100 Helmsman Way Way #201

Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

$294,000D+

1 bd · 1.0 ba · 800 sqft · Built 1985 · Condo · Active · 71 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,640/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,542
• Tax + insurance: −$556
• HOA: −$460
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$554
• Net cashflow: $-473/mo
• Annual: $-5,676/yr
• Cap rate: 4.63%
• Cash-on-cash: -5.93%
• DSCR: 0.74
• 1% rule: 0.90%
• Cash to close: $82,320

Investor read

• This is a 1-bed/1.0-bath condo listed at $294k. Condition is rated average.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-473 ($-6k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $292k (0.6% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $264k (10.2% below list).
• It's been on market 71 days — a 6% lower offer ($276k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $264k (10.2% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $11k of equity ($2k loan paydown + $9k appreciation (3.2% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 64/100 on livability (#157 in SC) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: employment A+, crime A-; Watch: amenities F, commute F, cost of living F.
• Beaufort 01 (town): math 42% / reading 51% proficiency, ranked #17 of 80 in SC (top 21%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $66/mo.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.2%/yr); 838 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; solid renter incomes; 1,824 units permitted in Beaufort County in 2024 (618 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Beaufort County population projected at +30% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• By year 4, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$39k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe flood risk; severe wind risk, 99% 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 4.6% vs local median 3.0% in Hilton Head Island — 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.
• This rent runs 32% of the median local income ($98k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

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 71 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 10% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
• 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?
• 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?