514 Liberty St

Findlay, OH 45840

$199,000B

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 2,070 sqft · Built 1900 · MultiFamily · Active · 594 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,943/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,044
• Tax + insurance: −$167
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$618
• Net cashflow: $1,115/mo
• Annual: $13,375/yr
• Cap rate: 13.01%
• Cash-on-cash: 24.00%
• DSCR: 2.07
• 1% rule: 1.48%
• Cash to close: $55,720

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/2.0-bath multifamily listed at $199k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $1k ($13k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $199k).
• It's been on market 594 days — a 12% lower offer ($175k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $175k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $6k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 81/100 on livability (#98 in OH, #1,496 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: employment D+, commute F.
• Findlay City (town): math 56% / reading 56% proficiency, ranked #357 of 656 in OH (top 54%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Donnell Middle School (math 57% / reading 54%, grade B-, #321 of 654 statewide, top 51%, 523 students, 41% FRL); Findlay High School (math 51% / reading 60%, grade C, #296 of 781 statewide, top 39%, 1,915 students, 31% FRL) — zoned schools at 36% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.7%/yr); 216 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 257 units permitted in Hancock County in 2024 (150 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Hancock County population projected to shrink 4% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 3 sale attempts since 17y 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 $71k; list at $199k implies a 180% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 5.7% rent growth), your $56k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: moderate flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 13.0% vs local median 5.0% in Findlay — 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 594 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1900 — 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 B-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 apartment / multifamily construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply (>2% of stock underway) typically softens rents 12–24 months out; light construction supports rent growth.