1846 Wax Rd SE

Rome, GA 30173

$164,900C+

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,184 sqft · Built 1915 · SingleFamily · Under Contract · 9 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,750/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$865
• Tax + insurance: −$314
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$368
• Net cashflow: $204/mo
• Annual: $2,447/yr
• Cap rate: 8.26%
• Cash-on-cash: 7.03%
• DSCR: 1.31
• 1% rule: 1.06%
• Cash to close: $46,172

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $165k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $204 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $165k).
• Only 9 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 64/100 on livability (#266 in GA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime F, amenities F, commute F.
• Floyd County (rural): math 41% / reading 40% proficiency, ranked #45 of 174 in GA (top 26%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Pepperell Elementary (math 44% / reading 40%, grade F, #380 of 1,228 statewide, top 33%, 501 students, 64% FRL); Pepperell Middle School (math 36% / reading 36%, grade F, #178 of 470 statewide, top 39%, 520 students, 64% FRL); Pepperell High School (math 32% / reading 32%, grade F, #110 of 424 statewide, top 28%, 896 students, 49% FRL).
• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $66/mo; built in 1915 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 56 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 355 units permitted in Floyd County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Floyd County population projected to shrink 6% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• Current owner paid $102k; list at $165k implies a 62% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe flood risk; major wildfire risk; extreme-heat days projected 7→19/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 8.3% vs local median 3.4% in Rome — 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

• Built in 1915 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
• 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?
• Crime grade is F in this area — have there been break-ins, vandalism, or insurance claims at this property in the last 3 years? What carrier currently insures it and at what premium?
• 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.