909 Church St

New Castle, IN 47362

$47,000B

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,233 sqft · Built 1900 · SingleFamily · Pending · 157 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,008/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$246
• Tax + insurance: −$75
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$212
• Net cashflow: $475/mo
• Annual: $5,706/yr
• Cap rate: 18.43%
• Cash-on-cash: 43.36%
• DSCR: 2.93
• 1% rule: 2.15%
• Cash to close: $13,160

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $47k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $475 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $47k).
• It's been on market 157 days — a 12% lower offer ($41k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $41k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $325 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $1k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 75/100 on livability (#64 in IN, #4,219 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: schools D+, amenities F, commute F.
• New Castle Community School Corporation (town): math 30% / reading 35% proficiency, ranked #229 of 301 in IN (top 76%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+4.6%/yr); 214 active listings in the ZIP; 5 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 25d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 47 units permitted in Henry County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Henry County population projected at -12% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 7 sale attempts since 23y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $28k (37%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $13k; list at $47k implies a 262% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 4.6% rent growth), your $13k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 18.4% vs local median 4.8% in New Castle — 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 157 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?
• 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 D-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.
• 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.