544 Pontoon Rd

Charleston, SC 29450

$635,000D

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,786 sqft · Built 2021 · SingleFamily · Active · 12 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $5,282/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$3,330
• Tax + insurance: −$446
• HOA: −$179
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$1,109
• Net cashflow: $217/mo
• Annual: $2,609/yr
• Cap rate: 6.70%
• Cash-on-cash: 1.47%
• DSCR: 1.07
• 1% rule: 0.83%
• Cash to close: $177,800

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $635k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $217 ($3k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $528k (16.8% below list).
• Only 12 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $528k (16.8% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-1.1%/yr); year-one equity from $4k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $7k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 76/100 on livability (#22 in SC, #3,336 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime D+, commute F, cost of living D-.
• Berkeley 01 (suburban): math 35% / reading 48% proficiency, ranked #30 of 80 in SC (top 38%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Cainhoy Elementary (math 2% / reading 12%, grade F, #594 of 597 statewide, top 100%, 154 students, 100% FRL); Philip Simmons Middle (math 31% / reading 48%, grade F, #82 of 229 statewide, top 37%, 428 students, 35% FRL); Philip Simmons High (math 42% / reading 92%, grade B, #73 of 196 statewide, top 41%, 771 students, 21% FRL) — zoned schools at 52% FRL track the district average.
• Market conditions: 69 active listings in the ZIP; 3,183 units permitted in Berkeley County in 2024 (580 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Berkeley County population projected at +48% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 5 sale attempts since 6y 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.
• Current owner paid $549k; 16% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe wind risk, 98% chance of damaging wind over 30y; major wildfire risk; extreme-heat days projected 7→18/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 6.7% vs local median 2.4% in Charleston — 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 does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
• 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?
• Crime grade is D 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.
• 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.