951 Tamarack St Lot : 20

Traverse City, MI 49686

$220,000C-

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,004 sqft · Built 1949 · SingleFamily · Pending · 5 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,977/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,154
• Tax + insurance: −$367
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$415
• Net cashflow: $41/mo
• Annual: $497/yr
• Cap rate: 6.52%
• Cash-on-cash: 0.81%
• DSCR: 1.04
• 1% rule: 0.90%
• Cash to close: $61,600

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $220k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $41 ($497/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 $198k (10.1% below list).
• Only 5 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $198k (10.1% 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 $7k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 91/100 on livability (#4 in MI, #46 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, housing A+.
• Traverse City Area Public Schools (town): math 45% / reading 56% proficiency, ranked #94 of 540 in MI (top 17%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Eastern Elementary School (math 47% / reading 57%, grade C-, #328 of 1,397 statewide, top 26%, 454 students, 27% FRL); East Middle School (math 45% / reading 55%, grade C, #117 of 493 statewide, top 25%, 786 students, 38% FRL); Central High School (math 52% / reading 72%, grade B-, #58 of 713 statewide, top 9%, 1,387 students, 29% FRL) — zoned schools at 31% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1949 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents soft (-0.5%/yr); 330 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 883 units permitted in Grand Traverse County in 2024 (501 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Grand Traverse County population projected at +20% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• Cap rate 6.5% vs local median 1.1% in Traverse City — 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.
• This rent runs 33% of the median local income ($72k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1949 — 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 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?
• 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.

Repairs flagged (vision-AI assessment)

• Minor: kitchen countertops — Simple, dated design
• Minor: bathroom fixtures — Simple design