21841 River Oaks Dr Unit B5

Rocky River, OH 44116

$125,000D

2 bd · 1.5 ba · 902 sqft · Built 1964 · Condo · Pending · 17 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,394/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$656
• Tax + insurance: −$143
• HOA: −$389
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$293
• Net cashflow: $-86/mo
• Annual: $-1,027/yr
• Cap rate: 5.47%
• Cash-on-cash: -2.93%
• DSCR: 0.87
• 1% rule: 1.12%
• Cash to close: $35,000

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.5-bath condo listed at $125k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-86 ($-1k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $110k (12.1% below list).
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $125k).
• It's been on market 17 days — a 2% lower offer ($123k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $110k (12.1% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $864 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 89/100 on livability (#9 in OH, #112 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: crime A+, amenities A+, employment A+; Watch: commute F.
• Rocky River City (suburban): math 84% / reading 89% proficiency, ranked #26 of 656 in OH (top 4%) — strong family-tenant draw, lease renewals of 3-5y typical; only 13% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: Kensington Intermediate Elementary School (math 88% / reading 88%, grade A+, #34 of 1,584 statewide, top 2%, 596 students, 13% FRL); Rocky River Middle School (math 81% / reading 89%, grade A+, #17 of 654 statewide, top 3%, 575 students, 10% FRL); Rocky River High School (math 82% / reading 91%, grade A, #8 of 781 statewide, top 1%, 855 students, 13% FRL) — zoned schools at 12% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: HOA is 28% of rent.
• Market conditions: 116 active listings in the ZIP; 20 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 23d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); solid renter incomes; 1,441 units permitted in Cuyahoga County in 2024 (700 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Cuyahoga County population projected to shrink 8% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 4 sale attempts since 32y 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 $52k; list at $125k implies a 138% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Cap rate 5.5% vs local median 2.1% in Rocky River — 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 is only 18% of the median local income ($94k/yr) — well below the 30% rent-burden line; pricing power to push rent on renewal without tenant pushback.

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?
• Built in 1964 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
• Any open or pending special assessments — roof, HVAC, plumbing, elevator, façade? What's the per-unit balance and payoff schedule, and is the seller paying it off at close or rolling it to the buyer?
• 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.