2144 Spruce St

Terre Haute, IN 47807

$49,900A-

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,064 sqft · Built 1905 · SingleFamily · Pending · 24 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $904/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$262
• Tax + insurance: −$130
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$190
• Net cashflow: $322/mo
• Annual: $3,867/yr
• Cap rate: 14.04%
• Cash-on-cash: 27.68%
• DSCR: 2.23
• 1% rule: 1.81%
• Cash to close: $13,972

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $50k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $322 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($904 rent vs $50k).
• It's been on market 24 days — a 2% lower offer ($49k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $49k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• In year one you build about $2k of equity ($345 loan paydown + $2k appreciation (4.1% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 75/100 on livability (#63 in IN, #4,186 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime F, employment F.
• Vigo County School Corporation (urban): math 32% / reading 37% proficiency, ranked #202 of 301 in IN (top 67%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Woodrow Wilson Middle School (math 21% / reading 31%, grade F, #240 of 330 statewide, top 73%, 701 students, 62% FRL); Terre Haute North Vigo High School (math 25% / reading 62%, grade F, #191 of 369 statewide, top 52%, 1,507 students, 51% FRL).
• Watch-outs: property tax is 2.6% of price; built in 1905 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.7%/yr); 78 active listings in the ZIP; 13 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 44d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 100% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 60 units permitted in Vigo County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Vigo County population projected to shrink 5% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 3 sale attempts since 9y 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 $8k; list at $50k implies a 565% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (4.1% appreciation + 3.7% rent growth), your $14k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 14.0% vs local median 4.7% in Terre Haute — 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 44% of the median local income ($25k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1905 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
• 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.
• 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.