48 E Cardinal Ln

Lilburn, GA 30044

$130,000B

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,456 sqft · Built 2018 · Condo · Active · 89 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,055/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$682
• Tax + insurance: −$217
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$432
• Net cashflow: $725/mo
• Annual: $8,699/yr
• Cap rate: 12.98%
• Cash-on-cash: 23.90%
• DSCR: 2.06
• 1% rule: 1.58%
• Cash to close: $36,400

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath condo listed at $130k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $725 ($9k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $130k).
• It's been on market 89 days — a 6% lower offer ($122k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $122k (6.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $899 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 72/100 on livability (#61 in GA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: housing A+, cost of living A, amenities B; Watch: commute F.
• Gwinnett County (suburban): math 39% / reading 43% proficiency, ranked #32 of 174 in GA (top 18%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Bethesda Elementary School (math 26% / reading 28%, grade F, #689 of 1,228 statewide, top 58%, 1,148 students, 78% FRL); Sweetwater Middle School (math 26% / reading 35%, grade F, #240 of 470 statewide, top 51%, 1,480 students, 85% FRL); Berkmar High School (math 2% / reading 8%, grade F, #394 of 424 statewide, top 97%, 3,029 students, 76% FRL) — zoned schools average 80% FRL vs 47% district-wide (32 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 21% at this address vs 41% district-wide (-20 pts) — the specific schools serving this property underperform the Gwinnett County average; the district grade overstates school quality for this exact location.
• Market conditions: Rents soft (-2.8%/yr); 405 active listings in the ZIP; 20 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 15d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); solid renter incomes; 5,607 units permitted in Gwinnett County in 2024 (1,277 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Gwinnett County population projected at +47% 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.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 0.0% rent growth), your $36k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 13.0% vs local median 3.4% in Lilburn — 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 ($77k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 89 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 6% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• 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.
• 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 apartment / multifamily construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply (>2% of stock underway) typically softens rents 12–24 months out; light construction supports rent growth.