828 N 13th St

Elwood, IN 46036

$159,900C-

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,794 sqft · Built 1968 · SingleFamily · Pending · 336 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,524/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$839
• Tax + insurance: −$197
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$320
• Net cashflow: $168/mo
• Annual: $2,017/yr
• Cap rate: 7.55%
• Cash-on-cash: 4.51%
• DSCR: 1.20
• 1% rule: 0.95%
• Cash to close: $44,772

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $160k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $168 ($2k/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 $152k (4.7% below list).
• It's been on market 336 days — a 12% lower offer ($141k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $141k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 62/100 on livability (#482 in IN) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: schools F, amenities F, commute F.
• Elwood Community School Corporation (town): math 18% / reading 19% proficiency, ranked #283 of 301 in IN (top 94%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Market conditions: 100 active listings in the ZIP; 6 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 2d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 184 units permitted in Madison County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Madison County population projected at -14% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 6 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $45k (22%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $84k; list at $160k implies a 91% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Cap rate 7.6% vs local median 5.3% in Elwood — 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

• It's been on market 336 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1968 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• 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 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.