3 bd · 3.0 ba ·
1,446 sqft ·
Built —
· Townhouse
· Active
· 286 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$1,787/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$1,141
Tax + insurance
−$363
HOA
−$30
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$375
Net cashflow
$-122/mo
Annual
$-1,469/yr
Cap rate
5.62%
Cash-on-cash
-2.41%
DSCR
0.89
1% rule
0.82%
Cash to close
$60,933
Investor read
This is a 3-bed/3.0-bath townhouse listed at $215k. Condition is rated good.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $-122 ($-1k/yr) — negative.
To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $200k (7.1% below list).
To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $179k (16.9% below list).
It's been on market 286 days — a 12% lower offer ($189k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
Recommended offer: $179k (16.9% 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 76/100 on livability (#12 in AL, #3,280 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: employment A+, housing A+, crime B+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
Limestone County (rural): math 21% / reading 44% proficiency, ranked #52 of 129 in AL (top 40%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
Zoned schools: Creekside Elementary School (math 42% / reading 66%, grade C, #96 of 627 statewide, top 16%, 560 students, 41% FRL) — zoned schools at 41% FRL track the district average.
Zoned-school proficiency averages 54% at this address vs 32% district-wide (+22 pts) — the actual schools serving this property are materially stronger than the Limestone County average implies; a family-tenant draw the district grade alone would hide.
Market conditions: Rents rising (+1.1%/yr); 966 active listings in the ZIP; 6 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 73d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 100% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; high-income renter base; 494 units permitted in Limestone County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
Limestone County population projected at +43% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
Climate carrying-cost: moderate wind risk, 25% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→20/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
Cap rate 5.6% vs local median 3.0% in Madison — 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 is only 17% of the median local income ($130k/yr) — well below the 30% rent-burden line; pricing power to push rent on renewal without tenant pushback.
Questions for listing agent
What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
It's been on market 286 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 17% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
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 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?
The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
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.
CashFlowRE · CFR-R36T1V5VZ3R2D8
· Data 14 h agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29