812 S 8th St

Wilmington, NC 28401

$250,000D+

2 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,140 sqft · Built 1940 · SingleFamily · Active · 90 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,788/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,311
• Tax + insurance: −$154
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$375
• Net cashflow: $-53/mo
• Annual: $-638/yr
• Cap rate: 6.04%
• Cash-on-cash: -0.91%
• DSCR: 0.96
• 1% rule: 0.72%
• Cash to close: $70,000

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $250k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-53 ($-638/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $241k (3.8% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $179k (28.5% below list).
• It's been on market 90 days — a 6% lower offer ($235k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $179k (28.5% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $8k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 70/100 on livability (#142 in NC) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: health & safety A+, cost of living B+, housing B+; Watch: amenities C-, employment C-, crime F.
• New Hanover County Schools (urban): math 48% / reading 53% proficiency, ranked #61 of 178 in NC (top 34%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: A H Snipes Academy of Arts/Des (math 17% / reading 22%, grade F, #1,242 of 1,410 statewide, top 90%, 377 students, 99% FRL); Williston Middle (math 17% / reading 30%, grade F, #402 of 475 statewide, top 85%, 683 students, 100% FRL); John T Hoggard High (math 66% / reading 75%, grade B+, #117 of 535 statewide, top 22%, 2,226 students, 30% FRL) — zoned schools average 76% FRL vs 42% district-wide (35 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 38% at this address vs 50% district-wide (-13 pts) — the specific schools serving this property underperform the New Hanover County Schools average; the district grade overstates school quality for this exact location.
• Watch-outs: built in 1940 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents soft (-0.5%/yr); 279 active listings in the ZIP; 31 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 22d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 2,581 units permitted in New Hanover County in 2024 (1,185 in 5+ unit buildings).
• New Hanover County population projected at +37% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 2 sale attempts since 10y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $35k (12%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $65k; list at $250k implies a 285% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe wind risk, 99% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→19/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 6.0% vs local median 2.6% in Wilmington — 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 90 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 28% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1940 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• 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.
• 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.