215 N Center St

Plainfield, IN 46168

$159,000B-

1 bd · 1.0 ba · 683 sqft · Built 1950 · Other · Active · 18 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,813/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$834
• Tax + insurance: −$103
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$381
• Net cashflow: $495/mo
• Annual: $5,939/yr
• Cap rate: 10.03%
• Cash-on-cash: 13.34%
• DSCR: 1.59
• 1% rule: 1.14%
• Cash to close: $44,520

Investor read

• This is a 1-bed/1.0-bath other listed at $159k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $495 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $159k).
• It's been on market 18 days — a 2% lower offer ($157k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $157k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 74/100 on livability (#69 in IN, #4,418 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, schools A; Watch: health & safety C-, amenities F, commute F.
• Plainfield Community School Corporation (suburban): math 62% / reading 65% proficiency, ranked #11 of 301 in IN (top 4%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Watch-outs: built in 1950 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.6%/yr); 284 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; solid renter incomes; 1,294 units permitted in Hendricks County in 2024 (18 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Hendricks County population projected at +35% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.6% rent growth), your $45k cash investment doubles in ~9 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 10.0% vs local median 3.7% in Plainfield — 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

• Built in 1950 — 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 A-rated — typically a magnet for longer-tenancy family renters. What's the average tenant stay here, and is there a school-zone premium baked into asking?
• 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.