203 Poplar St

Gaffney, SC 29341

$62,500B-

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,530 sqft · Built 1950 · SingleFamily · Pending · 18 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,152/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$328
• Tax + insurance: −$135
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$242
• Net cashflow: $448/mo
• Annual: $5,377/yr
• Cap rate: 14.90%
• Cash-on-cash: 30.72%
• DSCR: 2.37
• 1% rule: 1.84%
• Cash to close: $17,500

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $62k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $448 ($5k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $62k).
• It's been on market 18 days — a 2% lower offer ($62k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $62k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $432 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 66/100 on livability (#112 in SC) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, health & safety A+, housing A-; Watch: amenities D+, crime D, commute F.
• Cherokee 01 (rural): math 29% / reading 40% proficiency, ranked #47 of 80 in SC (top 59%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 64% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Gaffney Middle (math 25% / reading 37%, grade F, #128 of 229 statewide, top 58%, 921 students, 100% FRL); Gaffney High (math 40% / reading 75%, grade C, #116 of 196 statewide, top 59%, 1,838 students, 84% FRL) — zoned schools average 92% FRL vs 64% district-wide (28 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1950 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 199 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 200 units permitted in Cherokee County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• 2 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $10k (14%) 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 $18k cash investment doubles in ~4 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→16/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 14.9% vs local median 2.6% in Gaffney — 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.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1950 — 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 D-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
• Crime grade is D 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?
• 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.