476 Walnut Ave

Waynesboro, VA 22980

$250,000D+

4 bd · 2.5 ba · 2,048 sqft · Built 1912 · Other · Pending · 10 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,170/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,311
• Tax + insurance: −$300
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$456
• Net cashflow: $104/mo
• Annual: $1,244/yr
• Cap rate: 6.79%
• Cash-on-cash: 1.78%
• DSCR: 1.08
• 1% rule: 0.87%
• Cash to close: $70,000

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/2.5-bath other listed at $250k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $104 ($1k/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 $217k (13.2% below list).
• Only 10 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $217k (13.2% 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 $8k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 74/100 on livability (#155 in VA, #4,902 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, health & safety A+, housing A; Watch: employment D, commute F.
• Waynesboro City Public School District (urban): math 35% / reading 57% proficiency, ranked #108 of 131 in VA (top 82%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Berkeley Glenn Elementary (math 32% / reading 52%, grade F, #866 of 1,108 statewide, top 80%, 254 students, 88% FRL); Kate Collins Middle (math 28% / reading 57%, grade D-, #291 of 342 statewide, top 86%, 644 students, 86% FRL); Waynesboro High (math 47% / reading 72%, grade C+, #247 of 319 statewide, top 80%, 905 students, 87% FRL) — zoned schools average 87% FRL vs 50% district-wide (36 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1912 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+8.9%/yr); 304 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 45d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 100% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 138 units permitted in Waynesboro city in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Waynesboro County population projected at +3% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 3 sale attempts since 2y 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.
• Cap rate 6.8% vs local median 3.3% in Waynesboro — 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 41% of the median local income ($64k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1912 — 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 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?
• 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.