2 bd · 1.0 ba ·
1,572 sqft ·
Built 1979
· SingleFamily
· Pending
· 11 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$1,980/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$1,311
Tax + insurance
−$330
HOA
−$0
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$416
Net cashflow
$-77/mo
Annual
$-922/yr
Cap rate
5.92%
Cash-on-cash
-1.32%
DSCR
0.94
1% rule
0.79%
Cash to close
$69,972
Investor read
This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $250k.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $-77 ($-922/yr) — negative.
To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $236k (5.4% below list).
To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $198k (20.8% below list).
Only 11 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
Recommended offer: $198k (20.8% 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 $7k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
Location reads 79/100 on livability (#90 in MI, #2,044 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime D+, amenities D-, commute F.
Portage Public Schools (urban): math 48% / reading 63% proficiency, ranked #67 of 540 in MI (top 12%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
Zoned schools: Central Elementary School (math 42% / reading 52%, grade D-, #433 of 1,397 statewide, top 34%, 448 students, 34% FRL); Portage Central Middle School (math 60% / reading 74%, grade A-, #31 of 493 statewide, top 6%, 740 students, 23% FRL); Portage Central High School (math 53% / reading 76%, grade B-, #46 of 713 statewide, top 7%, 1,420 students, 16% FRL) — zoned schools at 24% FRL track the district average.
Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+11.3%/yr); 129 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 339 units permitted in Kalamazoo County in 2024 (22 in 5+ unit buildings).
Kalamazoo County population projected at +18% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
5 sale attempts since 14y ago with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.
Current owner paid $84k; list at $250k implies a 198% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
Cap rate 5.9% vs local median 3.3% in Portage — 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 ($74k/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?
Built in 1979 — 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?
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?
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?
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.
CashFlowRE · CFR-VCWQ818064869H
· Data 1 week agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29