3 bd · 2.5 ba ·
2,237 sqft ·
Built —
· SingleFamily
· Active
· 429 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$2,099/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$1,373
Tax + insurance
−$436
HOA
−$29
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$441
Net cashflow
$-180/mo
Annual
$-2,164/yr
Cap rate
5.47%
Cash-on-cash
-2.95%
DSCR
0.87
1% rule
0.80%
Cash to close
$73,332
Investor read
This is a 3-bed/2.5-bath single-family listed at $262k. Condition is rated good.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $-180 ($-2k/yr) — negative.
To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $236k (10.0% below list).
To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $210k (19.8% below list).
It's been on market 429 days — a 12% lower offer ($230k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
Recommended offer: $210k (19.8% 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 $8k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
Location reads 82/100 on livability (#3 in AL, #1,082 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime F.
Madison County (rural): math 27% / reading 56% proficiency, ranked #19 of 129 in AL (top 15%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
Zoned schools: Endeavor Elementary School (math 30% / reading 63%, grade D-, #159 of 627 statewide, top 26%, 628 students, 33% FRL); Monrovia Middle School (math 29% / reading 66%, grade C-, #32 of 257 statewide, top 12%, 1,003 students, 31% FRL); Sparkman High School (math 28% / reading 37%, grade F, #58 of 305 statewide, top 19%, 1,738 students, 37% FRL) — zoned schools at 34% FRL track the district average.
Market conditions: Rents flat; 790 active listings in the ZIP; 10 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; solid renter incomes; 4,709 units permitted in Madison County in 2024 (1,186 in 5+ unit buildings).
Madison County population projected at +18% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→19/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
Cap rate 5.5% vs local median 3.8% in Huntsville — 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.
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 429 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 20% 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.
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?
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-RM7HFF7ND07PH2
· Data 1 month agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29