21 Walker Street Ext · Columbus, NC 28722

$289,000

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,526 sqft · SingleFamily · 217 Days on market

Built 1958 0.77 ac lot Est $369k · 22% under

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Why this score? — see what drove the C grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• Cash flow +12.5/30.0
• Appreciation +10.0/10.0
• Schools +5.1/10.0
• DSCR +3.7/10.0
• Livability +3.7/5.0
• 1% rule +2.8/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0

Listing remarks

Updated In-Town Columbus Home with New Kitchen, Baths, Roof, Windows, 1-Car Garage, and Flat 0.77-Acre Lot Just Minutes from Downtown. Adorable move-in ready 3-bedroom, 2-bath home offering 1,526 square feet of comfortable living space on a spacious, fully flat 0.77-acre lot. Built in 1958, this updated home offers thoughtful modern updates and an ideal in-town location just moments from downtown Columbus. Renovated in 2018–2019, updates include a beautifully remodeled kitchen with stainless steel appliances, poured acrylic countertops, updated bathrooms, new flooring, replacement windows, and a newer roof. The bright, open floor plan offers comfortable everyday living with abundant n

Key facts

• Open floor plan
• New flooring
• Spacious lot

Tags

• OPEN FLOOR PLAN
• SPACIOUS LOT
• UPDATED BATHROOMS
• NEW FLOORING
• PARTIALLY FENCED BACKYARD
• USABLE SPACE

Property features AI

Finance

• HOA & community: No HOA

Exterior

• Parking: Attached garage facing front; Driveway access; 1-car garage (280 sq ft)
• Utilities: City water; Public sewer
• Home design: Single-family residence; One story; Site-built construction
• Construction: Vinyl and wood exterior materials; Basement foundation
• Exterior features: Covered front porch; Privacy fencing; Lot approximately 0.77 acres; Roads are gravel and paved; publicly maintained

Interior

• Kitchen: Dishwasher; Electric range; Microwave; Refrigerator
• Bedrooms: 3 bedrooms on the main level
• Flooring: Vinyl flooring
• Bathrooms: 2 full bathrooms on the main level
• Heating & cooling: Heat pump for heating and cooling
• Interior features: Open room layout (1 main room noted); Basement with exterior entry (unfinished)
• Laundry & utility: Indoor laundry on the main level

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $289k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-42 ($-509/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $282k (2.6% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $226k (21.9% below list).
• Recommended offer: $226k (21.9% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Cap rate 6.1% vs local median 3.2% in Columbus — 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.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 74/100 on livability (#53 in NC, #4,439 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, health & safety A+; Watch: schools D+, employment D+, amenities F.
• Polk County Schools (rural): math 58% / reading 62% proficiency, ranked #32 of 178 in NC (top 18%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Market conditions: 129 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 15d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 143 units permitted in Polk County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $31k of equity ($2k loan paydown + $29k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Polk County population projected at -12% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (10.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $81k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 2, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$50k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 217 days — a 12% lower offer ($254k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 5 sale attempts since 8y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $36k (11%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $179k; list at $289k implies a 61% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1958 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→18/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $225,639 (21.9% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. 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?
2. It's been on market 217 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 22% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
3. Built in 1958 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
4. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
5. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
6. Schools are D-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 0.78% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.12%
• Cash-on-cash: -0.63%
• DSCR: 0.97
• GRM: 10.7

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $369,292
• Comps found: 10

Show comp detail 10 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
168 Walker St	0.24mi	3/1.5	1,447 (-5%)	3mo	$275,000	$190	76
646 Walker St	0.19mi	2/2.0 (-1)	1,440 (-6%)	7mo	$325,000	$226	71
815 Peniel Rd	0.50mi	3/2.0	1,492 (-2%)	4mo	$335,000	$225	69
872 Hayes Rd	0.56mi	3/2.0	1,482 (-3%)	5mo	$362,500	$245	65
583 Dublin Ln	0.56mi	3/2.0	1,601 (+5%)	4mo	$515,000	$322	62
270 S Peak St	0.20mi	3/2.0	1,363 (-11%)	13mo	$380,000	$279	62
330 Blanton St	0.22mi	3/2.0	1,421 (-7%)	23mo	$344,000	$242	59
60 Barber St	0.19mi	3/2.0	1,380 (-10%)	22mo	$260,000	$188	57
685 Peniel Rd	0.38mi	2/2.0 (-1)	1,422 (-7%)	17mo	$279,000	$196	52
403 Dublin Ln	0.45mi	4/2.0 (+1)	1,730 (+13%)	16mo	$499,000	$288	38

Match score weights: distance 35% · size 25% · config 20% · recency 20%. Top-matched comps best support the ARV.

Projected returns pro-forma

10.0% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 23.8%
• Equity multiple: 2.91×
• Total profit: $154,625
• Equity at exit: $260,354

10-year hold

• IRR: 21.1%
• Equity multiple: 6.65×
• Total profit: $457,325
• Equity at exit: $561,463

Cash invested: $80,920 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 85 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State North Carolina: 85 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+3
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

10-day notice; preempted; landlord-favorable but court speed varies.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 28722

• Home prices YoY: 9.0%
• Active inventory: 129
• Price-to-rent: 10.7×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $2,256 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,516
• Tax from tax record: −$189 /mo · $2,268/yr
• Insurance: −$120
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$474
• Net cashflow: $-42

Break-even live

Break-even rent $2,310

Max offer price $281,510

Occupancy floor 97%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $121	-5% $39	+0% $-42	+5% $-124	+10% $-206
Rent	-10% $-221	-5% $-132	+0% $-42	+5% $47	+10% $136
Rate	-1.0pp $103	-0.5pp $31	base $-42	+0.5pp $-117	+1.0pp $-193

