3823 Hickory Hwy

Catawba, NC 28677

$168,000D

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 952 sqft · Built 1966 · SingleFamily · Active · 53 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,275/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$881
• Tax + insurance: −$99
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$268
• Net cashflow: $27/mo
• Annual: $319/yr
• Cap rate: 6.48%
• Cash-on-cash: 0.68%
• DSCR: 1.03
• 1% rule: 0.76%
• Cash to close: $47,040

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $168k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $27 ($319/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 $127k (24.1% below list).
• It's been on market 53 days — a 3% lower offer ($163k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $127k (24.1% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• 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 61/100 on livability (#494 in NC) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A-, health & safety B; Watch: schools C-, crime F, amenities F.
• Iredell-Statesville Schools (rural): math 53% / reading 52% proficiency, ranked #51 of 178 in NC (top 29%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Market conditions: Rents flat; 475 active listings in the ZIP; 1,955 units permitted in Iredell County in 2024 (128 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Iredell County population projected at +26% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→18/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 6.5% vs local median 3.7% in Catawba — 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 53 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 24% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1966 — 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.
• 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.