196 W State St

Athens, OH 45701

$225,000D+

5 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,538 sqft · Built 1977 · MultiFamily · Active · 38 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,404/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,180
• Tax + insurance: −$347
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$505
• Net cashflow: $372/mo
• Annual: $4,470/yr
• Cap rate: 8.28%
• Cash-on-cash: 7.09%
• DSCR: 1.32
• 1% rule: 1.07%
• Cash to close: $63,000

Investor read

• This is a 5-bed/2.0-bath multifamily listed at $225k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $372 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $225k).
• It's been on market 38 days — a 3% lower offer ($218k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $218k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• 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 86/100 on livability (#37 in OH, #350 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: crime A+, amenities A+, commute A+; Watch: housing C-, employment F.
• Athens City (town): math 50% / reading 61% proficiency, ranked #393 of 656 in OH (top 60%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Market conditions: 112 active listings in the ZIP; 5 units permitted in Athens County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Athens County population projected at +4% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• Current owner paid $84k; list at $225k implies a 169% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Cap rate 8.3% vs local median 2.8% in Athens — 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.
• At $2,404/mo this rent would consume 54% of the median local household income ($53k/yr) (locally 2145% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 38 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1977 — 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 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?
• 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 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.