5 bd · 2.0 ba ·
1,225 sqft ·
Built 1894
· SingleFamily
· Active
· 36 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$1,252/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$905
Tax + insurance
−$101
HOA
−$0
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$263
Net cashflow
$-17/mo
Annual
$-200/yr
Cap rate
6.18%
Cash-on-cash
-0.41%
DSCR
0.98
1% rule
0.73%
Cash to close
$48,300
Investor read
This is a 5-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $172k.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $-17 ($-200/yr) — negative.
To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $170k (1.7% below list).
To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $125k (27.4% below list).
It's been on market 36 days — a 3% lower offer ($167k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
Recommended offer: $125k (27.4% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
In year one you build about $18k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $17k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
Location reads: area grade D — affects rentability + tenant quality, not the cash-flow math above.
Alma Public Schools (town): math 28% / reading 44% proficiency, ranked #288 of 540 in MI (top 53%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
Watch-outs: built in 1894 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
Market conditions: 4 active listings in the ZIP; 47 units permitted in Gratiot County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
Gratiot County population projected at -14% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
2 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $10k (5%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
At projected returns (10.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $48k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
By year 3, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$47k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
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 36 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 27% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
Built in 1894 — 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.
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 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.
CashFlowRE · CFR-F0808T1KD36M41
· Data 5 h agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29