Best Realtors in Walnut Grove, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Walnut Grove is a small unincorporated Delta town of about 900 people on the Sacramento River in southern Sacramento County, along State Route 160 between Courtland and Isleton, with the historic town of Locke just to the north. Riverfront homes, older houses in town, orchards and farmland make up most of the local market, and sales are infrequent, so flood, levee and 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 Walnut Grove. We opened each agent’s public profile and confirmed it names Walnut Grove as an area served, in the bio, or through a listing or sale there.
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.
Walnut Grove housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Walnut Grove CDP |
|---|---|
| Population | 926 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $561,500 (±$210,431) |
| Median household income | $78,878 (±$23,683) |
| Persons per household | 2.2 |
| Median age | 40.1 |
| 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 fewer than 500 housing units, Walnut Grove’s survey margins are very wide: the median home value estimate could be off by more than $200,000 either way. Treat these as rough context only, and ask an agent for actual recent sales of comparable riverfront or in-town homes.
A Delta river town
Walnut Grove has no city government, so Sacramento County handles zoning, building permits and code enforcement. The town sits on both banks of the Sacramento River, and homes range from older houses on small in-town lots to riverfront properties and farm parcels outside town. Levees protect much of the area, and the condition of the levee and the reclamation district that maintains it matter to both insurance and resale. For more, see our Walnut Grove real estate guide and our notes on flood, levee and insurance records, waterfront comparable sales, waterfront maintenance budgets and waterfront permit history.
Costs and rules specific to a Walnut Grove 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. Walnut Grove is unincorporated, so only the County tax applies: about $618 on a $561,500 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.
- 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.
- Water, wastewater and farm parcels. Confirm whether the home is on community water and sewer or on a well and septic. On orchard or crop land, ask about the irrigation source, river pumps, water rights and any farm leases.
- Hazards and disclosures. Read the natural hazard disclosure report and check the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps.
Walnut Grove 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 Walnut Grove. 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, Midtown Sacramento |
| 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 | Walnut Grove (listing and past sales), the Delta (bio), Clarksburg, Sacramento |
| 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, Stockton |
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; and Joseph Petersen is the broker of record for his own firm, which his DRE record lists as doing business as Petersen & Company. Janice LeRoy’s Coldwell Banker profile says she has lived in Walnut Grove for more than 20 years, Debbie Elliot’s profile describes the Delta as a specialty, and Ralene Nelson’s homes.com profile says she has lived in the Delta area for more than 22 years. For more agents across the county, see our Sacramento County agents guide.
How to vet a Walnut Grove agent
- Ask about Delta sales. Ask how many Walnut Grove, Locke, Courtland or Isleton homes the agent has sold, and how they priced riverfront against in-town homes.
- Ask about flood insurance early. Ask the agent to help you get a flood insurance quote and the flood zone 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 whether the parcel is on community water and sewer or on a well and septic.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current responsible broker on the DRE lookup.
Walnut Grove questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Walnut Grove?
No. Walnut Grove is unincorporated, so only the Sacramento County tax of $0.55 per $500 applies.
What is the median home value in Walnut Grove?
Census estimates put the median owner-occupied value at about $561,500 for 2020–2024, but the margin of error is more than $200,000. Ask an agent for actual recent sales.
Who handles permits in Walnut Grove?
Sacramento County, since Walnut Grove has no city government.
What should I check first on a Walnut Grove property?
The flood zone, the levee and its reclamation district, and a flood insurance quote, followed by water, sewer and permit records.
Why do several agents in this guide name Walnut Grove through a listing or sale?
Walnut Grove is small, so few profiles list it as a stated service area. We included agents with a Walnut Grove listing or sale, residence or named Delta focus, and said which in the table.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, Walnut Grove CDP profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- 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
- William L Lyon & Associates Inc DRE record and Norcal Gold Inc DRE record (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: Walnut Grove real estate guide · Walnut Grove 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.
