438 Stell Rd

Bath, NC 27808

$290,000C-

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,674 sqft · Built 2006 · Manufactured · Active · 310 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,800/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,521
• Tax + insurance: −$281
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$588
• Net cashflow: $411/mo
• Annual: $4,927/yr
• Cap rate: 7.99%
• Cash-on-cash: 6.07%
• DSCR: 1.27
• 1% rule: 0.97%
• Cash to close: $81,200

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath manufactured listed at $290k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $411 ($5k/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 $280k (3.4% below list).
• It's been on market 310 days — a 12% lower offer ($255k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $255k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $9k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 66/100 on livability (#287 in NC) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A, housing B; Watch: cost of living C-, health & safety C-, amenities F.
• Beaufort County Schools (rural): math 39% / reading 42% proficiency, ranked #112 of 178 in NC (top 63%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 67% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Bath Elementary (math 58% / reading 55%, grade C+, #280 of 1,410 statewide, top 20%, 528 students, 99% FRL); Northside High (math 54% / reading 52%, grade C-, #280 of 535 statewide, top 52%, 376 students, 99% FRL) — zoned schools average 99% FRL vs 67% district-wide (32 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 55% at this address vs 40% district-wide (+14 pts) — the actual schools serving this property are materially stronger than the Beaufort County Schools average implies; a family-tenant draw the district grade alone would hide.
• Market conditions: 77 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 216 units permitted in Beaufort County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Beaufort County population projected at -10% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• Current owner paid $155k; list at $290k implies a 87% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Climate carrying-cost: major flood risk; severe wind risk, 99% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→17/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 8.0% vs local median 1.8% in Bath — 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 310 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• 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 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.
• 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.