1565 Chester Ave

Fort Belvoir, VA 20616

$339,900D

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,000 sqft · Built 1965 · SingleFamily · Active · 3 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,600/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,782
• Tax + insurance: −$201
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$546
• Net cashflow: $71/mo
• Annual: $848/yr
• Cap rate: 6.54%
• Cash-on-cash: 0.89%
• DSCR: 1.04
• 1% rule: 0.76%
• Cash to close: $95,172

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $340k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $71 ($848/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 $260k (23.5% below list).
• Only 3 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $260k (23.5% 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 $10k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 84/100 on livability (#35 in VA, #813 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: commute A+, employment A+, health & safety A+; Watch: cost of living F.
• Charles County Public Schools (suburban): math 13% / reading 29% proficiency, ranked #14 of 24 in MD (top 58%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: J. C. Parks Elementary School (math 10% / reading 22%, grade F, #441 of 860 statewide, top 52%, 638 students, 56% FRL); Matthew Henson Middle School (math 9% / reading 32%, grade F, #141 of 225 statewide, top 65%, 710 students, 43% FRL); Henry E. Lackey High School (math 26% / reading 49%, grade F, #138 of 222 statewide, top 63%, 1,042 students, 50% FRL) — zoned schools average 49% FRL vs 28% district-wide (22 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Market conditions: 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 1,542 units permitted in Charles County in 2024 (516 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Charles County population projected at +27% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• Current owner paid $220k; list at $340k implies a 55% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→16/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1965 — 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?
• 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.