23025 Liberty St #13

St. Clair Shores, MI 48080

$134,900D+

2 bd · 1.5 ba · 871 sqft · Built 1972 · Condo · Pending · 40 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,607/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$707
• Tax + insurance: −$243
• HOA: −$357
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$337
• Net cashflow: $-38/mo
• Annual: $-458/yr
• Cap rate: 5.95%
• Cash-on-cash: -1.21%
• DSCR: 0.95
• 1% rule: 1.19%
• Cash to close: $37,772

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.5-bath condo listed at $135k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-38 ($-458/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $128k (5.0% below list).
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $135k).
• It's been on market 40 days — a 3% lower offer ($131k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $128k (5.0% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $933 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads: area grade D — affects rentability + tenant quality, not the cash-flow math above.
• South Lake Schools (suburban): math 11% / reading 26% proficiency, ranked #470 of 540 in MI (top 87%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Elmwood Elementary School (math 18% / reading 29%, grade F, #1,032 of 1,397 statewide, top 74%, 345 students, 61% FRL); South Lake Middle School (math 7% / reading 23%, grade F, #451 of 493 statewide, top 92%, 299 students, 66% FRL); South Lake High School (math 2% / reading 27%, grade F, #640 of 713 statewide, top 91%, 516 students, 61% FRL).
• Watch-outs: HOA is 22% of rent.
• Market conditions: 167 active listings in the ZIP; 14 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 13d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 1,321 units permitted in Macomb County in 2024 (86 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Macomb County population projected at +9% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 2 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $14k (9%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $44k; list at $135k implies a 207% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Cap rate 6.0% vs local median 4.0% in St. Clair Shores — 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

• What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
• It's been on market 40 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 5% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1972 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
• Any open or pending special assessments — roof, HVAC, plumbing, elevator, façade? What's the per-unit balance and payoff schedule, and is the seller paying it off at close or rolling it to the buyer?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• 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.