1179 Church St Unit N

Decatur, GA 30030

$149,999C-

2 bd · 1.5 ba · 936 sqft · Built 1968 · Condo · Under Contract · 19 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,052/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$787
• Tax + insurance: −$250
• HOA: −$597
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$431
• Net cashflow: $-12/mo
• Annual: $-149/yr
• Cap rate: 6.19%
• Cash-on-cash: -0.35%
• DSCR: 0.98
• 1% rule: 1.37%
• Cash to close: $42,000

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.5-bath condo listed at $150k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-12 ($-149/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $148k (1.2% below list).
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $150k).
• It's been on market 19 days — a 2% lower offer ($148k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $148k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 85/100 on livability (#4 in GA, #538 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, employment A+; Watch: cost of living F.
• City Schools Of Decatur (suburban): math 64% / reading 70% proficiency, ranked #2 of 174 in GA (top 1%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease; only 18% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: Clairemont Elementary School (207 students, 30% FRL); Beacon Hill Middle School (math 58% / reading 68%, grade B+, #32 of 470 statewide, top 7%, 1,323 students, 13% FRL); Decatur High School (math 47% / reading 64%, grade C, #19 of 424 statewide, top 4%, 1,853 students, 12% FRL) — zoned schools at 19% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: HOA is 29% of rent.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.9%/yr); 209 active listings in the ZIP; 40 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 4d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); high-income renter base; 1,240 units permitted in DeKalb County in 2024 (385 in 5+ unit buildings).
• DeKalb County population projected at +28% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 4 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $19k (11%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Climate carrying-cost: moderate wind risk, 25% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→18/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 6.2% vs local median 1.8% in Decatur — 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

• 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 1968 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• 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?
• 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?
• 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.