3 bd · 2.5 ba ·
1,288 sqft ·
Built 1950
· SingleFamily
· Pending
· 175 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$1,342/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$734
Tax + insurance
−$233
HOA
−$0
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$282
Net cashflow
$94/mo
Annual
$1,122/yr
Cap rate
7.10%
Cash-on-cash
2.87%
DSCR
1.13
1% rule
0.96%
Cash to close
$39,172
Investor read
This is a 3-bed/2.5-bath single-family listed at $140k.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $94 ($1k/yr) — positive.
The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $134k (4.1% below list).
It's been on market 175 days — a 12% lower offer ($123k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
Recommended offer: $123k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $967 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
Location reads 77/100 on livability (#9 in AL, #2,909 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, health & safety A+, cost of living A; Watch: crime F, employment D-.
Tuscaloosa City (urban): math 19% / reading 40% proficiency, ranked #74 of 129 in AL (top 57%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
Zoned schools: Westlawn Middle School (math 0% / reading 18%, grade F, #235 of 257 statewide, top 93%, 534 students, 93% FRL); Central High School (math 12% / reading 17%, grade F, #220 of 305 statewide, top 77%, 783 students, 84% FRL) — zoned schools average 88% FRL vs 59% district-wide (29 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
Zoned-school proficiency averages 12% at this address vs 30% district-wide (-18 pts) — the specific schools serving this property underperform the Tuscaloosa City average; the district grade overstates school quality for this exact location.
Watch-outs: built in 1950 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+6.3%/yr); 306 active listings in the ZIP; 21 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 44d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 62% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 622 units permitted in Tuscaloosa County in 2024 (69 in 5+ unit buildings).
Tuscaloosa County population projected at +26% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
Current owner paid $81k; list at $140k implies a 73% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 59% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→20/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
Cap rate 7.1% vs local median 3.4% in Tuscaloosa — 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 $1,342/mo this rent would consume 55% of the median local household income ($29k/yr) (locally 3997% 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 175 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
Built in 1950 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
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.
Crime grade is F in this area — have there been break-ins, vandalism, or insurance claims at this property in the last 3 years? What carrier currently insures it and at what premium?
The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
What's the average days-on-market for RENTAL listings here right now (not sales)? A rising rental-DOM trend means longer vacancies and softer asking-rent achievability than the comps imply.
What's the recent tenant-quality profile in this submarket — average credit score on applications, eviction rate, late-payment / NSF rate, and stable-employment percentage? A property-management company in the area should have these aggregated.
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· Data 2 weeks agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29