7 Meadowlawn Dr #20

Mentor, OH 44060

$159,900D

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,390 sqft · Built 1963 · Condo · Pending · 21 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,659/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$839
• Tax + insurance: −$179
• HOA: −$374
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$348
• Net cashflow: $-81/mo
• Annual: $-975/yr
• Cap rate: 5.68%
• Cash-on-cash: -2.18%
• DSCR: 0.90
• 1% rule: 1.04%
• Cash to close: $44,772

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath condo listed at $160k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-81 ($-975/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $146k (9.0% below list).
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $160k).
• It's been on market 21 days — a 2% lower offer ($158k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $146k (9.0% 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 84/100 on livability (#53 in OH, #739 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: employment A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities D, commute F.
• Mentor Exempted Village (suburban): math 58% / reading 70% proficiency, ranked #201 of 656 in OH (top 31%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease; only 19% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: Memorial Middle School (math 62% / reading 70%, grade A-, #179 of 654 statewide, top 28%, 897 students, 21% FRL); Mentor High School (math 48% / reading 76%, grade B-, #202 of 781 statewide, top 29%, 2,405 students, 20% FRL) — zoned schools at 21% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: HOA is 23% of rent.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.5%/yr); 267 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; solid renter incomes; 448 units permitted in Lake County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Lake County population projected to shrink 8% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 8 sale attempts since 23y 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.
• Cap rate 5.7% vs local median 3.7% in Mentor — 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?
• Built in 1963 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• 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?
• 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?
• 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.