621 Prospect Ave

Lima, OH 45804

$55,000C+

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,165 sqft · Built 1916 · SingleFamily · Active · 112 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,026/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$288
• Tax + insurance: −$62
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$216
• Net cashflow: $461/mo
• Annual: $5,530/yr
• Cap rate: 16.35%
• Cash-on-cash: 35.91%
• DSCR: 2.60
• 1% rule: 1.87%
• Cash to close: $15,400

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $55k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $461 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $55k).
• It's been on market 112 days — a 9% lower offer ($50k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $50k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $380 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 64/100 on livability (#787 in OH) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A-; Watch: crime F, amenities F, commute F.
• Lima City (urban): math 29% / reading 36% proficiency, ranked #575 of 656 in OH (top 88%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 83% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Liberty Arts Magnet K-8 (math 40% / reading 46%, grade F, #1,023 of 1,584 statewide, top 65%, 416 students, 0% FRL); Lima West Middle School (math 22% / reading 24%, grade F, #600 of 654 statewide, top 92%, 352 students, 0% FRL); Lima Senior High School (math 16% / reading 42%, grade F, #627 of 781 statewide, top 81%, 1,013 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 83% district-wide (83 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1916 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 79 active listings in the ZIP; 6 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 46d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 100% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 88 units permitted in Allen County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Allen County population projected at -14% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $15k cash investment doubles in ~4 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 16.3% vs local median 7.6% in Lima — 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 112 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1916 — 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?
• 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.