408 N Broad St N

Gastonia, NC 28054

$177,000C-

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,313 sqft · Built 1935 · SingleFamily · Active · 240 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,592/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$928
• Tax + insurance: −$253
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$334
• Net cashflow: $76/mo
• Annual: $908/yr
• Cap rate: 6.81%
• Cash-on-cash: 1.83%
• DSCR: 1.08
• 1% rule: 0.90%
• Cash to close: $49,560

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $177k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $76 ($908/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 $159k (10.1% below list).
• It's been on market 240 days — a 12% lower offer ($156k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $156k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 59/100 on livability (#528 in NC) — a working-class tenant base; expect higher turnover. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: employment D, crime F, amenities F.
• Gaston County Schools (suburban): math 44% / reading 42% proficiency, ranked #93 of 178 in NC (top 52%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Woodhill Elementary (math 13% / reading 15%, grade F, #1,351 of 1,410 statewide, top 96%, 462 students, 99% FRL); W P Grier Middle School (math 24% / reading 26%, grade F, #396 of 475 statewide, top 84%, 610 students, 100% FRL); Ashbrook High (math 57% / reading 46%, grade D+, #299 of 535 statewide, top 56%, 1,303 students, 72% FRL) — zoned schools average 90% FRL vs 37% district-wide (54 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 30% at this address vs 43% district-wide (-13 pts) — the specific schools serving this property underperform the Gaston County Schools average; the district grade overstates school quality for this exact location.
• Watch-outs: built in 1935 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents flat; 183 active listings in the ZIP; 32 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 25d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 2,069 units permitted in Gaston County in 2024 (142 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Gaston County population projected at +12% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 3 sale attempts since 4y 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.
• Climate carrying-cost: moderate wind risk, 21% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→17/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 6.8% vs local median 3.7% in Gastonia — 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 31% of the median local income ($61k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 240 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1935 — 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.