274 Cardinal Rd

Murphy, NC 28906

$126,000C+

2 bd · 2.0 ba · 988 sqft · Built 1987 · SingleFamily · Active · 9 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,400/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$661
• Tax + insurance: −$130
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$294
• Net cashflow: $315/mo
• Annual: $3,780/yr
• Cap rate: 9.29%
• Cash-on-cash: 10.71%
• DSCR: 1.48
• 1% rule: 1.11%
• Cash to close: $35,280

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $126k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $315 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $126k).
• Only 9 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $871 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 66/100 on livability (#292 in NC) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+; Watch: health & safety C-, amenities F, commute F.
• Cherokee County Schools (rural): math 42% / reading 47% proficiency, ranked #90 of 178 in NC (top 51%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Murphy Elementary (math 52% / reading 47%, grade D, #417 of 1,410 statewide, top 32%, 536 students, 99% FRL); Murphy Middle (math 42% / reading 48%, grade D, #160 of 475 statewide, top 35%, 316 students, 64% FRL); Murphy High (math 42% / reading 57%, grade D, #311 of 535 statewide, top 60%, 489 students, 55% FRL) — zoned schools average 73% FRL vs 56% district-wide (16 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Market conditions: 1119 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 232 units permitted in Cherokee County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Cherokee County population projected at -24% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 4 sale attempts since 13y 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.
• Climate carrying-cost: moderate wildfire risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 9.3% vs local median 2.6% in Murphy — 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

• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are D-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.