688 Vista Lago Cir

Palm Desert, CA 92211

$429,000D-

3 bd · 2.5 ba · 1,814 sqft · Built 1990 · Condo · Active · 6 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $4,870/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$2,250
• Tax + insurance: −$721
• HOA: −$891
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$1,023
• Net cashflow: $-14/mo
• Annual: $-170/yr
• Cap rate: 6.25%
• Cash-on-cash: -0.14%
• DSCR: 0.99
• 1% rule: 1.14%
• Cash to close: $120,120

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.5-bath condo listed at $429k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-14 ($-170/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $426k (0.6% below list).
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($5k rent vs $429k).
• Only 6 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $426k (0.6% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $3k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $13k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 51/100 on livability (#1,050 in CA) — a working-class tenant base; expect higher turnover. Strengths: employment B+, housing B; Watch: crime D, amenities F, commute F.
• Desert Sands Unified (suburban): math 31% / reading 56% proficiency, ranked #199 of 517 in CA (top 38%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: James Earl Carter Elementary (516 students, 53% FRL); Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle (math 10% / reading 10%, grade F, #474 of 498 statewide, top 99%, 436 students, 74% FRL); Palm Desert High (math 42% / reading 67%, grade C-, #256 of 1,170 statewide, top 24%, 2,050 students, 57% FRL).
• Market conditions: Rents soft (-0.3%/yr); 636 active listings in the ZIP; 40 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 45d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 75% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; solid renter incomes; 9,195 units permitted in Riverside County in 2024 (1,512 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Riverside County population projected at +22% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 5 sale attempts since 22y 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.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 5→14/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 6.3% vs local median 3.4% in Palm Desert — 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.
• At $4,870/mo this rent would consume 66% of the median local household income ($88k/yr) (locally 1181% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• 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?
• What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
• Any open or pending special assessments — roof, HVAC, plumbing, elevator, façade? What's the per-unit balance and payoff schedule, and is the seller paying it off at close or rolling it to the buyer?
• 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?
• Crime grade is D 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?
• 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.