2100 Cottage Grove Dr

Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

$305,000C

6 bd · 2.0 ba · 3,637 sqft · Built 1918 · MultiFamily · Active · 267 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,512/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,599
• Tax + insurance: −$825
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$738
• Net cashflow: $350/mo
• Annual: $4,195/yr
• Cap rate: 7.67%
• Cash-on-cash: 4.91%
• DSCR: 1.22
• 1% rule: 1.15%
• Cash to close: $85,400

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 3-bed/1.2-bath units multifamily listed at $305k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $350 ($4k/yr) — positive. Per door: $175/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($4k rent vs $305k).
• It's been on market 267 days — a 12% lower offer ($268k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $268k (12.0% 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 $9k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 89/100 on livability (#12 in OH, #124 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+.
• Cleveland Heights-University Heights City (suburban): math 23% / reading 41% proficiency, ranked #568 of 656 in OH (top 87%) — 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.
• Watch-outs: property tax is 2.7% of price; built in 1918 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.7%/yr); 253 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 8d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); solid renter incomes; 1,441 units permitted in Cuyahoga County in 2024 (700 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Cuyahoga County population projected to shrink 8% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 5 sale attempts since 28y ago; this cycle's ask is 3% above the opening price — seller raised mid-cycle; expect resistance to lowballs.
• Cap rate 7.7% vs local median 4.4% in Cleveland Heights — 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 $3,512/mo this rent would consume 54% of the median local household income ($78k/yr) (locally 1847% 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 267 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% 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 1918 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
• 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 A-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?