3208 (LOT 30) Hamlet Dr #30

Opelika, AL 36804

$239,240D

3 bd · 2.5 ba · 1,341 sqft · Built 2026 · Condo · Active · 46 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,110/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,255
• Tax + insurance: −$399
• HOA: −$75
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$443
• Net cashflow: $-61/mo
• Annual: $-733/yr
• Cap rate: 5.99%
• Cash-on-cash: -1.09%
• DSCR: 0.95
• 1% rule: 0.88%
• Cash to close: $66,987

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.5-bath condo listed at $239k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-61 ($-733/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $230k (3.7% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $211k (11.8% below list).
• It's been on market 46 days — a 3% lower offer ($232k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $211k (11.8% 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 $7k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 63/100 on livability (#188 in AL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: employment C-, crime F, amenities F.
• Opelika City (urban): math 27% / reading 43% proficiency, ranked #45 of 129 in AL (top 35%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 62% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Northside School (math 39% / reading 57%, grade D, #135 of 627 statewide, top 22%, 435 students, 62% FRL); Opelika Middle School (math 19% / reading 39%, grade F, #134 of 257 statewide, top 53%, 1,132 students, 72% FRL); Opelika High School (math 27% / reading 24%, grade F, #111 of 305 statewide, top 37%, 1,562 students, 62% FRL) — zoned schools at 65% FRL track the district average.
• Market conditions: 587 active listings in the ZIP; 16 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 154d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 62% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 1,858 units permitted in Lee County in 2024 (113 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Lee County population projected at +54% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 67% 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 6.0% vs local median 3.7% in Opelika — 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 41% of the median local income ($62k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

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 46 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% 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?
• Any open or pending special assessments — roof, HVAC, plumbing, elevator, façade? What's the per-unit balance and payoff schedule, and is the seller paying it off at close or rolling it to the buyer?
• 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.