Long Beach Investor

We provide you with the information needed to make an informed decision regarding real estate investments.

 

Long Beach Investor

We provide you with the information needed to make an informed decision regarding real estate investments.

 

Long Beach Investor

We provide you with the information needed to make an informed decision regarding real estate investments.

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About Us

We are reimagining how people research, buy and sell small investment properties. Our proven systems can help you in your next purchase or sale.

Our Staff

Team Leader/Broker Associate Ron Benning (eXp Realty, CA DRE #01058898) has partnered with our local specialists Kelly J. Conley and Monica Villasenor. We have over 100 years of combined real estate experience. We work seamlessly as a team to cover 26 California Counties in the Central Valley, Northern California, Southern California and the Bay Area. We are now serving Nevada, Florida, and Ohio too!

 

Our Philosophy

No client is more important than you. We pride ourselves on providing objective advice in order for you to make the most informed real estate investments. Even if that results in advising the client not to buy or sell.

 

Our Specialties

We specialize in 1–20-unit real estate investments. With over 200 recent multifamily sales we have the expertise, experience, and resources to guide you through both the buying and the selling of investment properties.

Why Choose Us?

Over 30 years ago when Ron bought his first property, he wished he had better representation. Every bit of research he did not receive, every question that was not answered, and every doubt he had at close of escrow, drove him to develop the systematic approach used today in helping others buy with confidence.

Trusted by Hundreds

Buy with confidence knowing we have successfully helped hundreds of people buy investment properties.

Wide Range of Properties

We can help you buy a property anywhere between 1-50 units. We will carefully be listening to your needs and guide you towards the type of property you are best suited for.

Financing Made Easy

We only work with the most experienced and trustworthy lenders that we can find to ensure you are getting both the best service and the best rate and terms available.

Our Team

Ron Benning, our Team Leader, has owned and sold investment properties since 1989. Ron and his team are here to bring you all of our great systems and experience to your buying/selling process.

Testimonials

We’ve built our standing as one of the top Real Estate firms in the state by putting the needs of our clients first.

Don’t just take our word for it. Here are just a few of the recommendations we’ve gathered over the years. If you have something to say about our services, we’d love to hear from you.

Kelly J. Conley sold my townhome property within its 35-unit development in California for a record dollar amount in less than 7 days. (A successful Open House held days before resulted in several offers above our asking price). Kelly and his team of professionals ensured that the entire transaction went particularly smooth without any drama. He was able to recommend and help successfully implement an effective 1031 Exchange strategy in order to defer a substantial taxable gain on the sale of this investment property, which enabled me to re-deploy the capital into new investments in my home state that better fit my current investment objectives. Throughout the entire process, Kelly always kept me informed through constant communication by phone, text, and email which enabled me to focus on my locally based small business. I highly recommend Kelly without reservation because of his professionalism, financial training, local market expertise, and strong negotiating/communication skills.

Sabry B.

Myself and my wife had the opportunity to work with Kelly J. Conley with EXP Realty in Long Beach, California, in selling
our property in Lakewood, California. It was a 1031 Exchange and was a long-distance transaction due to our being out of state.
Kelly graciously took care of our needs, finding an exchange company, finding a buyer, showing the property, and getting us
through all the paperwork electronically, flawlessly, and painlessly.
We would definitely recommend his expertise and knowledge and rate him a 5 Star rating.

Dale and Barbara C.

Kelly J. Conley is the most dedicated & hard working realtor I’ve ever known. He has great knowledge of the properties a good rapport with the property mangers of the listings. He goes the distance in making you feel comfortable & always in the loop and makes a point to get your feedback. He continues to surprise you with his knowledge to give great presentations for the benefit of his clients. He always give great advice & suggestions for his clients. I can say that the year when COVID he made you feel comfortable he knew his stuff. And he always goes the distance for you. Kelly is the anchor for you to get the best property deals out there. You’re in good hands Kelly.

Sheila Riley

I am a seasoned mortgage broker so it is easy for me to recognize Realtors who care for their clients vs. those that just work for a paycheck. I have worked with Kelly and many of his clients for almost 2 years now. The one thing that is clear is that he cares for his clients beyond just the purchase or sale of their homes. When you're considering who to hire to help you with the biggest and most important transaction you will make, I can say that Kelly Conley is one of the most professional realtors I have met over my 16 years in the industry.

Andrew L.

Kelly J. Conley has to be the best Real Estate Agent in California. It’s not an exaggerated statement. That is a fact. I was pursuing to buy a house at that time. Kelly was able to get me accepted on the first three houses I put offers on. His strategies are very effective in getting offers accepted. He also has a strong network that backs him up on closing for you in an expedited amount of time. Kelly is helping my friends and family as well to get their dream home. He has impacted my life and my friend and family’s life in a positive way. I’m sorry for all the other RE agents out there. Kelly Conley is out there and you other agents have strong competition. I would team up with him if I was you. he’s the best agent out there.

Christopher G.

