1429 Irene Ave

Fort Wayne, IN 46808

$120,000B

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,649 sqft · Built 1964 · SingleFamily · Pending · 1 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,502/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$629
• Tax + insurance: −$188
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$315
• Net cashflow: $369/mo
• Annual: $4,428/yr
• Cap rate: 9.98%
• Cash-on-cash: 13.18%
• DSCR: 1.59
• 1% rule: 1.25%
• Cash to close: $33,600

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $120k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $369 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $120k).
• Only 1 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $830 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 84/100 on livability (#6 in IN, #676 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: crime C-, employment D+.
• Fort Wayne Community Schools (urban): math 22% / reading 29% proficiency, ranked #263 of 301 in IN (top 87%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 60% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Forest Park Elementary School (math 21% / reading 22%, grade F, #803 of 994 statewide, top 81%, 601 students, 75% FRL); Northwood Middle School (math 14% / reading 22%, grade F, #279 of 330 statewide, top 86%, 587 students, 70% FRL); North Side High School (math 19% / reading 51%, grade F, #266 of 369 statewide, top 73%, 1,474 students, 66% FRL).
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+7.0%/yr); 88 active listings in the ZIP; 11 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 46d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 55% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 1,861 units permitted in Allen County in 2024 (576 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Allen County population projected at +10% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 7.0% rent growth), your $34k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 10.0% vs local median 4.8% in Fort Wayne — 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.
• This rent runs 34% of the median local income ($53k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1964 — 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 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.