609 N Waugh St

Kokomo, IN 46902

$15,000D

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 871 sqft · Built 1916 · SingleFamily · Pending · 96 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $991/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$79
• Tax + insurance: −$20
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$208
• Net cashflow: $685/mo
• Annual: $8,220/yr
• Cap rate: 61.09%
• Cash-on-cash: 195.71%
• DSCR: 9.71
• 1% rule: 6.61%
• Cash to close: $4,200

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $15k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $685 ($8k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($991 rent vs $15k).
• It's been on market 96 days — a 9% lower offer ($14k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $14k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $104 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $450 of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 68/100 on livability (#227 in IN) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A; Watch: crime D, amenities F, commute F.
• Kokomo School Corporation (urban): math 22% / reading 30% proficiency, ranked #264 of 301 in IN (top 88%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 62% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Sycamore Elementary School (math 32% / reading 27%, grade F, #697 of 994 statewide, top 73%, 401 students, 75% FRL); Central Middle School (math 23% / reading 38%, grade F, #203 of 330 statewide, top 63%, 458 students, 57% FRL); Kokomo High School (math 19% / reading 48%, grade F, #289 of 369 statewide, top 78%, 1,519 students, 58% FRL) — zoned schools at 63% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1916 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+1.8%/yr); 235 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 194 units permitted in Howard County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Howard County population projected at -11% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 1.8% rent growth), your $4k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 61.1% vs local median 5.2% in Kokomo — 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 96 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1916 — 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 F-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 D 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.