3 bd · 1.5 ba ·
980 sqft ·
Built 1978
· SingleFamily
· Active
· 138 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$2,314/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$514
Tax + insurance
−$624
HOA
−$0
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$486
Net cashflow
$690/mo
Annual
$8,285/yr
Cap rate
20.38%
Cash-on-cash
50.33%
DSCR
3.24
1% rule
2.36%
Cash to close
$27,440
Investor read
This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $98k. Condition is rated good.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $690 ($8k/yr) — positive.
The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $98k).
It's been on market 138 days — a 12% lower offer ($86k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
Recommended offer: $86k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $678 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
Location reads 67/100 on livability (#40 in DE) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, employment A+, health & safety A+; Watch: commute F, cost of living F.
Cape Henlopen School District (town): math 42% / reading 55% proficiency, ranked #5 of 26 in DE (top 19%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
Zoned schools: Rehoboth Elementary School (math 51% / reading 60%, grade C, #8 of 105 statewide, top 8%, 525 students, 0% FRL); Beacon Middle School (math 49% / reading 62%, grade B-, #1 of 36 statewide, top 0%, 648 students, 0% FRL); Cape Henlopen High School (math 26% / reading 51%, grade F, #14 of 40 statewide, top 33%, 1,813 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 41% district-wide (41 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $460/mo.
Market conditions: Rents flat; 942 active listings in the ZIP; solid renter incomes; 4,354 units permitted in Sussex County in 2024 (344 in 5+ unit buildings).
Sussex County population projected at +25% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
3 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $27k (22%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 0.8% rent growth), your $27k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
Climate carrying-cost: in FEMA flood zone AE (mandatory federal flood insurance); severe wind risk, 80% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→18/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
Cap rate 20.4% vs local median 1.9% in Lewes — 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 138 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
Built in 1978 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
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?
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.
CashFlowRE · CFR-26KCGRD8KQ0MHX
· Data 19 h agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29