512 Windsor Ln

Fountain, CO 80817

$26,000D

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,318 sqft · Built 1994 · SingleFamily · Active · 223 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,100/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$136
• Tax + insurance: −$43
• HOA: −$700
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$441
• Net cashflow: $779/mo
• Annual: $9,351/yr
• Cap rate: 42.26%
• Cash-on-cash: 128.45%
• DSCR: 6.72
• 1% rule: 8.08%
• Cash to close: $7,280

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $26k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $779 ($9k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $26k).
• It's been on market 223 days — a 12% lower offer ($23k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $23k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $180 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $780 of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 58/100 on livability (#300 in CO) — a working-class tenant base; expect higher turnover. Strengths: housing A+; Watch: cost of living C-, crime D-, amenities F.
• Fountain School District No. 8 In The County Of El Paso An (suburban): math 22% / reading 41% proficiency, ranked #47 of 86 in CO (top 55%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Aragon Elementary School (math 24% / reading 32%, grade F, #540 of 966 statewide, top 57%, 419 students, 68% FRL); Fountain Middle School (math 15% / reading 31%, grade F, #184 of 270 statewide, top 68%, 1,046 students, 43% FRL); Fountain-Fort Carson High School (math 27% / reading 54%, grade F, #164 of 381 statewide, top 43%, 2,040 students, 36% FRL) — zoned schools average 49% FRL vs 32% district-wide (17 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: HOA is 33% of rent.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+2.6%/yr); 233 active listings in the ZIP; 13 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 20d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); solid renter incomes; 3,906 units permitted in El Paso County in 2024 (872 in 5+ unit buildings).
• El Paso County population projected at +28% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 8 sale attempts since 2y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $34k (57%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 2.6% rent growth), your $7k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: major wildfire risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 42.3% vs local median 4.3% in Fountain — 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

• It's been on market 223 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% 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?
• 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 D-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 D 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.