4014 China Elm Dr

Dallas, TX 75212

$290,000D

3 bd · 2.5 ba · 1,588 sqft · Built 2003 · SingleFamily · Pending · 15 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,462/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,521
• Tax + insurance: −$731
• HOA: −$275
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$517
• Net cashflow: $-582/mo
• Annual: $-6,980/yr
• Cap rate: 3.89%
• Cash-on-cash: -8.60%
• DSCR: 0.62
• 1% rule: 0.85%
• Cash to close: $81,200

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.5-bath single-family listed at $290k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-582 ($-7k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $187k (35.4% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $246k (15.1% below list).
• It's been on market 15 days — a 2% lower offer ($286k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $187k (35.4% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.
• In year one you build about $31k of equity ($2k loan paydown + $29k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 81/100 on livability (#24 in TX, #1,380 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, housing A+; Watch: crime F.
• Dallas ISD (urban): math 31% / reading 36% proficiency, ranked #559 of 826 in TX (top 68%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 83% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: C F Carr El (math 32% / reading 22%, grade F, #2,791 of 4,322 statewide, top 68%, 281 students, 99% FRL); D A Hulcy Steam Middle (math 33% / reading 32%, grade F, #947 of 1,662 statewide, top 58%, 423 students, 88% FRL); L G Pinkston H S (math 10% / reading 21%, grade F, #1,505 of 1,632 statewide, top 92%, 1,139 students, 92% FRL).
• Watch-outs: property tax is 2.5% of price.
• Market conditions: Rents falling (-4.2%/yr); 249 active listings in the ZIP; 29 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 27d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 12,577 units permitted in Dallas County in 2024 (6,829 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Dallas County population projected at +35% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• By year 2, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$50k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 27% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→23/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 3.9% vs local median 2.3% in Dallas — 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.
• At $2,462/mo this rent would consume 49% of the median local household income ($60k/yr) (locally 892% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

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?
• Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
• What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• 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.
• 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.