246 Whitton Ln · Columbia, SC 29229

$262,000

4 bd · 3.0 ba · 1,910 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 218 Days on market

Built 2012 7,405 sqft lot Est $267k · at est. $54/mo HOA · 2% of rent

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Why this score? — see what drove the D 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).

• Cash flow +13.0/30.0
• ARV discount +8.4/15.0
• 1% rule +3.9/10.0
• DSCR +3.9/10.0
• Livability +3.9/5.0
• Schools +3.6/10.0
• Rent growth +3.2/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Back on market due to two buyer's financing falling through and no fault of seller! Welcome home to this inviting 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath home in the award-winning Lake Carolina community, tucked away on a cul-de-sac lot with charming vinyl and stone accents on the front exterior. Inside, you’ll find a flexible front room perfect for an office, along with stylish LVP flooring in the living room and office. The spacious kitchen is highlighted by granite countertops, a tile backsplash, updated light fixtures, a smooth-top stove, built-in microwave, and dishwasher. A large dining area flows seamlessly into the living room, which features an oversized, updated remote-controlled ceiling fan, G

Key facts

• Cul-de-sac lot
• Flexible front room
• Lvp flooring

Tags

• LAKE CAROLINA COMMUNITY
• CUL-DE-SAC LOT
• VINYL AND STONE ACCENTS
• FLEXIBLE FRONT ROOM
• LVP FLOORING
• GRANITE COUNTERTOPS

Property features AI

Finance

• HOA & community: Property is part of an association

Exterior

• Parking: Attached garage with 2 garage spaces (garage on main level)
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer
• Home design: Two-story home
• Construction: Vinyl and stone exterior; Slab foundation
• Exterior features: Deck; Covered front porch; Wood fencing

Interior

• Kitchen: Granite countertops; Stained wood cabinets; Vinyl floor; Tiled backsplash; Dishwasher; Disposal; Over-the-range microwave; Free‑standing smooth-surface range
• Bedrooms: Master bedroom on second floor with double vanity, garden tub, separate shower, walk-in closet, ceiling fan, carpeted floors; Bedrooms 2, 3 and 4 on second floor with carpeted floors
• Flooring: Carpet in bedrooms; Luxury vinyl plank in living room; Vinyl flooring in kitchen
• Bathrooms: Two full bathrooms and one partial bathroom (plus one main half bath)
• Heating & cooling: Central heating; Central air conditioning
• Interior features: Ceiling fans in living areas and master bedroom; Luxury vinyl plank flooring in living room; Vinyl flooring and tiled backsplash in kitchen; Granite countertops and stained wood cabinets in kitchen; Deck and covered front porch (listed under exterior but accessed from interior features)
• Laundry & utility: Laundry area in heated space (washer/dryer area located on second floor)

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 4-bed/3.0-bath single-family listed at $262k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-15 ($-176/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $260k (0.8% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $234k (10.6% below list).
• Recommended offer: $231k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 6.2% vs local median 5.1% in Columbia — meaningfully above typical; check what's discounted (condition, days-on-market, listing class) to confirm the premium yield is real.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 78/100 on livability (#18 in SC, #2,436 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: employment D, crime F.
• Richland 02 (suburban): math 35% / reading 47% proficiency, ranked #29 of 80 in SC (top 36%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Bridge Creek Elementary (math 35% / reading 31%, grade F, #364 of 597 statewide, top 61%, 558 students, 80% FRL); Blythewood High (math 72% / reading 92%, grade A, #19 of 196 statewide, top 10%, 2,094 students, 39% FRL) — zoned schools average 59% FRL vs 38% district-wide (21 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 58% at this address vs 41% district-wide (+16 pts) — the actual schools serving this property are materially stronger than the Richland 02 average implies; a family-tenant draw the district grade alone would hide.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+2.8%/yr); 417 active listings in the ZIP; 8 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 23d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 3,472 units permitted in Richland County in 2024 (1,096 in 5+ unit buildings).
• This rent runs 38% of the median local income ($74k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Forward outlook

• 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.
• Richland County population projected at +30% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 218 days — a 12% lower offer ($231k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 3 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $16k (6%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $162k; list at $262k implies a 62% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Climate carrying-cost: major wind risk, 66% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→16/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $230,560 (12.0% 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 218 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
3. What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
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. 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?
8. 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?
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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: 0.89% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.23%
• Cash-on-cash: -0.24%
• DSCR: 0.99
• GRM: 9.3

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $267,400
• Comps found: 4

Show comp detail 4 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
1972 Lake Carolina Dr	0.27mi	4/2.5	1,908 (-0%)	6mo	$240,000	$126	80
1967 Lake Carolina Dr	0.27mi	5/3.5 (+1)	1,788 (-6%)	14mo	$250,000	$140	58
743 Eden Hall Dr	0.30mi	3/2.0 (-1)	2,151 (+13%)	0mo	$349,900	$163	56
3 Hidden Sands Ct	0.65mi	4/2.5	2,060 (+8%)	9mo	$270,000	$131	47

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

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 2.81% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -16.9%
• Equity multiple: 0.40×
• Total profit: $-43,767
• Equity at exit: $39,065

10-year hold

• IRR: -9.1%
• Equity multiple: 0.44×
• Total profit: $-40,861
• Equity at exit: $22,653

Cash invested: $73,360 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State South Carolina: 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+6
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

5-day notice; preempted; landlord-favorable.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 29229

