18 Highland Hls

Port Deposit, MD 21904

$37,000B

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 840 sqft · Built 1980 · SingleFamily · Active · 68 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,522/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$194
• Tax + insurance: −$62
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$320
• Net cashflow: $947/mo
• Annual: $11,361/yr
• Cap rate: 37.00%
• Cash-on-cash: 109.66%
• DSCR: 5.88
• 1% rule: 4.11%
• Cash to close: $10,360

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $37k. Condition is rated fair.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $947 ($11k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $37k).
• It's been on market 68 days — a 6% lower offer ($35k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $35k (6.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $256 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $1k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 56/100 on livability (#406 in MD) — a working-class tenant base; expect higher turnover. Strengths: housing A+, cost of living A, employment B+; Watch: schools F, crime F, amenities F.
• Cecil County Public Schools (rural): math 15% / reading 30% proficiency, ranked #15 of 24 in MD (top 62%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Market conditions: 26 active listings in the ZIP; 563 units permitted in Cecil County in 2024 (330 in 5+ unit buildings).
• 3 sale attempts since 2y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $3k (8%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $10k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 37.0% vs local median 2.8% in Port Deposit — 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

• It's been on market 68 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 6% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Have any recent inspections been done? Can we get a copy of the seller's disclosures and any deferred-maintenance estimates?
• 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 F-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.

Repairs flagged (vision-AI assessment)

• Minor: kitchen cabinets — slight wear
• Minor: bathroom fixtures — standard fixtures
• Minor: exterior siding — slight wear