300 20th St N #405

Birmingham, AL 35203

$335,000F

1 bd · 32.0 ba · 30,000 sqft · Built 1912 · Condo · Active · 120 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,454/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,757
• Tax + insurance: −$558
• HOA: −$294
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$305
• Net cashflow: $-1,460/mo
• Annual: $-17,523/yr
• Cap rate: 1.06%
• Cash-on-cash: -18.68%
• DSCR: 0.17
• 1% rule: 0.43%
• Cash to close: $93,800

Investor read

• This is a 1-bed/32.0-bath condo listed at $335k. Condition is rated excellent.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-1k ($-18k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $124k (63.1% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $145k (56.6% below list).
• It's been on market 120 days — a 9% lower offer ($305k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $124k (63.1% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.
• In year one you build about $1k of equity ($2k loan paydown + $-1k appreciation (-0.3% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 67/100 on livability (#78 in AL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities C-, crime F, employment F.
• Birmingham City (urban): math 4% / reading 20% proficiency, ranked #116 of 129 in AL (top 90%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 82% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: George Washington Carver High School (math 2% / reading 17%, grade F, #252 of 305 statewide, top 84%, 531 students, 87% FRL) — zoned schools at 87% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: HOA is 20% of rent; built in 1912 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 48 active listings in the ZIP; 2,114 units permitted in Jefferson County in 2024 (556 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Jefferson County population projected to shrink 4% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 3 sale attempts since 5y 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.
• Cap rate 1.1% vs local median 6.1% in Birmingham — below-typical yield; the buyer is paying a premium for something (appreciation thesis, condition, location) that the cap rate doesn't capture.
• This rent runs 37% of the median local income ($47k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

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 120 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 63% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1912 — 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?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?