• Home prices YoY: -21.5%
• Rents YoY: 2.8%
• Active inventory: 417
• Price-to-rent: 9.3×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $2,342 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,374
• Tax est. 1.5%: −$328 /mo · $3,930/yr
• Insurance: −$109
• HOA: −$54
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$492
• Net cashflow: $-15

Break-even live

Break-even rent $2,360

Max offer price $259,880

Occupancy floor 96%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $166	-5% $76	+0% $-15	+5% $-105	+10% $-196
Rent	-10% $-200	-5% $-107	+0% $-15	+5% $78	+10% $170
Rate	-1.0pp $117	-0.5pp $52	base $-15	+0.5pp $-83	+1.0pp $-152

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: $65,500
• Closing costs: $7,860
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 8 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
2000 Lake Carolina Dr Columbia, SC	4.0	2.5	1841	$2,089	$1.13	16d	1	0.21mi
456 Edenhall Dr Columbia, SC	4.0	2.5	2158	$2,600	$1.20	25d	1	0.22mi
1964 Lake Carolina Dr Columbia, SC	4.0	2.5	1841	$1,939	$1.05	23d	1	0.30mi
252 Bassett Loop Columbia, SC	4.0	3.0	2260	$2,295	$1.02	25d	1	0.77mi
499 Fox Trot Dr Columbia, SC	4.0	2.5	2006	$2,195	$1.09	5d	1	0.88mi
221 Fox Grove Cir Unit 1 Columbia, SC	4.0	2.0	2046	$1,700	$0.83	4d	1	0.90mi
219 Pineclave Cir Columbia, SC	4.0	3.0	2300	$2,000	$0.87	25d	1	1.18mi
201 Clearmeadow Dr Columbia, SC	3.0	2.0	2423	$2,379	$0.98	4d	1	1.44mi

HOA detail

• Monthly dues: $54 · $648/yr

Listing history 10 events

1. 2026-05-09
   status Pending
2. 2026-04-24
   historical Active - Contingent
3. 2026-03-28
   status Active
4. 2026-03-20
   historical Active - Contingent
5. 2026-03-04
   status Active
6. 2026-02-18
   historical Active - Contingent
7. 2026-01-09
   price $262,000
8. 2025-11-07
   price $272,000
9. 2025-10-03
   listed $278,000 Active
10. 2018-11-15
    soldstatus $162,000

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

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 4/10 Moderate FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 24% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 4/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 7/10 Severe 7 d/yr ≥107°F today · 16 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 6/10 Major 66% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 3/10 Moderate 2 unhealthy d/yr today · 3 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $28,101
• − Mortgage interest: −$14,676
• − Property taxes: −$3,930
• − Insurance: −$1,310
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$2,248
• − Management: −$2,248
• − HOA: −$648
• − Depreciation: −$7,622
• Taxable loss: −$4,581
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$1,099
• After-tax cash flow: $924/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: Richland 02
• NCES district ID: 4503390
• Math proficiency: 35% ▼ -15.00%
• Reading proficiency: 47% ▼ -5.00%
• Median HH income: $59,684
• Composite: 36.2/100
• National rank: #4730
• State rank: #29 of 80 in SC

Livability — Columbia

• Score: 78/100
• State rank: #18
• US rank: #2436

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• County: Richland County · 389,530 people
• City population: 335,994
• Metro: Columbia, SC
• Population (ZIP): 51,861
• Household income: $74,043
• Rent vs Own: 29.9% rent · 70.1% own
• Severe rent burden: 1939.0

Population outlook (Richland County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 459,667 people
• By 2030: 487,524 · +6.1%
• By 2040: 542,035 · +17.9%
• By 2050: 595,371 · +29.5%
• By 2075: 732,998 · +59.5%
• By 2100: 820,415 · +78.5%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Diverse neighborhood (Simpson 0.56)
• Race & ethnicity: Black 62% White 24% Hispanic / Latino 8% Two or more races 6% Asian 3%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 2% Puerto Rican 2%
• Common ancestry: Slovak 1% Lithuanian 1% Romanian 1%
• Foreign-born: 7% · Canada, South Korea, Jamaica
• Languages at home: 89% English-only · Spanish 6% Other Indo-European 1% Korean 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Richland

• 2024 margin: Solid D (+34.6) · D 66.4% · R 31.8% · Other 1.8%
• 2008→2024 swing: +5.7pp toward D · 2008: 28.9pp · 2024: 34.6pp
• All cycles: 2024: D+34.6 2020: D+38.3 2016: D+32.9 2012: D+33.3 2008: D+28.9

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -51.11%
• Current HPI: 186.782
• Rent YoY: ▲ 2.81%
• Metro: Columbia, SC
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 4.51%
• F500 in state: 2

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in SC)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Packaging	1	$7B

Price history

+61.7% since first listed

10 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-09 Pending — Consolidated MLS
• 2026-04-24 Contingent — Consolidated MLS
• 2026-03-28 Relisted — Consolidated MLS
• 2026-03-20 Contingent — Consolidated MLS
• 2026-03-04 Relisted — Consolidated MLS
• 2026-02-18 Contingent — Consolidated MLS
• 2026-01-09 Price Changed $262,000 Consolidated MLS
• 2025-11-07 Price Changed $272,000 Consolidated MLS
• 2025-10-03 Listed $278,000 Consolidated MLS
• 2018-11-15 Sold (Public Records) $162,000 Public Records

Property tax history

-9.3%/yr

Latest (2025): $399 · +3.4% YoY. Source: county tax records.