784 Elwood Ave

Columbus, OH 43207

$176,000D-

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,110 sqft · Built 1958 · SingleFamily · Active · 20 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,482/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$923
• Tax + insurance: −$185
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$311
• Net cashflow: $63/mo
• Annual: $759/yr
• Cap rate: 6.72%
• Cash-on-cash: 1.54%
• DSCR: 1.07
• 1% rule: 0.84%
• Cash to close: $49,280

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $176k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $63 ($759/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $148k (15.8% below list).
• It's been on market 20 days — a 2% lower offer ($173k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $148k (15.8% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 81/100 on livability (#97 in OH, #1,491 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: employment C-, crime F.
• Columbus City School District (urban): math 15% / reading 26% proficiency, ranked #626 of 656 in OH (top 95%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 72% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Indianola Informal K-8 School (math 43% / reading 58%, grade D+, #896 of 1,584 statewide, top 57%, 684 students, 0% FRL); Arts Impact Middle School (Aims) (math 17% / reading 25%, grade F, #608 of 654 statewide, top 93%, 532 students, 0% FRL); Columbus Alternative High School (math 27% / reading 74%, grade D+, #380 of 781 statewide, top 49%, 758 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 72% district-wide (72 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 41% at this address vs 20% district-wide (+20 pts) — the actual schools serving this property are materially stronger than the Columbus City School District average implies; a family-tenant draw the district grade alone would hide.
• Watch-outs: built in 1958 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+2.3%/yr); 198 active listings in the ZIP; 40 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 26d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 8,139 units permitted in Franklin County in 2024 (5,940 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Franklin County population projected at +34% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 2 sale attempts since 28y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $11k (6%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Cap rate 6.7% vs local median 3.8% 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.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1958 — 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.
• Crime grade is F 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.
• 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.