309 Imel St

Fountain City, IN 47341

$134,000C

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,896 sqft · Built 1955 · SingleFamily · Pending · 6 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,161/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$703
• Tax + insurance: −$162
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$244
• Net cashflow: $53/mo
• Annual: $638/yr
• Cap rate: 6.77%
• Cash-on-cash: 1.70%
• DSCR: 1.08
• 1% rule: 0.87%
• Cash to close: $37,520

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $134k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $53 ($638/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 $116k (13.3% below list).
• Only 6 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $116k (13.3% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $3k of equity ($926 loan paydown + $2k appreciation (1.8% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 65/100 on livability (#344 in IN) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime C-, health & safety C-, employment D+.
• Northeastern Wayne Schools (rural): math 35% / reading 46% proficiency, ranked #132 of 301 in IN (top 44%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Northeastern Elementary School (math 48% / reading 38%, grade F, #417 of 994 statewide, top 43%, 590 students, 55% FRL); Northeastern Middle School (math 28% / reading 50%, grade F, #128 of 330 statewide, top 40%, 324 students, 48% FRL); Northeastern High School (math 17% / reading 57%, grade F, #247 of 369 statewide, top 70%, 443 students, 45% FRL) — zoned schools average 49% FRL vs 30% district-wide (19 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1955 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 13 active listings in the ZIP; 38 units permitted in Wayne County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Wayne County population projected at -21% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (1.8% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $38k cash investment doubles in ~8 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 10, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$33k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1955 — 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 F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
• 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.