2516 Castle St

Salisbury, MD 21804

$53,000B-

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,000 sqft · Built 1984 · SingleFamily · Active · 24 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,004/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$278
• Tax + insurance: −$88
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$421
• Net cashflow: $1,217/mo
• Annual: $14,601/yr
• Cap rate: 33.84%
• Cash-on-cash: 98.39%
• DSCR: 5.38
• 1% rule: 3.78%
• Cash to close: $14,840

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $53k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $1k ($15k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $53k).
• It's been on market 24 days — a 2% lower offer ($52k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $52k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $366 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 60/100 on livability (#351 in MD) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: health & safety A+, cost of living A, housing A; Watch: schools D-, crime F, amenities F.
• Wicomico County Public Schools (urban): math 16% / reading 26% proficiency, ranked #19 of 24 in MD (top 79%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.8%/yr); 201 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 278 units permitted in Wicomico County in 2024 (44 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Wicomico County population projected at +14% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.8% rent growth), your $15k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 33.8% vs local median 4.8% in Salisbury — 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 33% of the median local income ($73k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are D-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.
• 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.