240 Grinding Wheel Dr · Dover, DE 19904

$120,000

3 bd · 2.5 ba · 1,911 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 15 Days on market

Built 1996 5,271 sqft lot

---

Why this score? — see what drove the B- grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• Cash flow +30.0/30.0
• 1% rule +10.0/10.0
• DSCR +10.0/10.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• Livability +3.4/5.0
• Rent growth +3.3/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.0/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

🔥 Opportunity Knocks in Established Dover Community 🔥 240 Grinding Wheel Dr. , Dover, DE Opportunity knocks for the savvy investor, contractor, or buyer looking to build equity. This property has experienced fire damage and is being sold in as-is condition, offering significant upside potential for renovation, resale, or rental income. Located in a well-established Dover neighborhood, this home sits on a desirable lot with strong comparable values in the surrounding area — making it a prime candidate for a strategic rehab project. Why This Property Makes Sense: Solid footprint and layout ready for reimagination Opportunity to customize finishes and maximize ARV Potential flip, rental,

Key facts

• Garage
• Built 1996
• Listed 15 days

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/2.5-bath single-family listed at $120k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $856 ($10k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $120k).
• Recommended offer: $118k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 14.8% vs local median 5.2% in Dover — 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.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 67/100 on livability (#38 in DE) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: schools C-, crime F, commute F.
• Capital School District (urban): math 14% / reading 31% proficiency, ranked #24 of 26 in DE (top 92%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.3%/yr); 225 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 44d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 100% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 1,201 units permitted in Kent County in 2024 (116 in 5+ unit buildings).
• This rent runs 38% of the median local income ($67k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $830 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Kent County population projected at +22% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.3% rent growth), your $34k cash investment doubles in ~4 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 15 days — a 2% lower offer ($118k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

• Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 75% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→16/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $118,200 (1.5% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
2. 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?
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 1.75% ✓
• Cap rate: 14.85%
• Cash-on-cash: 30.56%
• DSCR: 2.36
• GRM: 4.8

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $401,310
• Comps found: 6

Show comp detail 6 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
125 Millcreek Dr	0.17mi	4/2.5 (+1)	2,118 (+11%)	3mo	$369,000	$174	66
128 Maple Glen Dr	0.65mi	3/2.0	1,913 (+0%)	19mo	$385,000	$201	52
116 Maple Glen Dr	0.65mi	3/2.0	1,813 (-5%)	20mo	$380,000	$210	43
121 Hobbyhorse Ct	0.70mi	3/2.0	1,690 (-12%)	8mo	$410,000	$243	40
130 Maple Glen Dr	0.65mi	3/2.0	1,629 (-15%)	12mo	$420,000	$258	33
23 S Bay Cir S	0.74mi	4/2.0 (+1)	1,680 (-12%)	10mo	$325,000	$193	30

Match score weights: distance 35% · size 25% · config 20% · recency 20%. Top-matched comps best support the ARV.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 3.3% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 25.6%
• Equity multiple: 2.06×
• Total profit: $35,704
• Equity at exit: $17,892

10-year hold

• IRR: 33.5%
• Equity multiple: 4.09×
• Total profit: $103,957
• Equity at exit: $10,375

Cash invested: $33,600 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 70 Landlord-Friendly
• State Delaware: 70 Landlord-Friendly · D+7
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Court of Common Pleas hears L&T; moderate-paced. No state rent control.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 19904

• Rents YoY: 3.3%
• Active inventory: 225
• Price-to-rent: 4.8×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $2,101 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$629
• Tax from tax record: −$125 /mo · $1,502/yr
• Insurance: −$50
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$441
• Net cashflow: $856

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,018

Max offer price $120,000

Occupancy floor 54%

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $30,000
• Closing costs: $3,600
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 3 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
1700 N DuPont Hwy Dover, DE	1.0–3.0	1.0–2.0	1003	$2,130	$2.12	43d	1	0.61mi
63 Forest Creek Dr Dover, DE	3.0	1.5	1322	$1,600	$1.21	43d	1	1.45mi
22 Forest Creek Dr Dover, DE	4.0	3.0	1499	$2,200	$1.47	43d	1	1.47mi

Listing history 2 events

1. 2026-02-26
   status Pending
2. 2026-02-11
   listed $120,000 Active

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast DE · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $1,502 · $125/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,502 · $125/mo
• Expected delta: $0/yr ($0/mo · 0.0%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 8/10 Severe 7 d/yr ≥102°F today · 16 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 6/10 Major 75% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 2 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $25,217
• − Mortgage interest: −$6,722
• − Property taxes: −$1,502
• − Insurance: −$600
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$2,017
• − Management: −$2,017
• − Depreciation: −$3,491
• Taxable income: $8,867
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$2,128
• After-tax cash flow: $8,140/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Capital School District
• NCES district ID: 1000190
• Math proficiency: 14% ▼ -17.00%
• Reading proficiency: 31% ▼ -12.00%
• Median HH income: $48,499
• Composite: 19.78/100
• National rank: #8703
• State rank: #24 of 26 in DE

Livability — Dover

• Score: 67/100
• State rank: #38
• US rank: #10574

Category grades

Amenities A+ Commute F Cost of living A+ Crime F Employment D- Housing A+ Health & safety A+ User ratings F

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Dover, DE
• County: Kent County · 82,184 people
• City population: 76,581
• Metro: Dover, DE
• Population (ZIP): 38,818
• Household income: $66,908
• Rent vs Own: 38.0% rent · 62.0% own
• Severe rent burden: 1500.0

Population outlook (Kent County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 194,477 people
• By 2030: 204,351 · +5.1%
• By 2040: 222,135 · +14.2%
• By 2050: 236,483 · +21.6%
• By 2075: 266,327 · +36.9%
• By 2100: 275,335 · +41.6%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Diverse neighborhood (Simpson 0.64)
• Race & ethnicity: White 48% Black 35% Two or more races 9% Hispanic / Latino 8% Asian 3%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 1% Puerto Rican 4%
• Common ancestry: Hispanic 3% Romanian 2% Slovak 2%
• Foreign-born: 10% · Canada, South Korea
• Languages at home: 87% English-only · Spanish 5% French/Haitian/Cajun 3% German/W. Germanic 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Kent

• 2024 margin: Toss-up / Even · D 50.2% · R 48.2% · Other 1.7%
• 2008→2024 swing: -7.8pp toward R · 2008: 9.8pp · 2024: 2.0pp
• All cycles: 2024: D+2.0 2020: D+4.1 2016: R+4.9 2012: D+4.9 2008: D+9.8

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -112.03%
• Current HPI: 187.6879
• Rent YoY: ▲ 3.30%
• Metro: Dover, DE
• State GDP YoY: —
• F500 in state: 0

Price history

2 events — show timeline

• 2026-02-26 Pending — BRIGHT MLS
• 2026-02-11 Listed $120,000 BRIGHT MLS

Property tax history

+2.0%/yr

Latest (2025): $1,502 · +3.5% YoY. Source: county tax records.