974 Burton Ave

Cincinnati, OH 45229

$199,000B

6 bd · 3.0 ba · 4,546 sqft · Built 1892 · MultiFamily · Active · 100 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,688/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,044
• Tax + insurance: −$788
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$774
• Net cashflow: $1,082/mo
• Annual: $12,985/yr
• Cap rate: 12.82%
• Cash-on-cash: 23.30%
• DSCR: 2.04
• 1% rule: 1.85%
• Cash to close: $55,720

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 3-bed/?-bath units multifamily listed at $199k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $1k ($13k/yr) — positive. Per door: $541/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($4k rent vs $199k).
• It's been on market 100 days — a 9% lower offer ($181k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $181k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $6k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 80/100 on livability (#130 in OH, #1,856 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: employment D, crime F.
• Cincinnati Public Schools (urban): math 25% / reading 36% proficiency, ranked #581 of 656 in OH (top 89%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 70% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Sands Montessori School (math 70% / reading 77%, grade A, #311 of 1,584 statewide, top 20%, 683 students, 22% FRL); Hartwell School (math 17% / reading 31%, grade F, #593 of 654 statewide, top 91%, 447 students, 0% FRL); Walnut Hills High School (math 79% / reading 89%, grade A, #17 of 781 statewide, top 2%, 2,582 students, 14% FRL) — zoned schools average 12% FRL vs 70% district-wide (59 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 60% at this address vs 30% district-wide (+30 pts) — the actual schools serving this property are materially stronger than the Cincinnati Public Schools average implies; a family-tenant draw the district grade alone would hide.
• Watch-outs: property tax is 4.3% of price; built in 1892 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.5%/yr); 49 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 3d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 801 units permitted in Hamilton County in 2024 (190 in 5+ unit buildings).
• 4 sale attempts since 20y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $50k (20%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $22k; list at $199k implies a 784% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 5.5% rent growth), your $56k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 12.8% vs local median 3.9% in Cincinnati — top-decile yield for the area; either an underpriced asset or a hidden risk that comps aren't pricing in. Stress-test before assuming the spread holds.
• At $3,688/mo this rent would consume 137% of the median local household income ($32k/yr) (locally 1730% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 100 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
• What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
• Built in 1892 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are B-rated — typically a magnet for longer-tenancy family renters. What's the average tenant stay here, and is there a school-zone premium baked into asking?