About
I’m Ralph Pombo — a real estate investor, engineer, and co-living operator based in Texas.
My real estate portfolio spans three decades of buying, holding, and selling across multiple asset classes: 15 long-term rentals across Texas, Oregon, and California; vacant land in Florida and California; a short-term rental in Hawaii that ran for six years; and three co-living homes in Texas that are the current focus of my work.
Those three co-living properties serve distinct resident populations — a Silver Living community for adults 55 and older, a workforce housing home, and a sober living home. Running all three simultaneously has given me a ground-level view of how differently these markets operate, what breaks, and what works.
Before real estate, I spent 25 years as a mechanical engineer and software engineer within the Department of Energy. That background shapes how I approach co-living — systematically, with frameworks and data rather than gut instinct. It’s also why I built tools like CoLivingScore and the Co-Living Furnishing Estimator rather than just writing about the concepts.
I write the white papers, articles, and operator tools on this site because when I entered co-living three years ago, the information I needed didn’t exist in one place. Most of what’s published about co-living is either aimed at residents or written by people who have never operated a property. I write for operators and investors who need analysis they can actually use.
What I Write About
My focus is co-living market viability, home configuration, and operator economics — specifically for investors evaluating whether and where to enter the market. I pay particular attention to Silver Living (55+ co-living), which I believe is the most underserved and misunderstood segment in residential real estate today. I coined the phrase “Silver Living” as a response to the often used term “Golden Girls Housing”. I felt as though it was excluding men in the term and needed to include all seniors.
Work With Me
I offer strategy sessions for co-living investors and operators. Sessions are built around your specific situation — market selection, property evaluation, guest type strategy, or operational setup — and include relevant tools and frameworks as deliverables.
If you’re evaluating a co-living investment or trying to stabilize an underperforming property, reach out directly.
Stay Connected
I publish The Co-Living Insider, a newsletter covering co-living market conditions, operator strategy, and investment analysis. If you’re serious about this asset class, it’s worth your time.