7401 Century Pl Unit 103B

Middleton, WI 53562

$175,000D

1 bd · 1.0 ba · 980 sqft · Built 1981 · Condo · Active · 74 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,587/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$918
• Tax + insurance: −$292
• HOA: −$280
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$333
• Net cashflow: $-236/mo
• Annual: $-2,831/yr
• Cap rate: 4.68%
• Cash-on-cash: -5.78%
• DSCR: 0.74
• 1% rule: 0.91%
• Cash to close: $49,000

Investor read

• This is a 1-bed/1.0-bath condo listed at $175k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-236 ($-3k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $141k (19.5% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $159k (9.3% below list).
• It's been on market 74 days — a 6% lower offer ($164k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $141k (19.5% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.
• 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 91/100 on livability (#5 in WI, #61 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: crime A+, commute A+, employment A+; Watch: cost of living D.
• Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District (suburban): math 52% / reading 56% proficiency, ranked #36 of 342 in WI (top 10%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease; only 15% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: Northside Elementary (math 57% / reading 52%, grade C, #166 of 1,041 statewide, top 20%, 345 students, 10% FRL); Kromrey Middle (math 51% / reading 59%, grade B-, #34 of 383 statewide, top 9%, 1,191 students, 21% FRL); Middleton High (math 49% / reading 57%, grade C-, #29 of 483 statewide, top 6%, 2,309 students, 18% FRL) — zoned schools at 16% FRL track the district average.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.0%/yr); 221 active listings in the ZIP; 40 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 25d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); solid renter incomes; 5,519 units permitted in Dane County in 2024 (3,978 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Dane County population projected at +35% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• Cap rate 4.7% vs local median 1.8% in Middleton — 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

• 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?
• It's been on market 74 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 20% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
• Any open or pending special assessments — roof, HVAC, plumbing, elevator, façade? What's the per-unit balance and payoff schedule, and is the seller paying it off at close or rolling it to the buyer?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are A-rated — typically a magnet for longer-tenancy family renters. What's the average tenant stay here, and is there a school-zone premium baked into asking?
• 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?