123 Whisper Dr

North Charleston, SC 29485

$330,000D

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 2,068 sqft · Built 2021 · SingleFamily · Pending · 5 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,735/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,731
• Tax + insurance: −$398
• HOA: −$200
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$574
• Net cashflow: $-167/mo
• Annual: $-2,010/yr
• Cap rate: 5.68%
• Cash-on-cash: -2.17%
• DSCR: 0.90
• 1% rule: 0.83%
• Cash to close: $92,400

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $330k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-167 ($-2k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $300k (9.0% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $274k (17.1% below list).
• Only 5 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $274k (17.1% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $10k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 66/100 on livability (#122 in SC) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: housing A+, health & safety A+, cost of living A; Watch: employment C-, crime F, amenities F.
• Dorchester 02 (suburban): math 40% / reading 55% proficiency, ranked #12 of 80 in SC (top 15%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Sand Hill Elementary (math 58% / reading 59%, grade B-, #95 of 597 statewide, top 16%, 1,133 students, 42% FRL); Gregg Middle (math 28% / reading 45%, grade F, #98 of 229 statewide, top 43%, 850 students, 76% FRL); Ashley Ridge High (math 73% / reading 93%, grade A, #18 of 196 statewide, top 9%, 2,542 students, 50% FRL) — zoned schools average 56% FRL vs 36% district-wide (19 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.9%/yr); 691 active listings in the ZIP; 4 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 3d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); solid renter incomes; 1,199 units permitted in Dorchester County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Dorchester County population projected at +43% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 2 sale attempts since 5y 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.
• Current owner paid $279k; 18% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe wind risk, 99% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→17/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 5.7% vs local median 4.0% in North Charleston — 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 40% of the median local income ($83k/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?
• What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• 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?
• The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
• 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.