201 Dinner Tree Sq

Huntsville, AL 35811

$279,000D

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,444 sqft · Built 2019 · SingleFamily · Active · 56 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,666/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,463
• Tax + insurance: −$196
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$350
• Net cashflow: $-344/mo
• Annual: $-4,124/yr
• Cap rate: 4.81%
• Cash-on-cash: -5.28%
• DSCR: 0.77
• 1% rule: 0.60%
• Cash to close: $78,120

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $279k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-344 ($-4k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $218k (21.8% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $167k (40.3% below list).
• It's been on market 56 days — a 3% lower offer ($271k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $167k (40.3% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $8k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 82/100 on livability (#3 in AL, #1,082 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime F.
• Madison County (rural): math 27% / reading 56% proficiency, ranked #19 of 129 in AL (top 15%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Riverton Elementary School (math 52% / reading 67%, grade B-, #63 of 627 statewide, top 10%, 581 students, 29% FRL); Buckhorn Middle School (math 19% / reading 59%, grade F, #64 of 257 statewide, top 25%, 688 students, 38% FRL); Buckhorn High School (math 31% / reading 33%, grade F, #59 of 305 statewide, top 21%, 1,287 students, 34% FRL) — zoned schools at 34% FRL track the district average.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+6.8%/yr); 570 active listings in the ZIP; 10 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 46d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 70% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; solid renter incomes; 4,709 units permitted in Madison County in 2024 (1,186 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Madison County population projected at +18% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 2 sale attempts since 7y 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 $188k; 48% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• Cap rate 4.8% vs local median 3.8% in Huntsville — meaningfully above typical; check what's discounted (condition, days-on-market, listing class) to confirm the premium yield is real.

Questions for listing agent

• What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
• It's been on market 56 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 40% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• 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?
• 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.