503 Cedar St

Elk Rapids, MI 49629

$265,000B+

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,211 sqft · Built 1960 · SingleFamily · Pending · 169 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,650/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,390
• Tax + insurance: −$175
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$766
• Net cashflow: $1,319/mo
• Annual: $15,829/yr
• Cap rate: 12.27%
• Cash-on-cash: 21.33%
• DSCR: 1.95
• 1% rule: 1.38%
• Cash to close: $74,200

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $265k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $1k ($16k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($4k rent vs $265k).
• It's been on market 169 days — a 12% lower offer ($233k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $233k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• 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 77/100 on livability (#132 in MI, #3,250 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• Elk Rapids Schools (rural): math 47% / reading 65% proficiency, ranked #62 of 540 in MI (top 12%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Lakeland Elementary School (math 42% / reading 57%, grade D, #382 of 1,397 statewide, top 30%, 313 students, 42% FRL); Cherryland Middle School (math 44% / reading 66%, grade B-, #76 of 493 statewide, top 16%, 257 students, 29% FRL); Elk Rapids High School (math 52% / reading 72%, grade B-, #58 of 713 statewide, top 9%, 380 students, 28% FRL) — zoned schools at 33% FRL track the district average.
• Market conditions: 29 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 101 units permitted in Antrim County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Antrim County population projected at -27% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 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 (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $74k cash investment doubles in ~6 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 12.3% vs local median 2.3% in Elk Rapids — 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 169 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1960 — 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.
• 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?
• 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.