452 N Mercer St

Rocky Mount, NC 27801

$172,999F

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,750 sqft · Built 1941 · SingleFamily · Pending · 34 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,251/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$907
• Tax + insurance: −$110
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$263
• Net cashflow: $-29/mo
• Annual: $-349/yr
• Cap rate: 6.09%
• Cash-on-cash: -0.72%
• DSCR: 0.97
• 1% rule: 0.72%
• Cash to close: $48,440

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $173k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-29 ($-349/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $168k (3.0% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $125k (27.7% below list).
• It's been on market 34 days — a 3% lower offer ($168k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $125k (27.7% 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 70/100 on livability (#134 in NC) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime F, amenities F, employment F.
• Edgecombe County Public Schools (rural): math 21% / reading 27% proficiency, ranked #163 of 178 in NC (top 92%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 74% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: D S Johnson Elementary (math 3% / reading 13%, grade F, #1,396 of 1,410 statewide, top 99%, 362 students, 95% FRL); South Edgecombe Middle (math 20% / reading 31%, grade F, #388 of 475 statewide, top 83%, 305 students, 99% FRL); Southwest Edgecombe High (math 42% / reading 37%, grade F, #393 of 535 statewide, top 75%, 802 students, 100% FRL) — zoned schools average 98% FRL vs 74% district-wide (24 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1941 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 134 active listings in the ZIP; lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 50 units permitted in Edgecombe County in 2024 (5 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Edgecombe County population projected at -34% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 2 sale attempts since 11y ago with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.
• Current owner paid $70k; list at $173k implies a 147% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe wind risk, 80% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→16/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 6.1% vs local median 4.5% in Rocky Mount — 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 33% of the median local income ($45k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

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?
• It's been on market 34 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 28% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1941 — 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 F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
• 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.