1096 County Rd 835

Rainsville, AL 35968

$47,900B+

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,548 sqft · Built 1937 · SingleFamily · Pending · 60 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,094/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$251
• Tax + insurance: −$80
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$230
• Net cashflow: $533/mo
• Annual: $6,401/yr
• Cap rate: 19.66%
• Cash-on-cash: 47.73%
• DSCR: 3.12
• 1% rule: 2.28%
• Cash to close: $13,412

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $48k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $533 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $48k).
• It's been on market 60 days — a 3% lower offer ($46k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $46k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• In year one you build about $5k of equity ($331 loan paydown + $5k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 66/100 on livability (#105 in AL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, employment D-.
• Dekalb County (rural): math 18% / reading 37% proficiency, ranked #82 of 129 in AL (top 64%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Crossville Elementary School (math 17% / reading 27%, grade F, #442 of 627 statewide, top 72%, 578 students, 94% FRL) — zoned schools average 94% FRL vs 59% district-wide (35 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1937 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 47 active listings in the ZIP; 49 units permitted in DeKalb County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• DeKalb County population projected to shrink 8% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 2 sale attempts 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 (10.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $13k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 6, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$30k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Cap rate 19.7% vs local median 2.4% in Rainsville — 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 60 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1937 — 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.
• 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.