Best Realtors in Ryde, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Ryde is a tiny unincorporated Delta community on the Sacramento River in southern Sacramento County, along State Route 160 a few miles south of Walnut Grove on the way to Isleton. Riverfront homes and farm parcels make up most of what changes hands, and sales are rare, so flood, levee and riverfront permit records shape most purchases.
This guide is published by Diamond Real Estate Group, one of the brokerages listed. Our broker is listed first; other agents are in alphabetical order. The order is not a ranking, and inclusion is not an endorsement.
How we chose the agents in this guide
Each agent below met three checks in October 2026:
- A current California license. We opened each agent’s record on the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) public lookup and confirmed the name, license type (salesperson or broker) and a "Licensed" status, with a responsible broker or broker-associate affiliation that matches the brokerage on the agent’s profile.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the brokerage they work under.
- A public page that names Ryde or its immediate Delta area. We opened each agent’s public profile and confirmed it names Ryde, neighboring Walnut Grove or Isleton, or the Delta.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. Licenses and affiliations change, so check the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
Only one profile we could verify names Ryde itself, through a past sale. The others name neighboring Walnut Grove or Isleton through a listing, sale or residence, or describe the Delta as a focus. The table shows which, so you can ask each agent about Ryde and riverfront experience.
Ryde housing in numbers
The Census Bureau does not publish a separate profile for Ryde. The nearest Census community is Walnut Grove, a few miles up State Route 160, and we show its figures only as rough context for the area.
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Walnut Grove CDP (nearest Census place) |
|---|---|
| Population | 926 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $561,500 (±$210,431) |
| Median household income | $78,878 (±$23,683) |
| Persons per household | 2.2 |
| Mean travel time to work | 33.8 minutes |
| Housing units | 499 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter.
With so few homes, these margins are very wide, and Ryde’s riverfront and farm properties may differ a lot from Walnut Grove’s in-town homes. Ask an agent for actual recent sales of comparable Delta riverfront properties.
Riverfront and farm parcels in the Delta
Ryde has no city government, so Sacramento County handles zoning, building permits and code enforcement. Properties here generally sit along the levee road or on farmland behind the levees, and the condition of the levee and the reclamation district that maintains it matter to both insurance and resale. For more, see our Ryde real estate guide and our notes on flood, levee and insurance records, waterfront comparable sales, comparing waterfront homes, waterfront maintenance budgets and waterfront permit history.
Costs and rules specific to a Ryde purchase
- Transfer tax. The Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder charges documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 of value and says the City of Sacramento is the only city in the county with its own transfer tax. Ryde is unincorporated, so only the County tax applies: $1.10 per $1,000 of value, or about $1,100 on a $1 million sale. Our California transfer tax guide explains who usually pays.
- Flood zone and levees. Look up the parcel on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center, ask which reclamation district maintains the nearby levee and whether it levies an assessment, and get a flood insurance quote before you remove contingencies.
- Docks and riverfront work. For a riverfront home, ask for permits covering any dock, bulkhead or work on the levee slope, and confirm who is responsible for maintaining them.
- Water, wastewater and farm operations. Ask about the well and septic system and order inspections. On orchard or crop land, ask about the irrigation source, river pumps, water rights and any farm leases.
- Short-term rentals. The County’s short-term rental permit page requires a permit, a County business license and transient occupancy tax registration in the unincorporated area, with the owner or a long-term renter living on site at least six months a year and stays capped at 29 days.
- Hazards and disclosures. Read the natural hazard disclosure report and check the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps.