Kelly J. Conley and his team members worked closely with me to help get our home ready to list on the MLS, and once the home was listed…it sold very quickly. He advised us to competitively position our home against competing listings in the local area, including some which were in the same condominium complex, by recommending that we price it right. He also executed a successful marketing plan which included a two-day Open House held over the weekend, which drove several potential buyers to the home for showings. Internet advertising was also used to heighten the public’s interest in our home. These actions combined resulted in multiple offers for me to consider, all of which exceeded our Listing Price. After entering escrow, the following week, he and his team continued to keep me informed at every stage of the process, and this made it so much easier for me to keep abreast of all the milestones along the way and led to a smooth closing. I would use Kelly J. Conley and his team again and you should too if you want to sell your home quickly for top dollar!

Tyesha P.

It was great working with Kelly and the exp realty team! Kelly was patient with me and I finally found what I was looking for. He was very professional and accessible whenever I had a question. He was also very personable. I had a great experience with him. I will work with him again in the future!!

Leslie R.

Kelly is one of the best real estate professionals I have had the privilege of working with. He works hard for his clients. He is knowledgeable, responsive, and will go the extra mile for his clients. I highly recommend Kelly.

Nannarie C.

Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value. Kelly is a terrific agent that will guide you throughout your home buying process. I was very pleased and impressed by Kelly's professionalism as my agent. I can recommend Kelly to anyone or anybody who is interested in buying in today's competitive market. I had trouble trusting any real estate agent until I came across Kelly I told him what I wanted and he promised me he wouldn't give up until I found what I was looking for with a price to match. As a 1st time home buyer, I had trouble trusting agents looking out for my family's best interest but truly Kelly is an honest, reliable, and respectful person who I can recommend open-heartedly! To find the house that fits you.

Marcella D.

I highly recommend Kelly. Kelly is very professional, helpful, and knowledgeable. Thank you, Kelly, for all of your help!

Terry B.

Myself and my wife had the opportunity to work with Kelly J. Conley with EXP Realty in Long Beach, California, in selling our property in Lakewood, California. It was a 1031 Exchange and was a long-distance transaction due to our being out of state.
Kelly graciously took care of our needs, finding an exchange company, finding a buyer, showing the property, and getting us through all the paperwork electronically, flawlessly, and painlessly.
We would definitely recommend his expertise and knowledge and rate him a 5 Star rating.

Dale and Barbara C.

Kelly J. Conley is the most dedicated & hard working realtor I’ve ever known. He has great knowledge of the properties a good rapport with the property managers of the listings. He goes the distance in making you feel comfortable & always in the loop and makes a point to get your feedback. He continues to surprise you with his knowledge to give great presentations for the benefit of his clients. He always give great advice & suggestions for his clients. I can say that the year when COVID he made you feel comfortable he knew his stuff. And he always goes the distance for you. Kelly is the anchor for you to get the best property deals out there. You’re in good hands with Kelly.

Sheila R.

Monica handled the sale of my parents home, which was a Trust sale and had many moving pieces not to mention COVID! She did an amazing job in finding us the right buyer at just the right time! She knows the market and everything she advised was SPOT ON! A true professional through and through! You would do yourself the biggest favor to have Monica represent you as a buyer or seller! Thank you Monica once again for your great advice and professionalism throughout this entire process!

Denise H.

Monica helped my husband and I buy our first home. In fact, she helped us buy the very first home we placed an offer on — and there were 30 offers made on this home! If it wasn’t for Monica’s knowledge of the area, her interpersonal skills, and her guidance to help us create a competitive application/ offer, we would not have landed in our dream home. Monica made herself seen, she made a point to get to know the seller, and was in contact with them every day as they were reviewing applications to make their decision. Her interpersonal skills make her an amazing agent. She’s kind, patient, and also assertive. Her ability to forge a relationship with the seller and help us create a competitive application, are the reasons we were able to receive keys 27 days after making our first ever offer. We recommend Monica to all of our family and friends! She’s fabulous!

meganpbeard

Monica helped us to both sell our old house and purchase our new home. First of all Monica is very patient and pleasant to work with, we had a few obstacles in our way and she fought for us the whole way to make our experience worth the wait. Monica's knowledge and professionalism is over the top and I would highly recommend her to all of my family and friends. Thank you~

The Galvan Family

Working with Monica was like working with a longtime friend or your favorite cousin! She made my daughter and I feel like we were "hers" to take care of, and she delivered. She has cheerful and positive disposition and she carries that attitude into her profession. Monica followed up quickly, took our wants and help us find our perfect home. From start to finish, she really never lets us down. Even towards the end, when the process takes its toll on you as a buyer, she was working and staying positive. If you're looking for a realtor who cares, is professional, and knows her stuff, then you should reach out to her. She was recommended to me by a mutual friend and she was exactly what I was looking for in a realtor.

