53 Salt Marsh Dr #53

Hilton Head Island, SC 29926

$295,000F

3 bd · 3.0 ba · 1,250 sqft · Built 1985 · Condo · Pending · 74 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,622/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,547
• Tax + insurance: −$492
• HOA: −$570
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$551
• Net cashflow: $-538/mo
• Annual: $-6,451/yr
• Cap rate: 4.11%
• Cash-on-cash: -7.81%
• DSCR: 0.65
• 1% rule: 0.89%
• Cash to close: $82,600

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/3.0-bath condo listed at $295k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-538 ($-6k/yr) — negative.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $262k (11.1% below list).
• It's been on market 74 days — a 6% lower offer ($277k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $262k (11.1% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $9k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 64/100 on livability (#157 in SC) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: employment A+, crime A-; Watch: amenities F, commute F, cost of living F.
• 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.
• Zoned schools: Hilton Head Island Elementary (math 50% / reading 49%, grade D, #168 of 597 statewide, top 31%, 709 students, 56% FRL); Hilton Head Island Middle (math 33% / reading 42%, grade F, #90 of 229 statewide, top 42%, 856 students, 52% FRL); Hilton Head Island High (math 70% / reading 82%, grade A-, #34 of 196 statewide, top 17%, 1,345 students, 40% FRL) — zoned schools at 49% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: HOA is 22% of rent.
• Market conditions: Rents soft (-0.2%/yr); 400 active listings in the ZIP; 4 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 23d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); solid renter incomes; 1,824 units permitted in Beaufort County in 2024 (618 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Beaufort County population projected at +30% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 5 sale attempts since 9y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $24k (8%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $144k; list at $295k implies a 105% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Cap rate 4.1% vs local median 2.9% in Hilton Head Island — 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 32% of the median local income ($98k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
• It's been on market 74 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 11% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
• 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?
• 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.
• 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?
• 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?