490 Little River Farm Blvd Unit 101a

Carthage, NC 28327

$115,000C+

2 bd · 2.0 ba · 990 sqft · Built 2003 · Condo · Active · 91 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,535/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$603
• Tax + insurance: −$113
• HOA: −$238
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$322
• Net cashflow: $258/mo
• Annual: $3,101/yr
• Cap rate: 8.99%
• Cash-on-cash: 9.63%
• DSCR: 1.43
• 1% rule: 1.33%
• Cash to close: $32,200

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/2.0-bath condo listed at $115k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $258 ($3k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $115k).
• It's been on market 91 days — a 9% lower offer ($105k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $105k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $795 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 62/100 on livability (#450 in NC) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, crime A, housing A; Watch: employment C-, health & safety C-, amenities F.
• Moore County Schools (rural): math 48% / reading 54% proficiency, ranked #58 of 178 in NC (top 33%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Sandhills Farm Life Elementary (math 42% / reading 57%, grade D, #417 of 1,410 statewide, top 32%, 394 students, 27% FRL); New Century Middle (math 47% / reading 55%, grade C, #106 of 475 statewide, top 22%, 625 students, 32% FRL); Union Pines High (math 63% / reading 70%, grade B, #150 of 535 statewide, top 28%, 1,438 students, 34% FRL).
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+4.0%/yr); 231 active listings in the ZIP; solid renter incomes; 941 units permitted in Moore County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Moore County population projected at +29% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• Current owner paid $100k; 15% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 4.0% rent growth), your $32k cash investment doubles in ~10 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 9.0% vs local median 3.3% in Carthage — 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 91 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% 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 F-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.