404 S Main Ave

Sylacauga, AL 35150

$12,000D

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,087 sqft · Built 1930 · SingleFamily · Pending · 103 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $857/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$63
• Tax + insurance: −$20
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$180
• Net cashflow: $594/mo
• Annual: $7,132/yr
• Cap rate: 65.73%
• Cash-on-cash: 212.26%
• DSCR: 10.44
• 1% rule: 7.14%
• Cash to close: $3,360

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $12k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $594 ($7k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($857 rent vs $12k).
• It's been on market 103 days — a 9% lower offer ($11k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $11k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $83 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $360 of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 64/100 on livability (#157 in AL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A, health & safety A-; Watch: crime F, amenities F, commute F.
• Sylacauga City (town): math 20% / reading 45% proficiency, ranked #63 of 129 in AL (top 49%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Sylacauga High School (math 22% / reading 32%, grade F, #90 of 305 statewide, top 35%, 677 students, 63% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1930 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 134 active listings in the ZIP; 4 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 45d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 100% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 189 units permitted in Talladega County in 2024 (6 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Talladega County population projected at -14% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $3k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 46% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→21/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 65.7% vs local median 4.3% in Sylacauga — 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.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 103 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1930 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• 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?
• 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.