Ryde agents with verified licenses
Matthew Martinez, Diamond Real Estate Group (publisher of this guide)
Matthew Martinez is the Founder, CEO and Managing Broker of Diamond Real Estate Group. He is based in Sonoma County; contact him to discuss a purchase or sale in Ryde. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paloma Begin (licensed as Paloma-Lisa Begin) | Compass, Sacramento | Salesperson #01254423 | Walnut Grove (listing), East Sacramento, Land Park |
| Tiffany Donohue (licensed as Tiffany Nicole Donohue) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Elk Grove | Salesperson #01927470 | Walnut Grove (listing and past sale), Elk Grove |
| Debbie Elliot (licensed as Deborah Elliot) | Windermere Signature Properties, Sacramento | Salesperson #00702950 | The Delta (bio), Walnut Grove (listing and past sales), Clarksburg |
| Janice LeRoy (licensed as Janice G LeRoy) | Coldwell Banker Realty, Elk Grove | Broker #00451010 | Walnut Grove (resident), Elk Grove |
| Ralene Nelson | RE/MAX Gold | Salesperson #01503588 | Walnut Grove, Isleton, Rio Vista, the California Delta |
| Joseph Petersen (licensed as Joseph Paul Petersen) | Petersen & Company, Lodi | Broker #01489372 | Walnut Grove (Ryer Island listing), Isleton (past sale), Lodi |
| Dee Wollaston (licensed as Delores Marie Wollaston) | Boyd Real Estate, Bethel Island | Salesperson #00883734 | Ryde (past sale), Isleton (past sale), Bethel Island, Oakley |
On the DRE record, Coldwell Banker Realty agents are licensed under NRT West, Inc. (Janice LeRoy as a broker associate); the Windermere Signature Properties agent under William L Lyon & Associates Inc, whose DRE record lists Windermere Signature Properties as a business name; the Compass agent under Compass California II, Inc. (DRE #01527235); the RE/MAX Gold agent under Norcal Gold Inc, whose DRE record lists Re/Max Gold as a business name; the Boyd Real Estate agent under Jackson Boyd Inc, whose DRE record lists Boyd Real Estate & Property Management as a business name; and Joseph Petersen is the broker of record for his own firm, which his DRE record lists as doing business as Petersen & Company. For more agents across the county, see our Sacramento County agents guide.
How to vet a Ryde agent
- Ask about Delta riverfront sales. Ask how many riverfront or farm properties the agent has sold between Walnut Grove and Isleton, and how they priced them with so few sales.
- Ask about flood insurance early. Ask the agent to help you get the flood zone and a flood insurance quote before you write an offer.
- Ask about the levee. Ask which reclamation district maintains the levee, whether there is an assessment and how the agent checks levee condition.
- Check docks and riverfront permits. Ask for permits for any dock, bulkhead or levee-slope work.
- Confirm water and wastewater. Ask for well and septic records and inspections.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current responsible broker on the DRE lookup.
Ryde questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Ryde?
No. Ryde is unincorporated, so only the Sacramento County tax of $0.55 per $500 applies.
Who handles permits in Ryde?
Sacramento County, since Ryde has no city government.
Why don’t most agents in this guide name Ryde?
Ryde is very small and sales are rare, so few public profiles list it. We included agents whose profiles name neighboring Walnut Grove or Isleton or a Delta focus, and said which in the table.
Is there Census data for Ryde?
Not as a separate community. We show figures for neighboring Walnut Grove as rough context only.
What should I check first on a Ryde property?
The flood zone, the levee and its reclamation district, and a flood insurance quote, followed by well, septic, dock and permit records.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, Walnut Grove CDP profile (ACS 2024 5-year) (nearest Census place)
- Sacramento County Clerk-Recorder, documentary transfer tax FAQ
- Sacramento County Planning, short-term rental permits
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- DRE records for William L Lyon & Associates Inc, Norcal Gold Inc and Jackson Boyd Inc (business names)
- Agent profiles on homes.com, coldwellbankerhomes.com and remax.com, linked in the table
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Related: Ryde real estate guide · Ryde home valuation · Sacramento County agents guide · 20 tips for choosing a real estate agent
License-status update: the linked California DRE public records were checked November 2, 2026 and showed "Licensed." Public profile research retains the dates stated above. Names on DRE records may differ from public profile names; verify status and brokerage before selecting an agent.
