5318 St. Marys Rd

Columbus, GA 31907

$157,950B+

4 bd · 3.0 ba · 2,754 sqft · Built 1964 · SingleFamily · Pending · 6 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,212/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$828
• Tax + insurance: −$195
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$464
• Net cashflow: $723/mo
• Annual: $8,682/yr
• Cap rate: 11.79%
• Cash-on-cash: 19.63%
• DSCR: 1.87
• 1% rule: 1.40%
• Cash to close: $44,226

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/3.0-bath single-family listed at $158k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $723 ($9k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $158k).
• Only 6 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• 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 64/100 on livability (#254 in GA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety B; Watch: amenities D+, crime F, commute F.
• Muscogee County (urban): math 21% / reading 30% proficiency, ranked #120 of 174 in GA (top 69%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 61% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Dawson Elementary School (math 2% / reading 2%, grade F, #1,204 of 1,228 statewide, top 100%, 309 students, 96% FRL); East Columbus Magnet Academy (math 4% / reading 13%, grade F, #439 of 470 statewide, top 94%, 473 students, 97% FRL); Spencer High School (math 2% / reading 8%, grade F, #394 of 424 statewide, top 97%, 943 students, 97% FRL) — zoned schools average 97% FRL vs 61% district-wide (36 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 5% at this address vs 26% district-wide (-20 pts) — the specific schools serving this property underperform the Muscogee County average; the district grade overstates school quality for this exact location.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+4.8%/yr); 274 active listings in the ZIP; 4 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 46d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 50% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 291 units permitted in Muscogee County in 2024 (30 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Muscogee County population projected at +15% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 2 sale attempts since 9y ago 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 + 4.8% rent growth), your $44k cash investment doubles in ~6 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 76% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→19/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 11.8% vs local median 4.6% in Columbus — 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 $2,212/mo this rent would consume 49% of the median local household income ($54k/yr) (locally 2138% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1964 — 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?
• Crime grade is F in this area — have there been break-ins, vandalism, or insurance claims at this property in the last 3 years? What carrier currently insures it and at what premium?
• 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.