2051 Topaz Ln

Portage, MI 49002

$241,500C+

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,353 sqft · Built 2026 · SingleFamily · Active · 5 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,669/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,266
• Tax + insurance: −$476
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$560
• Net cashflow: $366/mo
• Annual: $4,387/yr
• Cap rate: 8.11%
• Cash-on-cash: 6.49%
• DSCR: 1.29
• 1% rule: 1.11%
• Cash to close: $67,620

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $242k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $366 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $242k).
• Only 5 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $7k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 79/100 on livability (#90 in MI, #2,044 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime D+, amenities D-, commute F.
• Portage Public Schools (urban): math 48% / reading 63% proficiency, ranked #67 of 540 in MI (top 12%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Lake Center Elementary School (math 46% / reading 55%, grade D+, #366 of 1,397 statewide, top 26%, 529 students, 24% FRL); Portage Central Middle School (math 60% / reading 74%, grade A-, #31 of 493 statewide, top 6%, 740 students, 23% FRL); Portage Central High School (math 53% / reading 76%, grade B-, #46 of 713 statewide, top 7%, 1,420 students, 16% FRL) — zoned schools at 21% FRL track the district average.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+11.3%/yr); 129 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 339 units permitted in Kalamazoo County in 2024 (22 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Kalamazoo County population projected at +18% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• Current owner paid $200k; 21% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 8.0% rent growth), your $68k cash investment doubles in ~9 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 8.1% vs local median 3.3% in Portage — 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.
• This rent runs 43% of the median local income ($74k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• 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?
• 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.