509 Walnut St

Wilmington, NC 28401

$349,000C

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,792 sqft · Built 1920 · MultiFamily · Active · 74 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,686/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,830
• Tax + insurance: −$265
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$774
• Net cashflow: $817/mo
• Annual: $9,805/yr
• Cap rate: 9.10%
• Cash-on-cash: 10.03%
• DSCR: 1.45
• 1% rule: 1.06%
• Cash to close: $97,720

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 3.0-bed/1.5-bath units multifamily listed at $349k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $817 ($10k/yr) — positive. Per door: $409/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($4k rent vs $349k).
• It's been on market 74 days — a 6% lower offer ($328k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $328k (6.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $10k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 70/100 on livability (#142 in NC) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: health & safety A+, cost of living B+, housing B+; Watch: amenities C-, employment C-, crime F.
• New Hanover County Schools (urban): math 48% / reading 53% proficiency, ranked #61 of 178 in NC (top 34%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: A H Snipes Academy of Arts/Des (math 17% / reading 22%, grade F, #1,242 of 1,410 statewide, top 90%, 377 students, 99% FRL); Williston Middle (math 17% / reading 30%, grade F, #402 of 475 statewide, top 85%, 683 students, 100% FRL); New Hanover High (math 60% / reading 53%, grade C, #261 of 535 statewide, top 49%, 1,466 students, 100% FRL) — zoned schools average 100% FRL vs 42% district-wide (58 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 33% at this address vs 50% district-wide (-17 pts) — the specific schools serving this property underperform the New Hanover County Schools average; the district grade overstates school quality for this exact location.
• Watch-outs: built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents soft (-0.5%/yr); 279 active listings in the ZIP; 10 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 21d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 2,581 units permitted in New Hanover County in 2024 (1,185 in 5+ unit buildings).
• New Hanover County population projected at +37% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 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.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe wind risk, 99% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→19/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 9.1% vs local median 2.6% in Wilmington — 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 $3,686/mo this rent would consume 76% of the median local household income ($58k/yr) (locally 1696% 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 74 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 6% 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 1920 — 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?
• 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.