1436 Sarnia St

Norton Shores, MI 49444

$46,900C+

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,189 sqft · Built 2014 · Manufactured · Active · 32 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,381/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$246
• Tax + insurance: −$78
• HOA: −$555
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$290
• Net cashflow: $212/mo
• Annual: $2,543/yr
• Cap rate: 11.71%
• Cash-on-cash: 19.36%
• DSCR: 1.86
• 1% rule: 2.94%
• Cash to close: $13,132

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath manufactured listed at $47k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $212 ($3k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $47k).
• It's been on market 32 days — a 3% lower offer ($45k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $45k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $324 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $1k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 70/100 on livability (#310 in MI) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, crime B; Watch: amenities F, commute F, health & safety F.
• Muskegon Public Schools Of The City Of (urban): math 4% / reading 12% proficiency, ranked #534 of 540 in MI (top 99%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 81% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Muskegon Middle School (math 4% / reading 13%, grade F, #480 of 493 statewide, top 97%, 755 students, 87% FRL); Muskegon High School (math 8% / reading 27%, grade F, #632 of 713 statewide, top 89%, 1,039 students, 84% FRL) — zoned schools at 85% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: HOA is 40% of rent.
• Market conditions: 239 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 438 units permitted in Muskegon County in 2024 (115 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Muskegon County population projected to shrink 8% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 3 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $13k (22%) 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 $13k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 11.7% vs local median 2.8% in Norton Shores — 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 31% of the median local income ($53k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 32 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% 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?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are B-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?
• 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.