404 N Sycamore St

Hico, TX 76457

$49,000B+

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,547 sqft · Built 1930 · SingleFamily · Active · 3 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,311/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$257
• Tax + insurance: −$173
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$275
• Net cashflow: $605/mo
• Annual: $7,263/yr
• Cap rate: 21.12%
• Cash-on-cash: 52.94%
• DSCR: 3.36
• 1% rule: 2.67%
• Cash to close: $13,720

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $49k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $605 ($7k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $49k).
• Only 3 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• In year one you build about $2k of equity ($339 loan paydown + $2k appreciation (4.3% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 67/100 on livability (#537 in TX) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A; Watch: health & safety D+, amenities F, commute F.
• Hico ISD (rural): math 42% / reading 55% proficiency, ranked #223 of 826 in TX (top 27%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Hico El (math 37% / reading 52%, grade F, #1,155 of 4,322 statewide, top 29%, 333 students, 53% FRL) — zoned schools average 53% FRL vs 28% district-wide (25 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: property tax is 3.7% of price; built in 1930 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 98 active listings in the ZIP; 24 units permitted in Hamilton County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Hamilton County population projected at -21% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (4.3% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $14k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 27% chance of damaging wind over 30y; major wildfire risk; extreme-heat days projected 7→23/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1930 — 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.
• 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.