Steve Welty Issue# 88 February 2026 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes! Despite being illegal in California, Section 8 discrimination is still happening at an alarming rate. A 2024 undercover investigation by the OC Register revealed that Section 8 discrimination remains widespread. More than half of landlord interactions resulted in outright refusals to accept vouchers, and over 200 landlords, including several well-known real estate companies were documented denying applicants solely because of...
9 days ago • 2 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 87 February 2026 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes, There’s a word that’s been on my mind lately: Risk. Not reckless risk.Not gambling-the-house risk. But the kind of risk that feels aligned.The kind that feels like expansion. I’ve noticed something about myself. When I’m taking a meaningful risk, I feel more alive. More present. More connected to the direction I’m meant to be heading. When I avoid risk, even in small ways, I feel contracted. Sometimes it’s subtle. Do I stay...
16 days ago • 3 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 86 February 2026 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes, We just wrapped up our second quarterly market sync with our Sales, Leasing, and Property Management teams. These meetings aren’t about trends we read online or hot takes from Reddit, they’re about what’s actually happening across the homes we manage every day. And honestly, the takeaway was pretty simple: The rental market isn’t on fire. It’s not falling apart either. It’s leveling out. Nothing dramatic. Nothing flashy. Just...
23 days ago • 4 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 85 January 2026 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes, We wanted to share a real situation that recently came up, one that highlights an important timing detail for owners who’ve converted a former primary residence into a rental. Ryan Prazen, our Director of Real Estate Sales, recently shared this example with me after a call with a client, and it’s a good reminder of why planning ahead matters. A Real-World Example An owner had lived in their home for years before converting it...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 84 January 2026 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes, Quick follow-up to a recent note on AB 1157. There’s an important update. AB 1157 Has Been Halted... For Now The rent control bill authored by Assemblymember Ash Kalra did not move forward after a hearing in the Assembly Judiciary Committee. The bill needed seven votes to advance and fell short. As a result, AB 1157 is effectively done for this legislative session and will not become law this year. That’s welcome news for...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 83 January 2026 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes! Our mission has always been simple—and ambitious: Make owning rental property easy. Until now, we’ve mostly measured that by feel. Owner feedback. Conversations. Retention. Referrals. All helpful. None precise. In 2026, that changes. This year, our most important company metric is something we call the Mission Score. It’s our way of objectively answering one core question: Is owning rental property actually getting easier? Why...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 82 January 2026 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes! This week’s note is about a proposal working its way back through Sacramento that hasn’t made many headlines yet, but could have a real impact on housing providers across California. It’s a rent control bill that’s back for another try. A Bill That Didn’t Go Away AB 1157, authored by Assemblymember Ash Kalra, is being revived as the Legislature enters its second year of the session. The bill stalled last year, but it’s very...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 81 January 2026 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes! We hope you had a chance to recharge over the holidays and ease into 2026. We’re kicking off the year with an important (and easy-to-miss) update for housing providers across Southern California. It’s one of those rules that doesn’t always make headlines, but can quietly affect rent increases, renewals, and listings if you’re not watching closely. A Temporary 10% Rent Cap Is Back In late December, Governor Newsom declared a...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Steve Welty Issue# 80 December 2025 Happy Saturday, Housing Heroes! As we close out the final newsletter of the year, we want to start with a simple thank you. We hope you’ve had a great holiday season, and we’re wishing you and your families a healthy and successful New Year. And as always, thank you for spending part of your Saturday with us. We know your weekends are valuable, and we genuinely appreciate you reading along each week. Last week, we looked back at what did and didn’t happen...
2 months ago • 2 min read