316 Liberty Rd

Federalsburg, MD 21632

$95,000B+

1 bd · 1.0 ba · 692 sqft · Built 1930 · SingleFamily · Active · 22 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,421/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$498
• Tax + insurance: −$92
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$298
• Net cashflow: $533/mo
• Annual: $6,394/yr
• Cap rate: 13.02%
• Cash-on-cash: 24.04%
• DSCR: 2.07
• 1% rule: 1.50%
• Cash to close: $26,600

Investor read

• This is a 1-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $95k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $533 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $95k).
• It's been on market 22 days — a 2% lower offer ($94k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $94k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-2.2%/yr); year-one equity from $657 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 65/100 on livability (#266 in MD) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, crime A, health & safety A; Watch: housing C-, amenities F, commute F.
• Caroline County Public Schools (rural): math 13% / reading 29% proficiency, ranked #17 of 24 in MD (top 71%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Federalsburg Elementary School (math 8% / reading 12%, grade F, #614 of 860 statewide, top 75%, 390 students, 80% FRL); Colonel Richardson Middle School (math 3% / reading 28%, grade F, #190 of 225 statewide, top 85%, 374 students, 72% FRL); Colonel Richardson High School (math 52% / reading 77%, grade B-, #55 of 222 statewide, top 26%, 549 students, 66% FRL) — zoned schools average 73% FRL vs 48% district-wide (24 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1930 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 46 active listings in the ZIP; 59 units permitted in Caroline County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Caroline County population projected at -19% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• Current owner paid $34k; list at $95k implies a 175% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-2.2% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $27k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 67% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→16/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 13.0% vs local median 4.8% in Federalsburg — 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

• Built in 1930 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.