23237 S Melrose Dr

Westlake, OH 44145

$360,000C+

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 2,279 sqft · Built 1954 · SingleFamily · Pending · 6 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,730/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,888
• Tax + insurance: −$629
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$783
• Net cashflow: $430/mo
• Annual: $5,164/yr
• Cap rate: 7.73%
• Cash-on-cash: 5.12%
• DSCR: 1.23
• 1% rule: 1.04%
• Cash to close: $100,800

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $360k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $430 ($5k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($4k rent vs $360k).
• Only 6 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $11k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 82/100 on livability (#79 in OH, #1,202 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: crime A+, employment A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• Westlake City (suburban): math 71% / reading 79% proficiency, ranked #76 of 656 in OH (top 12%) — strong family-tenant draw, lease renewals of 3-5y typical; only 15% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: Westlake Elementary School (math 80% / reading 75%, grade A, #213 of 1,584 statewide, top 14%, 1,217 students, 15% FRL); Lee Burneson Middle School (math 75% / reading 83%, grade A+, #54 of 654 statewide, top 9%, 498 students, 16% FRL); Westlake High School (math 56% / reading 81%, grade B, #130 of 781 statewide, top 17%, 1,066 students, 15% FRL) — zoned schools at 16% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1954 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+2.3%/yr); 166 active listings in the ZIP; 6 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 22d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); high-income renter base; 1,441 units permitted in Cuyahoga County in 2024 (700 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Cuyahoga County population projected to shrink 8% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• Cap rate 7.7% vs local median 3.4% in Westlake — 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 40% of the median local income ($112k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1954 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are A-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.