929 Franklin St

Columbus, IN 47201

$399,900C+

4 bd · 5.0 ba · 3,012 sqft · Built 1890 · MultiFamily · Active · 51 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $7,051/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$2,097
• Tax + insurance: −$824
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$1,481
• Net cashflow: $2,649/mo
• Annual: $31,785/yr
• Cap rate: 14.24%
• Cash-on-cash: 28.39%
• DSCR: 2.26
• 1% rule: 1.76%
• Cash to close: $111,972

Investor read

• This is a 5 × 3-bed/3.2-bath units multifamily listed at $400k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $3k ($32k/yr) — positive. Per door: $530/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($7k rent vs $400k).
• It's been on market 51 days — a 3% lower offer ($388k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $388k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $3k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $12k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 79/100 on livability (#24 in IN, #1,978 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities D+, commute F.
• Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation (urban): math 38% / reading 45% proficiency, ranked #119 of 301 in IN (top 40%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Lillian Schmitt Elementary School (math 24% / reading 29%, grade F, #755 of 994 statewide, top 76%, 677 students, 74% FRL); Columbus North High School (math 40% / reading 65%, grade C-, #102 of 369 statewide, top 28%, 2,224 students, 39% FRL) — zoned schools average 56% FRL vs 38% district-wide (19 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1890 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.1%/yr); 340 active listings in the ZIP; solid renter incomes; 195 units permitted in Bartholomew County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Bartholomew County population projected at +22% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 2 sale attempts since 5y ago 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.
• Current owner paid $330k; 21% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.1% rent growth), your $112k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 14.2% vs local median 3.5% in Columbus — 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.
• At $7,051/mo this rent would consume 101% of the median local household income ($84k/yr) (locally 1455% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 51 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
• What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
• Built in 1890 — 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 B-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.