560 Morgan Branch Rd

Mars Hill, NC 28753

$254,900C-

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,412 sqft · Built 1994 · Manufactured · Active · 18 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,927/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,337
• Tax + insurance: −$157
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$405
• Net cashflow: $28/mo
• Annual: $339/yr
• Cap rate: 6.43%
• Cash-on-cash: 0.47%
• DSCR: 1.02
• 1% rule: 0.76%
• Cash to close: $71,372

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath manufactured listed at $255k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $28 ($339/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 $193k (24.4% below list).
• It's been on market 18 days — a 2% lower offer ($251k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $193k (24.4% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $27k of equity ($2k loan paydown + $25k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 75/100 on livability (#49 in NC, #4,088 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: housing A+, health & safety A+, crime A; Watch: amenities D, commute F.
• Madison County Schools (rural): math 51% / reading 56% proficiency, ranked #55 of 178 in NC (top 31%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Mars Hill Elementary (math 45% / reading 51%, grade D, #477 of 1,410 statewide, top 35%, 500 students, 53% FRL); Madison Middle School (math 44% / reading 56%, grade C, #113 of 475 statewide, top 25%, 452 students, 57% FRL); Madison High School (math 57% / reading 52%, grade C-, #270 of 535 statewide, top 52%, 414 students, 48% FRL) — zoned schools at 52% FRL track the district average.
• Market conditions: 140 active listings in the ZIP; 209 units permitted in Madison County in 2024 (5 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Current owner paid $68k; list at $255k implies a 275% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (10.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $71k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 2, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$44k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe wildfire risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 6.4% vs local median 2.3% in Mars Hill — 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

• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• 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.