20253 Washtenaw St

Harper Woods, MI 48225

$109,900C+

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 916 sqft · Built 1940 · SingleFamily · Active · 568 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,380/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$576
• Tax + insurance: −$180
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$290
• Net cashflow: $334/mo
• Annual: $4,005/yr
• Cap rate: 9.94%
• Cash-on-cash: 13.02%
• DSCR: 1.58
• 1% rule: 1.26%
• Cash to close: $30,772

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $110k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $334 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $110k).
• It's been on market 568 days — a 12% lower offer ($97k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $97k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $760 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 73/100 on livability (#199 in MI) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: employment D+, health & safety D+, crime F.
• Harper Woods School District (suburban): math 4% / reading 15% proficiency, ranked #524 of 540 in MI (top 97%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 69% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Beacon Elementary School (338 students, 84% FRL); Harper Woods Middle School (math 4% / reading 19%, grade F, #469 of 493 statewide, top 95%, 313 students, 82% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1940 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.1%/yr); 134 active listings in the ZIP; 40 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 20d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 2,639 units permitted in Wayne County in 2024 (1,216 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Wayne County population projected at -17% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 17 sale attempts since 31y ago 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.
• Current owner paid $875; list at $110k implies a 12460% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 5.1% rent growth), your $31k cash investment doubles in ~8 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 9.9% vs local median 7.7% in Harper Woods — meaningfully above typical; check what's discounted (condition, days-on-market, listing class) to confirm the premium yield is real.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 568 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1940 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• 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 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?
• 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.