515 Federal Ave NE

Massillon, OH 44646

$169,900C-

4 bd · 1.5 ba · 2,302 sqft · Built 1919 · SingleFamily · Pending · 14 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,514/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$891
• Tax + insurance: −$289
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$318
• Net cashflow: $16/mo
• Annual: $192/yr
• Cap rate: 6.41%
• Cash-on-cash: 0.40%
• DSCR: 1.02
• 1% rule: 0.89%
• Cash to close: $47,572

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $170k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $16 ($192/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 $151k (10.9% below list).
• Only 14 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $151k (10.9% 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 74/100 on livability (#306 in OH, #4,928 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A-; Watch: employment C-, amenities F, commute F.
• Massillon City (urban): math 43% / reading 52% proficiency, ranked #487 of 656 in OH (top 74%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 60% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Franklin Elementary School (math 47% / reading 47%, grade D-, #942 of 1,584 statewide, top 61%, 434 students, 0% FRL); Massillon Intermediate School (math 38% / reading 51%, grade D, #477 of 654 statewide, top 74%, 880 students, 0% FRL); Washington High School (math 30% / reading 59%, grade F, #470 of 781 statewide, top 62%, 1,179 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 60% district-wide (60 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1919 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+6.0%/yr); 212 active listings in the ZIP; 528 units permitted in Stark County in 2024 (84 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Stark County population projected to shrink 8% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 10 sale attempts since 26y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $20k (11%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $70k; list at $170k implies a 143% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Cap rate 6.4% vs local median 3.8% in Massillon — 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

• Built in 1919 — 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 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?
• 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.