231 Gayle Pond Trce · Columbia, SC 29209

$265,000

4 bd · 3.0 ba · 2,568 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 55 Days on market

Built 2003

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Why this score? — see what drove the D grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• Cash flow +15.5/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• DSCR +4.8/10.0
• Livability +3.9/5.0
• 1% rule +3.2/10.0
• Rent growth +3.0/5.0
• Schools +2.6/10.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Welcome to this spacious 4-bedroom, 2.5 bath home located in the Ashewood Lake community of Columbia! This two-story home offers a functional layout with an open-concept living area, perfect for everyday living and entertaining. The kitchen features ample cabinet space and overlooks the main living area with a cozy fireplace. Upstairs, you'll find generously sized bedrooms along with a versatile loft space that can be used as a second living area, office, or playroom. The owner's suite includes a private bath with a double vanity, separate shower, and garden tub. Enjoy a fully fenced backyard with room to relax or entertain. Conveniently located near shopping, dining, and major interstates.

Key facts

• 2 garage spots
• Built 2003
• Listed 55 days

Property features AI

Finance

• HOA & community: Homeowner association present

Exterior

• Parking: Attached garage with 2 spaces
• Utilities: Public sewer
• Construction: Slab foundation
• Exterior features: Vinyl exterior; Paved road access; Public water

Interior

• Bedrooms: Primary bedroom on the main level
• Bathrooms: Two full bathrooms; One additional full bathroom on the second level; One half bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Central heating; Central cooling
• Interior features: One fireplace

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 4-bed/3.0-bath single-family listed at $265k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $52 ($625/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 $217k (17.9% below list).
• Recommended offer: $217k (17.9% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Cap rate 6.8% vs local median 5.1% in Columbia — 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.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 78/100 on livability (#18 in SC, #2,436 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: employment D, crime F.
• Richland 01 (urban): math 26% / reading 36% proficiency, ranked #54 of 80 in SC (top 68%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 64% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Annie Burnside Elementary (math 12% / reading 22%, grade F, #515 of 597 statewide, top 89%, 328 students, 100% FRL); Crayton Middle (math 48% / reading 64%, grade B-, #23 of 229 statewide, top 10%, 905 students, 100% FRL); A. C. Flora High (math 42% / reading 92%, grade B, #73 of 196 statewide, top 41%, 1,352 students, 100% FRL) — zoned schools average 100% FRL vs 64% district-wide (36 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 47% at this address vs 31% district-wide (+16 pts) — the actual schools serving this property are materially stronger than the Richland 01 average implies; a family-tenant draw the district grade alone would hide.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+2.1%/yr); 298 active listings in the ZIP; 8 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 26d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 3,472 units permitted in Richland County in 2024 (1,096 in 5+ unit buildings).
• This rent runs 44% of the median local income ($59k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $8k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Richland County population projected at +30% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 55 days — a 3% lower offer ($257k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Current owner paid $140k; list at $265k implies a 89% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $56/mo.
• Climate carrying-cost: major flood risk; extreme-heat days projected 7→16/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $217,498 (17.9% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 55 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 18% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. 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?
5. 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?
6. 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?
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. How much new for-sale + rental construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply typically softens prices + rents 12–24 months out; constrained supply supports both.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 0.82% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.78%
• Cash-on-cash: 1.74%
• DSCR: 1.08
• GRM: 10.2

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 2.08% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -15.9%
• Equity multiple: 0.44×
• Total profit: $-41,690
• Equity at exit: $39,512

10-year hold

• IRR: -9.1%
• Equity multiple: 0.46×
• Total profit: $-40,349
• Equity at exit: $22,912

Cash invested: $74,200 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State South Carolina: 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+6
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

5-day notice; preempted; landlord-favorable.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 29209

• Rents YoY: 2.1%
• Active inventory: 298
• Price-to-rent: 10.2×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $2,175 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,390
• Tax from tax record: −$110 /mo · $1,323/yr
• Insurance: −$110
• Flood insurance flood zone: −$56 /mo · $670/yr
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$457
• Net cashflow: $52

Break-even live

Break-even rent $2,109

Max offer price $265,000

Occupancy floor 93%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $202	-5% $127	+0% $52	+5% $-23	+10% $-98
Rent	-10% $-120	-5% $-34	+0% $52	+5% $138	+10% $224
Rate	-1.0pp $186	-0.5pp $119	base $52	+0.5pp $-17	+1.0pp $-86

