217 1st Ave NW

Hazen, ND 58545

$175,000C-

4 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,660 sqft · Built 1950 · Other · Pending · 7 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,396/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$918
• Tax + insurance: −$138
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$293
• Net cashflow: $48/mo
• Annual: $573/yr
• Cap rate: 6.62%
• Cash-on-cash: 1.17%
• DSCR: 1.05
• 1% rule: 0.80%
• Cash to close: $49,000

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/1.5-bath other listed at $175k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $48 ($573/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 $140k (20.2% below list).
• Only 7 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $140k (20.2% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $19k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $18k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 75/100 on livability (#25 in ND, #4,265 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, employment A+, cost of living A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, health & safety D-.
• Hazen 3 (rural): math 41% / reading 45% proficiency, ranked #22 of 53 in ND (top 42%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; only 14% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: Hazen Elementary School (math 52% / reading 47%, grade D, #65 of 236 statewide, top 37%, 274 students, 19% FRL); Hazen Middle School (math 27% / reading 37%, grade F, #30 of 35 statewide, top 85%, 131 students, 17% FRL); Hazen High School (math 44% / reading 54%, grade D, #19 of 144 statewide, top 19%, 163 students, 12% FRL) — zoned schools at 16% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1950 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 38 active listings in the ZIP; 15 units permitted in Mercer County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Mercer County population projected at +38% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• Current owner paid $90k; list at $175k implies a 94% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (10.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $49k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 2, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$30k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1950 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• 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 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.