2515 Eckman Dr

Lafayette, IN 47909

$124,500B-

3 bd · 2.5 ba · 1,760 sqft · Built 1978 · SingleFamily · Pending · 12 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,864/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$653
• Tax + insurance: −$302
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$392
• Net cashflow: $518/mo
• Annual: $6,216/yr
• Cap rate: 11.29%
• Cash-on-cash: 17.83%
• DSCR: 1.79
• 1% rule: 1.50%
• Cash to close: $34,860

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.5-bath single-family listed at $124k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $518 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $124k).
• Only 12 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $861 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 74/100 on livability (#68 in IN, #4,374 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: amenities D+, employment D+, crime F.
• Lafayette School Corporation (urban): math 29% / reading 34% proficiency, ranked #235 of 301 in IN (top 78%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 63% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Edgelea Elementary School (math 57% / reading 47%, grade C-, #237 of 994 statewide, top 26%, 457 students, 65% FRL); Lafayette Sunnyside Intermediate (math 26% / reading 26%, grade F, #240 of 330 statewide, top 73%, 1,047 students, 77% FRL); Jefferson High School (math 23% / reading 55%, grade F, #235 of 369 statewide, top 65%, 2,118 students, 69% FRL).
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+2.7%/yr); 187 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 46d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 67% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 1,341 units permitted in Tippecanoe County in 2024 (869 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Tippecanoe County population projected at +41% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 2 sale attempts since 6y 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.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 2.7% rent growth), your $35k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 11.3% vs local median 4.1% in Lafayette — 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 runs 33% of the median local income ($68k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1978 — 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 D-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
• 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?
• 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.