255 Marlborough Downs Rd

Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance), GA 30622

$248,000D

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,000 sqft · Built 1971 · SingleFamily · Active · 122 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,176/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,301
• Tax + insurance: −$213
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$457
• Net cashflow: $205/mo
• Annual: $2,466/yr
• Cap rate: 7.29%
• Cash-on-cash: 3.55%
• DSCR: 1.16
• 1% rule: 0.88%
• Cash to close: $69,440

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $248k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $205 ($2k/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 $218k (12.2% below list).
• It's been on market 122 days — a 12% lower offer ($218k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $218k (12.2% 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 $7k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads: area grade D — affects rentability + tenant quality, not the cash-flow math above.
• Clarke County (urban): math 17% / reading 21% proficiency, ranked #146 of 174 in GA (top 84%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 74% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Cleveland Road Elementary School (math 12% / reading 27%, grade F, #878 of 1,228 statewide, top 75%, 284 students, 83% FRL); Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School (math 19% / reading 23%, grade F, #342 of 470 statewide, top 73%, 728 students, 83% FRL); Clarke Central High School (math 15% / reading 24%, grade F, #238 of 424 statewide, top 57%, 1,836 students, 83% FRL).
• Market conditions: 140 active listings in the ZIP; 5 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 24d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 40% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; high-income renter base; 1,172 units permitted in Clarke County in 2024 (876 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Clarke County population projected at +31% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 8 sale attempts since 18y ago with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.
• Current owner paid $90k; list at $248k implies a 176% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Climate carrying-cost: moderate wind risk, 25% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 7→17/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 7.3% vs local median 3.4% in Athens-Clarke County unified government (balance) — 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

• It's been on market 122 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1971 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• 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.