5 bd · 2.0 ba ·
1,500 sqft ·
Built 1912
· SingleFamily
· Pending
· 61 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$1,391/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$414
Tax + insurance
−$116
HOA
−$0
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$292
Net cashflow
$568/mo
Annual
$6,817/yr
Cap rate
14.92%
Cash-on-cash
30.82%
DSCR
2.37
1% rule
1.76%
Cash to close
$22,120
Investor read
This is a 5-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $79k. Condition is rated poor.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $568 ($7k/yr) — positive.
The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $79k).
It's been on market 61 days — a 6% lower offer ($74k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
Recommended offer: $74k (6.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $546 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
Location reads: area grade B — affects rentability + tenant quality, not the cash-flow math above.
St. Joseph (urban): math 28% / reading 38% proficiency, ranked #241 of 324 in MO (top 74%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
Watch-outs: built in 1912 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
Market conditions: 97 active listings in the ZIP; 70 units permitted in Buchanan County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
Buchanan County population projected to shrink 6% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
3 sale attempts since 3y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $20k (20%) 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 $22k cash investment doubles in ~4 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
Cap rate 14.9% vs local median 4.7% in St. Joseph — 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 36% of the median local income ($47k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.
Questions for listing agent
It's been on market 61 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?
Built in 1912 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
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.
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.