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My fiance and I were first-time homeowners and as you can imagine were quite overwhelmed when we initially started this journey. Monica has been such a blessing. She made sure we were always kept in the loop throughout the entire process and always went the extra mile. She is extremely knowledgeable and patient and has great customer service. Her cheerful personality is contagious and will work hard to get you the "perfect" home! We have made a long-term connection with Monica and we will make sure to call on her for any future needs!

salvar112

The home/selling buying process can be very stressful. However, working with Monica and Noel relived a ton of the stress. They are the perfect team for your real estate needs!! Hands down!!
My husband and I have used their services twice. Both of which have been very pleasant
experiences. They are very straightforward and honest individuals. Very open and willing to answer our million questions (especially mine ) without any hesitation. They also did a fantastic job with keeping us well informed of the process and laying out clearly all our options.
Monica and Noel, we LOVED working with you two and look forward to future partnerships!

Martha B

Latest Blog Posts

We offer long-time real estate agents and brokers blogs that cover issues they can relate to.

Real Estate Investment
Real Estate Investment

Seeing Houses While Social Distancing

Most of us never really thought about social Distancing until recently. Many friends and clients are reluctant to look at houses or investment properties during the "Shelter in Place Period."…
Buying A House
Buying A House

Is The Internet Ruining Your Chances of Buying a House?

Is the Internet ruining your ability to find a house? Advice for Sacramento and Roseville Real Estate Buyers By Ron Benning ABR, GRI, A-REO, CDPE "There is too much information…

Frequently Asked Questions

Is real estate a good investment?

This is really too broad of a question, but in general for most people of average income or above average income real estate is a good investment. With a careful analysis of your goals and the proper due diligence it can be one of the safest type of long term investments. The bigger issue is getting effective representation. Another important consideration is whether the area is growing in population and has a well diversified job base. Without both factors in place real estate might not be a good investment. It also depends on the relationship between local rents and real estate prices.

Why is Real Estate in California so expensive?

Without getting overly political, development costs are outrageously high in California due to excessive regulation, high labor costs, high worker’s comp costs, and out of control spending by local governments. Let’s say a lot costs $100,000 and the cost to build is $125 a sqft with a typical 1800 sqft home. That would come to about $225,000. Add the $100,000 land cost to the $225,000 building costs, but it doesn’t stop there. When you add the building permits (which in many local cities are running about $50,000 or more), and in some cases additional utility tie in fees, schools fees, Etc, Etc. You can quickly see why affordable housing is not practical. In the above example the house would be at least $375,000. Then there is financing costs, holding costs, Real Estate commissions, Title and Escrow fees, and transfer taxes too.

I have said for years that local governments could increase affordable housing by waiving the permits costs for a builder who would put a deed restriction for 10 years that only people with an income of 80% of the median local income or less could buy the home. This would eliminate a big peace of the development costs in the short run and limit the increase in value of the home to keep up with local wages for a reasonable time to allow for affordable housing.

Local governments like to complain about a lack of affordable housing, but in fact they are a big part of the problem.

What are your thoughts on REITs vs buying and managing real estate property yourself?

For someone who wants to be very passive or does not have a traditional down payment this can be a good option. However, I have never invested in one Myself. I like the control of owning the property myself. I have heard from many clients that have been burnt and lost their entire investment in Securitized real estate investments.

Most of the big REIT’s are fairly safe, but there are many small companies running around with securities backed investments that are pretty risky.

Unless it is a big REIT, I would be very careful about investing in any securitized real estate investments without some serious research into who you are dealing with.

What are some expenses on rental properties that people usually leave out?

These are some basic items to keep in mind:

Property management, vacancy factor, ongoing maintenance, water, sewer, garbage, property taxes, yard maintenance, The cost to get a property rent ready after a vacancy, rent up fee if using a property manager. In Multifamily properties many times there is a common hot water heater that the seller pays for. HOA if applicable.

A good broker can tell you what you are missing if you show them your proforma cash flow statement.

Where can we find a free California real estate lease renewal extension form?

Sometimes you get what you pay for and this can be a risky proposition if you use a crappy form. I am not sure if you are a renter or an owner, but it pays to use the most current form from either a state Association of Realtors or a apartment owners association. These forms will be updated regularly and reviewed by attorneys to make sure any important changes in the law have been considered and added as needed. More than likely you can find a local professional who is willing to point you in the right direction. You can help them by referring clients to them. Don’t step over a dollar to save dime or you may regret it later.

What will happen to real estate from aging baby boomers, and less pregnancies in 30 years?

We all assume that with lower birth rates the population will start to shrink. I am optimistic that this will never happen for several reasons. The first and foremost reason is that systems like Social Security need an increasing population to remain viable. If birth rates continue to go down the government will likely loosen immigration standards to keep the population curve on track.

So what will happen when all the baby boomers start to downsize? I am predicting that there will be an over supply of the McMansions in the suburbs. This will lead to smaller homes appreciating very well and larger homes not doing quite as well if family size trends continue. If people are having no kids or 1 to 2 kids they will not need a 5 bedroom home in the suburbs.