153 Cotton Leaf Blvd #54

Summerville, SC 29486

$249,990D

3 bd · 2.5 ba · 1,386 sqft · Built 2026 · Condo · Pending · 91 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,353/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,311
• Tax + insurance: −$417
• HOA: −$165
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$494
• Net cashflow: $-34/mo
• Annual: $-406/yr
• Cap rate: 6.13%
• Cash-on-cash: -0.58%
• DSCR: 0.97
• 1% rule: 0.94%
• Cash to close: $69,997

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.5-bath condo listed at $250k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-34 ($-406/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $245k (2.0% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $235k (5.9% below list).
• It's been on market 91 days — a 9% lower offer ($227k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $227k (9.0% 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 $8k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 63/100 on livability (#167 in SC) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: housing A+, cost of living B+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, health & safety F.
• Berkeley 01 (suburban): math 35% / reading 48% proficiency, ranked #30 of 80 in SC (top 38%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Whitesville Elementary (math 34% / reading 39%, grade F, #328 of 597 statewide, top 55%, 1,031 students, 62% FRL); Berkeley Middle (math 19% / reading 32%, grade F, #162 of 229 statewide, top 71%, 1,403 students, 57% FRL); Berkeley High (math 36% / reading 83%, grade C+, #110 of 196 statewide, top 58%, 1,776 students, 50% FRL).
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+2.7%/yr); 1301 active listings in the ZIP; 19 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 6d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); solid renter incomes; 3,183 units permitted in Berkeley County in 2024 (580 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Berkeley County population projected at +48% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• Cap rate 6.1% vs local median 3.9% in Summerville — 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 32% of the median local income ($90k/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 91 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
• Any open or pending special assessments — roof, HVAC, plumbing, elevator, façade? What's the per-unit balance and payoff schedule, and is the seller paying it off at close or rolling it to the buyer?
• 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?
• 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?