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $66,250
• Closing costs: $7,950
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 8 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
1727 Sandra Dr Columbia, SC	4.0	2.5	1750	$1,900	$1.09	13d	1	0.45mi
79 Blue Fescue Way Columbia, SC	4.0	2.5	2075	$2,295	$1.11	13d	1	0.82mi
72 Blue Fescue Way Columbia, SC	4.0	2.5	2075	$2,233	$1.08	16d	1	0.83mi
27 Blue Fescue Way Columbia, SC	4.0	2.5	2075	$2,283	$1.10	25d	1	0.94mi
7015 Mirror Lake Rd Columbia, SC	3.0	2.0	2043	$1,800	$0.88	25d	1	1.04mi
448 Red Poll Way Columbia, SC	4.0	2.5	1783	$2,183	$1.22	25d	1	1.10mi
425 Red Poll Way Columbia, SC	4.0	2.5	1783	$2,133	$1.20	25d	1	1.12mi
156 Top Forest Dr Columbia, SC	3.0	2.5	1855	$2,500	$1.35	25d	1	1.18mi

Listing history 17 events

1. 2026-06-21
   days on market $265,000 Active 55 DOM
2. 2026-06-18
   days on market $265,000 Active 52 DOM
3. 2026-06-17
   days on market $265,000 Active 51 DOM
4. 2026-06-16
   days on market $265,000 Active 50 DOM
5. 2026-06-15
   days on market $265,000 Active 49 DOM
6. 2026-06-14
   days on market $265,000 Active 47 DOM
7. 2026-06-10
   days on market $265,000 Active 44 DOM
8. 2026-06-09
   days on market $265,000 Active 43 DOM
9. 2026-06-08
   days on market $265,000 Active 42 DOM
10. 2026-06-07
    days on market $265,000 Active 41 DOM
11. 2026-06-03
    days on market $265,000 Active 37 DOM
12. 2026-06-03
    days on market $265,000 Active 36 DOM
13. 2026-06-01
    days on market $265,000 Active 35 DOM
14. 2026-05-31
    days on market $265,000 Active 34 DOM
15. 2026-04-27
    listed $275,000 Active
16. 2015-07-08
    soldstatus $140,000
17. 2005-03-08
    soldstatus $140,000

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast SC · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $1,323 · $110/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,510 · $126/mo
• Expected delta: +$188/yr (+$16/mo · 14.2%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 7/10 Severe FEMA zone X · 99% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 2/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 7/10 Severe

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $26,100
• − Mortgage interest: −$14,844
• − Property taxes: −$1,323
• − Insurance: −$1,995
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$2,088
• − Management: −$2,088
• − Depreciation: −$7,709
• Taxable loss: −$3,947
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$947
• After-tax cash flow: $1,572/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Richland 01
• NCES district ID: 4503360
• Math proficiency: 26% ▼ -7.00%
• Reading proficiency: 36% ▼ -5.00%
• Median HH income: $38,931
• Composite: 25.94/100
• National rank: #7335
• State rank: #54 of 80 in SC

Livability — Columbia

• Score: 78/100
• State rank: #18
• US rank: #2436

Category grades

Amenities A+ Commute A+ Cost of living A+ Crime F Employment D Housing A+ Health & safety A+ User ratings D

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Columbia, SC
• County: Richland County · 389,530 people
• City population: 335,994
• Metro: Columbia, SC
• Population (ZIP): 38,041
• Household income: $58,772
• Rent vs Own: 41.3% rent · 58.7% own
• Severe rent burden: 1716.0

Population outlook (Richland County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 459,667 people
• By 2030: 487,524 · +6.1%
• By 2040: 542,035 · +17.9%
• By 2050: 595,371 · +29.5%
• By 2075: 732,998 · +59.5%
• By 2100: 820,415 · +78.5%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Diverse neighborhood (Simpson 0.62)
• Race & ethnicity: Black 48% White 39% Two or more races 6% Hispanic / Latino 6% Asian 2%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 3% Puerto Rican 2%
• Common ancestry: Slovak 2% Serbian 2% Italian 1%
• Foreign-born: 6% · Canada, Jamaica
• Languages at home: 93% English-only · Spanish 3% Arabic 1% Other Indo-European 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Richland

• 2024 margin: Solid D (+34.6) · D 66.4% · R 31.8% · Other 1.8%
• 2008→2024 swing: +5.7pp toward D · 2008: 28.9pp · 2024: 34.6pp
• All cycles: 2024: D+34.6 2020: D+38.3 2016: D+32.9 2012: D+33.3 2008: D+28.9

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -142.10%
• Current HPI: 205.5679
• Rent YoY: ▲ 2.08%
• Metro: Columbia, SC
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 4.51%
• F500 in state: 2

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in SC)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Packaging	1	$7B

Price history

+96.4% since first listed

3 events — show timeline

• 2026-04-27 Listed $275,000 Consolidated MLS
• 2015-07-08 Sold (Public Records) $140,000 Public Records
• 2005-03-08 Sold (Public Records) $140,000 Public Records

Property tax history

+0.1%/yr

Latest (2025): $1,323 · +3.7% YoY. Source: county tax records.