897 Fording Island Rd #2804 · Bluffton, SC 29910

$215,000

2 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,001 sqft · Condo public records · 31 Days on market

Built 1997

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Why this score? — see what drove the D 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 +14.2/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• 1% rule +4.6/10.0
• DSCR +4.3/10.0
• Schools +4.1/10.0
• Rent growth +3.5/5.0
• Livability +3.4/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Beautifullу updаted fіrѕt floor two bеdrοom condo offering easу аccess and a truly move-in ready experience in the desirable Plantation Point community. This unit has been thoughtfully renovated with new appliances, quartz countertops, updated cabinetry and LVP flooring throughout, complemented by fresh interior paint. The bathrooms have been tastefully upgraded with tiled shower enclosures and modern vanities creating a clean and contemporary feel. Plantation Point is a gated, pet-friendly community-ideal for owners with dogs. Community offers great amenity package including two pools and a fitness center. The location is one of its strongest features with immediate access to Kroge

Key facts

• Quartz countertops
• New appliances
• Lvp flooring

Tags

• UPDATED FIRST FLOOR CONDO
• NEW APPLIANCES
• QUARTZ COUNTERTOPS
• UPDATED CABINETRY
• LVP FLOORING
• TILED SHOWER ENCLOSURES

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/2.0-bath condo listed at $215k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $37 ($441/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $206k (4.0% below list).
• Recommended offer: $206k (4.0% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Cap rate 6.5% vs local median 3.2% in Bluffton — 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 68/100 on livability (#76 in SC) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, employment A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, cost of living D-.
• Beaufort 01 (town): math 42% / reading 51% proficiency, ranked #17 of 80 in SC (top 21%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+4.1%/yr); 760 active listings in the ZIP; 6 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 14d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); solid renter incomes; 1,824 units permitted in Beaufort County in 2024 (618 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $6k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Beaufort County population projected at +30% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 31 days — a 3% lower offer ($209k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Current owner paid $125k; list at $215k implies a 72% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Recommended offer $206,400 (4.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 31 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 4% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
3. Any open or pending special assessments — roof, HVAC, plumbing, elevator, façade? What's the per-unit balance and payoff schedule, and is the seller paying it off at close or rolling it to the buyer?
4. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
5. 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?
6. The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. How much new apartment / multifamily construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply (>2% of stock underway) typically softens rents 12–24 months out; light construction supports rent growth.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 0.96% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.50%
• Cash-on-cash: 0.73%
• DSCR: 1.03
• GRM: 8.7

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 4.06% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -13.8%
• Equity multiple: 0.50×
• Total profit: $-30,178
• Equity at exit: $32,057

10-year hold

• IRR: -3.2%
• Equity multiple: 0.78×
• Total profit: $-13,544
• Equity at exit: $18,589

Cash invested: $60,200 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State South Carolina: 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+6
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

5-day notice; preempted; landlord-favorable.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 29910

• Home prices YoY: -22.9%
• Rents YoY: 4.1%
• Active inventory: 760
• Price-to-rent: 8.7×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $2,064 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,127
• Tax from tax record: −$73 /mo · $873/yr
• Insurance: −$90
• HOA est. from 6 same-building comps: −$304
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$433
• Net cashflow: $37

Break-even live

Break-even rent $2,018

Max offer price $215,000

Occupancy floor 93%

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: $53,750
• Closing costs: $6,450
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 6 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
897 Fording Island Rd Bluffton, SC	1.0–2.0	1.0–2.0	1038	$2,000	$1.93	43d	4	0.07mi
897 Fording Island Rd Bluffton, SC	2.0	2.0	1076	$2,000	$1.86	13d	4	0.07mi
20 Simmonsville Rd Bluffton, SC	1.0–3.0	1.0–2.0	1091	$2,104	$1.93	13d	13	0.61mi
100 Kensington Blvd Bluffton, SC	1.0–3.0	1.0–2.0	908	$1,798	$1.98	13d	3	0.85mi
55 Buck Island Rd Bluffton, SC	2.0	1.0	1269	$2,200	$1.73	21d	1	1.28mi
4921 Bluffton Pkwy Bluffton, SC	1.0–3.0	1.0–3.0	1119	$1,938	$1.73	13d	23	1.49mi

HOA detail condo

• Monthly dues: $0 · $0/yr
• Likely covers: poolgymsecurity
• Assessments: None detected in remarks — confirm with the listing agent.

Listing history 4 events

1. 2026-04-27
   status Pending
2. 2026-04-20
   price $215,000
3. 2026-03-27
   listed $229,900 Active
4. 2006-09-22
   soldstatus $124,990

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

Tax reassessment forecast SC · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $873 · $73/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,226 · $102/mo
• Expected delta: +$352/yr (+$29/mo · 40.3%)

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

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $24,768
• − Mortgage interest: −$12,043
• − Property taxes: −$873
• − Insurance: −$1,075
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,981
• − Management: −$1,981
• − HOA: −$3,648
• − Depreciation: −$6,255
• Taxable loss: −$3,089
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$741
• After-tax cash flow: $1,182/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: Beaufort 01
• NCES district ID: 4501110
• Math proficiency: 42% ▼ -8.00%
• Reading proficiency: 51% ▲ 2.00%
• Median HH income: $57,430
• Composite: 40.56/100
• National rank: #3699
• State rank: #17 of 80 in SC

Livability — Bluffton

• Score: 68/100
• State rank: #76
• US rank: #8936

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• County: Beaufort County · 163,770 people
• City population: 77,022
• Metro: Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC
• Population (ZIP): 53,019
• Household income: $98,912
• Rent vs Own: 22.8% rent · 77.2% own
• Severe rent burden: 1146.0

Population outlook (Beaufort County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 211,915 people
• By 2030: 227,272 · +7.2%
• By 2040: 253,861 · +19.8%
• By 2050: 275,126 · +29.8%
• By 2075: 311,022 · +46.8%
• By 2100: 321,286 · +51.6%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (70%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 70% Hispanic / Latino 18% Two or more races 8% Black 7%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 7% Puerto Rican 3%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 4% Slovak 3% Lithuanian 3%
• Foreign-born: 9% · Canada, Jamaica, Dominican Republic
• Languages at home: 84% English-only · Spanish 13% Other Indo-European 1% French/Haitian/Cajun 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Beaufort

• 2024 margin: R (+14.5) · D 42.1% · R 56.6% · Other 1.2%
• 2008→2024 swing: -3.7pp toward R · 2008: -10.8pp · 2024: -14.5pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+14.5 2020: R+10.0 2016: R+14.3 2012: R+17.5 2008: R+10.8

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -72.80%
• Current HPI: 245.8086
• Rent YoY: ▲ 4.06%
• Metro: Hilton Head Island-Bluffton, SC
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 4.51%
• F500 in state: 2

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in SC)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Packaging	1	$7B

Price history

+72.0% since first listed

4 events — show timeline

• 2026-04-27 Pending — RSMLS
• 2026-04-20 Price Changed $215,000 RSMLS
• 2026-03-27 Listed $229,900 RSMLS
• 2006-09-22 Sold (Public Records) $124,990 Public Records

Property tax history

+4.1%/yr

Latest (2025): $873 · +1.6% YoY. Source: county tax records.