IRVINE, CA—HomeUnion, an online real estate investment-management firm specializing in single-family-rental investment properties for the individual investor, has launched an investment-management website that allows individual investors to more effectively identify and invest in single-family properties in various parts of the US without the hassles of being a landlord. The site, which is available at http://www.homeunion.com, gives these investors access to the firm's end-to-end services that is equal to what large investors can access.

In addition, HomeUnion has significantly expanded its offerings by adding new analytics, customer-support services and additional investment locations. Currently, the firm operates in 14 markets that it believes offer the greatest potential returns to investors. It expects to be in a total of 25 markets by the end of the year, becoming the largest online marketplace of its kind in the US.

According to Don Ganguly, co-founder and CEO of HomeUnion, “We can now offer individual investors the efficiency and simplicity enjoyed by institutional-level SFR investors. These services include identifying markets, neighborhoods and properties chosen for best cash flow; professional, fully outsourced, turnkey property management; online analytics for selection, acquisition and full reporting with transparency throughout the life of the investment.”

HomeUnion tells GlobeSt.com that only 2% of single-family rental investors are institutional, indicating that the number who are individual is high. In fact, as GlobeSt.com reported in February, institutional investors—which RealtyTrac defines as entities purchasing at least 10 properties in a calendar year—accounted for 5.2% of all US residential property sales in January, down from 7.9% in December and down also from 8.2% in January 2013, the firm reports. The January share of institutional-investor purchases represented the lowest monthly level since March 2012, a 22-month low.

HomeUnion chooses its markets and properties using proprietary computer models and algorithms. It also relies on the input of on-staff, local market experts, who have an intimate working knowledge of a particular real estate market. The factors involved in the choosing of markets include home prices, rents, vacancies, historical trends, employment and population growth.

Properties range in value from $65,000 to $225,000 and are expected to offer annual returns ranging from 6.5% to 16%. Expected return on investment is based on final purchase price, the amount of financing needed at closing, fees, rent and expense projections. Appreciation is not considered in the calculations.

Ganguly says that in 2013, more than 1 million single-family homes were purchased as investment properties—three-quarters of them by individuals. “Our company's mission is to make this new asset class more accessible to individuals looking for greater yield and return but who don't want to be hands-on landlords.”