37 Church St

Cambridge City, IN 47327

$45,000B

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,154 sqft · Built 1900 · SingleFamily · Active · 395 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $986/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$236
• Tax + insurance: −$522
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$207
• Net cashflow: $21/mo
• Annual: $256/yr
• Cap rate: 18.24%
• Cash-on-cash: 42.66%
• DSCR: 2.90
• 1% rule: 2.19%
• Cash to close: $12,600

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $45k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $21 ($256/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($986 rent vs $45k).
• It's been on market 395 days — a 12% lower offer ($40k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $40k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-0.9%/yr); year-one equity from $311 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $414 of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 64/100 on livability (#387 in IN) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: health & safety C-, schools F, amenities F.
• Western Wayne Schools (town): math 25% / reading 41% proficiency, ranked #215 of 301 in IN (top 71%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $427/mo; built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 24 active listings in the ZIP; 38 units permitted in Wayne County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Wayne County population projected at -21% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 2 sale attempts with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.
• Climate carrying-cost: in FEMA flood zone AE (mandatory federal flood insurance) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 395 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?
• What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
• 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?
• 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.