840 Lexington Ave

Cincinnati, OH 45229

$190,000B

5 bd · 8.0 ba · 4,547 sqft · Built 1900 · MultiFamily · Active · 14 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $5,458/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$996
• Tax + insurance: −$431
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$1,146
• Net cashflow: $2,884/mo
• Annual: $34,614/yr
• Cap rate: 24.51%
• Cash-on-cash: 65.06%
• DSCR: 3.89
• 1% rule: 2.87%
• Cash to close: $53,200

Investor read

• This is a 5-bed/8.0-bath multifamily listed at $190k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $3k ($35k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($5k rent vs $190k).
• Only 14 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $6k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 80/100 on livability (#130 in OH, #1,856 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: employment D, crime F.
• Cincinnati Public Schools (urban): math 25% / reading 36% proficiency, ranked #581 of 656 in OH (top 89%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 70% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Sands Montessori School (math 70% / reading 77%, grade A, #311 of 1,584 statewide, top 20%, 683 students, 22% FRL); Hartwell School (math 17% / reading 31%, grade F, #593 of 654 statewide, top 91%, 447 students, 0% FRL); Walnut Hills High School (math 79% / reading 89%, grade A, #17 of 781 statewide, top 2%, 2,582 students, 14% FRL) — zoned schools average 12% FRL vs 70% district-wide (59 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 60% at this address vs 30% district-wide (+30 pts) — the actual schools serving this property are materially stronger than the Cincinnati Public Schools average implies; a family-tenant draw the district grade alone would hide.
• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.5%/yr); 49 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 0d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 801 units permitted in Hamilton County in 2024 (190 in 5+ unit buildings).
• 13 sale attempts since 20y 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 $145k; 31% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 5.5% rent growth), your $53k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 24.5% vs local median 3.9% in Cincinnati — 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.
• At $5,458/mo this rent would consume 203% of the median local household income ($32k/yr) (locally 1730% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1900 — 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?
• 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.
• How much new apartment / multifamily construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply (>2% of stock underway) typically softens rents 12–24 months out; light construction supports rent growth.