1301 Elm Dr

Big Spring, TX 79720

$50,000B-

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 980 sqft · Built 1986 · Other · Active · 7 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,533/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$262
• Tax + insurance: −$108
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$322
• Net cashflow: $841/mo
• Annual: $10,088/yr
• Cap rate: 26.47%
• Cash-on-cash: 72.06%
• DSCR: 4.21
• 1% rule: 3.07%
• Cash to close: $14,000

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath other listed at $50k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $841 ($10k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $50k).
• Only 7 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $346 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 62/100 on livability (#948 in TX) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: employment C-, crime F, amenities F.
• Big Spring ISD (town): math 29% / reading 30% proficiency, ranked #641 of 826 in TX (top 78%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 63% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Marcy El (360 students, 76% FRL); Big Spring J H (math 25% / reading 34%, grade F, #1,077 of 1,662 statewide, top 66%, 516 students, 70% FRL); Big Spring H S (math 23% / reading 30%, grade F, #1,228 of 1,632 statewide, top 76%, 1,084 students, 67% FRL).
• Market conditions: 270 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 69 units permitted in Howard County in 2024 (5 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Howard County population projected at +42% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $14k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe wildfire risk; extreme-heat days projected 7→22/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Questions for listing agent

• 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.