3 bd · 2.0 ba ·
1,252 sqft ·
Built 2002
· Townhouse
· Coming Soon
· 3 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$2,379/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$1,468
Tax + insurance
−$346
HOA
−$253
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$500
Net cashflow
$-188/mo
Annual
$-2,252/yr
Cap rate
5.49%
Cash-on-cash
-2.87%
DSCR
0.87
1% rule
0.85%
Cash to close
$78,372
Investor read
This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath townhouse listed at $280k.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $-188 ($-2k/yr) — negative.
To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $247k (11.8% below list).
To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $238k (15.0% below list).
Only 3 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
Recommended offer: $238k (15.0% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $8k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
Location reads 77/100 on livability (#132 in MN, #2,948 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, employment A+, housing A+; Watch: cost of living C-, amenities F, commute F.
South Washington County School District (suburban): math 52% / reading 61% proficiency, ranked #40 of 301 in MN (top 13%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease; only 14% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.8%/yr); 401 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; high-income renter base; 1,405 units permitted in Washington County in 2024 (121 in 5+ unit buildings).
Washington County population projected at +16% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
2 sale attempts since 10y ago; this cycle's ask is 8% above the opening price — seller raised mid-cycle; expect resistance to lowballs.
Current owner paid $230k; 21% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
Cap rate 5.5% vs local median 3.5% in Cottage Grove — 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
What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
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?
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.
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.
CashFlowRE · CFR-H94MEA3BZ7NB2R
· Data 2 days agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29