835 N Desert Orchard Ln

Columbia, SC 29045

$257,000D

4 bd · 2.5 ba · 1,709 sqft · Built 2024 · SingleFamily · Pending · 79 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,221/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,348
• Tax + insurance: −$428
• HOA: −$44
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$466
• Net cashflow: $-65/mo
• Annual: $-784/yr
• Cap rate: 5.99%
• Cash-on-cash: -1.09%
• DSCR: 0.95
• 1% rule: 0.86%
• Cash to close: $71,960

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/2.5-bath single-family listed at $257k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-65 ($-784/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $248k (3.7% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $222k (13.6% below list).
• It's been on market 79 days — a 6% lower offer ($242k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $222k (13.6% 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 78/100 on livability (#18 in SC, #2,436 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: employment D, crime F.
• Richland 02 (suburban): math 35% / reading 47% proficiency, ranked #29 of 80 in SC (top 36%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Pontiac Elementary (math 39% / reading 35%, grade F, #315 of 597 statewide, top 55%, 724 students, 68% FRL); Spring Valley High (math 53% / reading 92%, grade B+, #46 of 196 statewide, top 24%, 2,187 students, 49% FRL) — zoned schools average 58% FRL vs 38% district-wide (20 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 55% at this address vs 41% district-wide (+14 pts) — the actual schools serving this property are materially stronger than the Richland 02 average implies; a family-tenant draw the district grade alone would hide.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+2.7%/yr); 346 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; solid renter incomes; 3,472 units permitted in Richland County in 2024 (1,096 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Richland County population projected at +30% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 2 sale attempts since 2y 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.
• This rent runs 31% of the median local income ($87k/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 79 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 14% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
• 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 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?
• 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?