3 bd · 2.5 ba ·
1,818 sqft ·
Built 2025
· Townhouse
· Active
· 16 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$2,386/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$1,515
Tax + insurance
−$482
HOA
−$200
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$501
Net cashflow
$-312/mo
Annual
$-3,746/yr
Cap rate
5.00%
Cash-on-cash
-4.63%
DSCR
0.79
1% rule
0.83%
Cash to close
$80,914
Investor read
This is a 3-bed/2.5-bath townhouse listed at $279k. Condition is rated good.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $-312 ($-4k/yr) — negative.
To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $244k (12.6% below list).
To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $239k (14.5% below list).
It's been on market 16 days — a 2% lower offer ($275k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
Recommended offer: $239k (14.5% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $9k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
Location reads 79/100 on livability (#38 in NE, #2,075 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, employment A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
Bennington Public Schools (rural): math 67% / reading 67% proficiency, ranked #3 of 111 in NE (top 3%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease; only 6% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
Zoned schools: Bennington Elementary School (math 77% / reading 72%, grade A, #20 of 502 statewide, top 5%, 403 students, 17% FRL); Bennington Middle School (math 64% / reading 63%, grade B+, #13 of 128 statewide, top 10%, 410 students, 19% FRL); Bennington High School (math 66% / reading 70%, grade B, #21 of 261 statewide, top 8%, 1,002 students, 14% FRL).
Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.9%/yr); 692 active listings in the ZIP; 6 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 107d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 67% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; high-income renter base; 4,539 units permitted in Douglas County in 2024 (2,583 in 5+ unit buildings).
Douglas County population projected at +28% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
3 sale attempts with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.
Cap rate 5.0% vs local median 3.6% in Bennington — 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
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?
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.
Schools are A-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?
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.
CashFlowRE · CFR-NR5EQV6P0Z2QJD
· Data 5 h agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29