1309 S Maine Ave

Wellston, OH 45692

$69,900B

1 bd · 1.0 ba · 784 sqft · Built 1900 · SingleFamily · Active · 181 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $815/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$367
• Tax + insurance: −$66
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$171
• Net cashflow: $212/mo
• Annual: $2,542/yr
• Cap rate: 9.93%
• Cash-on-cash: 12.99%
• DSCR: 1.58
• 1% rule: 1.17%
• Cash to close: $19,572

Investor read

• This is a 1-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $70k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $212 ($3k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($815 rent vs $70k).
• It's been on market 181 days — a 12% lower offer ($62k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $62k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $483 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 67/100 on livability (#606 in OH) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, crime B; Watch: health & safety C-, employment D, amenities F.
• Wellston City (rural): math 38% / reading 47% proficiency, ranked #532 of 656 in OH (top 81%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Bundy Elementary School (297 students, 0% FRL); Wellston Middle School (math 42% / reading 47%, grade D, #477 of 654 statewide, top 74%, 301 students, 0% FRL); Wellston High School (math 22% / reading 52%, grade F, #564 of 781 statewide, top 74%, 377 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 59% district-wide (59 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 50 active listings in the ZIP; 32 units permitted in Jackson County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Jackson County population projected at -22% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 2 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $29k (29%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $45k; list at $70k implies a 55% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $20k cash investment doubles in ~9 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 9.9% vs local median 3.2% in Wellston — 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 181 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1900 — 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.
• 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.