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $72,250
• Closing costs: $8,670
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 3 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
84 Whispering Wind Ln Columbus, NC	3.0	2.0	2050	$2,300	$1.12	12d	1	0.25mi
221 Dublin Ln Columbus, NC	3.0	2.0	1534	$2,200	$1.43	14d	1	0.36mi
430 Skyuka Rd Columbus, NC	3.0	2.0	1860	$2,300	$1.24	24d	1	1.33mi

Listing history 31 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $289,000 Active 217 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   days on market $289,000 Active 216 DOM
3. 2026-06-16
   days on market $289,000 Active 215 DOM
4. 2026-06-15
   days on market $289,000 Active 214 DOM
5. 2026-06-14
   days on market $289,000 Active 212 DOM
6. 2026-06-10
   days on market $289,000 Active 209 DOM
7. 2026-06-09
   days on market $289,000 Active 208 DOM
8. 2026-06-08
   days on market $289,000 Active 207 DOM
9. 2026-06-07
   days on market $289,000 Active 206 DOM
10. 2026-06-03
    days on market $289,000 Active 202 DOM
11. 2026-06-02
    days on market $289,000 Active 201 DOM
12. 2026-06-01
    days on market $289,000 Active 200 DOM
13. 2026-05-31
    days on market $289,000 Active 199 DOM
14. 2026-05-30
    days on market $289,000 Active 198 DOM
15. 2026-04-21
    price $299,990
16. 2026-01-26
    status Active
17. 2026-01-14
    historical Active Under Contract
18. 2026-01-06
    price $310,000
19. 2025-11-13
    listed $325,000 Active
20. 2019-06-05
    soldstatus $179,000
21. 2019-02-10
    historical
22. 2019-01-15
    price $185,000
23. 2019-01-14
    price $185,000
24. 2018-11-13
    listed $195,000 Active
25. 2018-05-25
    soldstatus $135,000 Sold In-House
26. 2018-05-24
    soldstatus $135,000 Closed
27. 2018-05-24
    soldstatus $135,000
28. 2018-05-16
    historical Under Contract - Show
29. 2018-05-16
    status Pending
30. 2018-04-21
    listed $139,850 Active
31. 2018-04-21
    listed $139,850 Active

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast NC · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $2,268 · $189/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $2,370 · $197/mo
• Expected delta: +$102/yr (+$8/mo · 4.5%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 3/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 5/10 Major 7 d/yr ≥105°F today · 18 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 4/10 Moderate 4 unhealthy d/yr today · 4 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $27,077
• − Mortgage interest: −$16,188
• − Property taxes: −$2,268
• − Insurance: −$1,445
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$2,166
• − Management: −$2,166
• − Depreciation: −$8,407
• Taxable loss: −$5,564
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$1,335
• After-tax cash flow: $827/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Polk County Schools
• NCES district ID: 3703720
• Math proficiency: 58% ▬ 0.00%
• Reading proficiency: 62% ▬ 0.00%
• Median HH income: $44,641
• Composite: 50.56/100
• National rank: #1847
• State rank: #32 of 178 in NC

Livability — Columbus

• Score: 74/100
• State rank: #53
• US rank: #4439

Category grades

Amenities F Commute F Cost of living A+ Crime A+ Employment D+ Housing A Health & safety A+ User ratings B-

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Columbus, NC
• Population (ZIP): 5,998

Population outlook (Polk County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 20,043 people
• By 2030: 19,764 · -1.4%
• By 2040: 18,836 · -6.0%
• By 2050: 17,529 · -12.5%
• By 2075: 14,741 · -26.5%
• By 2100: 11,461 · -42.8%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (91%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 91% Two or more races 4% Hispanic / Latino 4% Black 3%
• Common ancestry: Iranian 4% Slovak 4% Italian 4%
• Foreign-born: 4% · Canada
• Languages at home: 93% English-only · German/W. Germanic 3% Spanish 3%

Political lean MEDSL · Polk

• 2024 margin: Strong R (+25.2) · D 37.0% · R 62.2%
• 2008→2024 swing: -10.1pp toward R · 2008: -15.1pp · 2024: -25.2pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+25.2 2020: R+25.7 2016: R+28.2 2012: R+21.5 2008: R+15.1

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 27.76%
• Current HPI: 336.4252
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 3.28%
• F500 in state: 26

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in NC)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Financial Services	2	$213B
▸Retail	2	$95B
▸Industrial Conglomerate	1	$38B
▸Metals / Steel	1	$35B
▸Utilities	1	$30B
▸Industrial Machinery	1	$19B

Price history

+114.5% since first listed

17 events — show timeline

• 2026-04-21 Price Changed $299,990 CANOPYMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2026-01-26 Relisted — CANOPYMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2026-01-14 Contingent — CANOPYMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2026-01-06 Price Changed $310,000 CANOPYMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2025-11-13 Listed $325,000 CANOPYMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2019-06-05 Sold (Public Records) $179,000 Public Records
• 2019-02-10 Delisted — SPMLS
• 2019-01-15 Price Changed $185,000 SPMLS
• 2019-01-14 Price Changed $185,000 CANOPYMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2018-11-13 Listed $195,000 SPMLS
• 2018-05-25 Sold (MLS) $135,000 SPMLS
• 2018-05-24 Sold (Public Records) $135,000 Public Records
• 2018-05-24 Sold (MLS) $135,000 CANOPYMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2018-05-16 Contingent — CANOPYMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2018-05-16 Pending — SPMLS
• 2018-04-21 Listed $139,850 CANOPYMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2018-04-21 Listed $139,850 SPMLS

Property tax history

+4.5%/yr

Latest (2025): $2,268 · +12.6% YoY. Source: county tax records.