609 South Orange Ave, El Cajon 92020 – 5-Unit Income Property Case Study

Property Overview

609 South Orange Avenue is a rare five-unit multifamily offering in the heart of El Cajon, one of East County’s most supply-constrained rental markets. The property consists of five detached houses across a well-utilized lot:

• (4) two-bedroom / one-bath homes

• (1) three-bedroom / two-bath residence

This configuration offers investors a blend of privacy, stable family-oriented tenancy, and lower operating friction—an uncommon mix in the small-unit inventory class.

Investment Highlights

• Sold For: $1,199,000

• Property Type: Five detached rental homes

• Unit Mix: (4) 2BD/1BA + (1) 3BD/2BA

• Parking: Private driveways + onsite surface spaces

• Tenant Profile: Long-term renters with strong payment history

• Submarket: El Cajon – high rental demand, limited supply

The property’s layout reduces vacancy risk and attracts tenants seeking the privacy of a single-family rental with the affordability of multifamily pricing.

El Cajon Submarket Insight

El Cajon continues to be one of San Diego County’s most resilient and high-absorption submarkets. A combination of strong workforce housing demand, proximity to transit corridors, and rapidly rising replacement costs has made small-unit assets increasingly attractive to private buyers. Recent transactions further reinforce this trend, including a five-unit apartment property sale reported by MultifamilyBiz.

This micro-pocket near Main Street offers:

• Consistent rent growth

• High occupancy levels

• Diverse tenant demand (families, long-term residents, tradespeople)

• Lower turnover compared to traditional apartments

These dynamics positioned the property as a highly competitive opportunity despite its modest unit count.

Strategic Advisory Narrative

Arby advised ownership on pricing strategy, buyer targeting, and positioning the asset for maximum exposure within the small-multifamily buyer pool.

Key strategic steps included:

• Comprehensive valuation using real-time El Cajon cap rate and GRM data

• Identification of buyer profiles most likely to pay premium pricing

• Highlighting the unique “detached homes” configuration to differentiate the asset from traditional 4–6 unit properties

• Tight management of showing windows to optimize urgency and competition

Arby’s submarket expertise and advisory approach ensured a streamlined process with minimal disruption to existing tenants, ultimately attracting well-qualified private investors.

Outcome

The property closed at $1,199,000, aligning with aggressive pricing for the submarket and asset type. Detached dwellings, strong in-place income, and the scarcity of similar inventory contributed to a competitive marketing period and a successful closing for the seller.

This case underscores Arby’s track record in the small-multifamily sector and his ability to extract maximum value from niche asset types across San Diego County.

Considering a Sale?

If you’re exploring whether now is the right time to sell an apartment building in San Diego, get an expert-level brokerage opinion backed by real submarket data.

Request a confidential valuation:

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