1352 St Medar St

Mobile, AL 36603

$88,000A-

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,290 sqft · Built 1906 · SingleFamily · Active · 172 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,248/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$461
• Tax + insurance: −$147
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$262
• Net cashflow: $378/mo
• Annual: $4,532/yr
• Cap rate: 11.44%
• Cash-on-cash: 18.39%
• DSCR: 1.82
• 1% rule: 1.42%
• Cash to close: $24,640

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $88k. Condition is rated average.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $378 ($5k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $88k).
• It's been on market 172 days — a 12% lower offer ($77k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $77k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• In year one you build about $2k of equity ($608 loan paydown + $1k appreciation (1.3% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 75/100 on livability (#20 in AL, #4,262 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime F, employment D-.
• Zoned schools: Erwin Craighead Elementary School (math 2% / reading 22%, grade F, #536 of 627 statewide, top 88%, 420 students, 89% FRL); Calloway Smith Middle School (math 0% / reading 18%, grade F, #235 of 257 statewide, top 93%, 396 students, 96% FRL); Ben C Rain High School (math 2% / reading 2%, grade F, #291 of 305 statewide, top 100%, 589 students, 90% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1906 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 36 active listings in the ZIP; 7 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 46d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 57% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 1,678 units permitted in Mobile County in 2024 (264 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Mobile County population projected to shrink 8% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 2 sale attempts with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.
• At projected returns (1.3% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $25k cash investment doubles in ~4 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 11.4% vs local median 4.9% in Mobile — 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.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 172 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1906 — 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.
• Schools are D-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
• 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?
• 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.

Repairs flagged (vision-AI assessment)

• Minor: kitchen backsplash — existing backsplash
• Minor: bathroom backsplash — existing backsplash
• Minor: exterior siding — some discoloration