Sacramento; from massive value add, to move-in ready, and a little room for creativity to make your own. What a great weekend for home inventory!

Saturday and Sunday, three chances to see how differently a weekend can go depending on which door you walk through.

🏡 Saturday, 12p-2p
$995,000
📍 4603 American River Dr, 95864
3 Bed | 2 Bath | 2019 sq. ft.

🏡 Sunday, 12p-2p
$1,175,000
📍 380 Wilhaggin Dr, 95864
3 Bed | 3 Bath | 2451 sq. ft.

🏡 Sunday, 3p-5p
$1,495,000
📍 405 Crocker Rd, 95864
5 Bed | 3 Bath | 2760 sq. ft.

Come by whichever one fits your weekend. Or make a day of it and see all three.