25945 Heatherfield Dr

Simonton Lake, IN 46514

$120,000C+

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,473 sqft · Built 1996 · SingleFamily · Pending · 3 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,604/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$629
• Tax + insurance: −$314
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$337
• Net cashflow: $324/mo
• Annual: $3,888/yr
• Cap rate: 9.53%
• Cash-on-cash: 11.57%
• DSCR: 1.51
• 1% rule: 1.34%
• Cash to close: $33,600

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $120k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $324 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $120k).
• Only 3 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $830 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 66/100 on livability (#269 in IN) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, crime A; Watch: amenities F, commute F, health & safety D-.
• Elkhart Community Schools (urban): math 18% / reading 25% proficiency, ranked #271 of 301 in IN (top 90%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Mary Feeser Elementary School (math 21% / reading 21%, grade F, #807 of 994 statewide, top 81%, 504 students, 61% FRL); North Side Middle School (math 15% / reading 31%, grade F, #263 of 330 statewide, top 80%, 627 students, 72% FRL); Elkhart High School (math 17% / reading 51%, grade F, #285 of 369 statewide, top 78%, 3,325 students, 63% FRL).
• Watch-outs: property tax is 2.6% of price.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+7.0%/yr); 269 active listings in the ZIP; 484 units permitted in Elkhart County in 2024 (136 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Elkhart County population projected at +7% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 3 sale attempts since 6y 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 + 7.0% rent growth), your $34k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 9.5% vs local median 1.9% in Simonton Lake — 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

• Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
• 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.