2 bd · 1.5 ba ·
1,566 sqft ·
Built 1983
· Townhouse
· Active
· 300 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$1,605/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$1,025
Tax + insurance
−$265
HOA
−$350
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$337
Net cashflow
$-372/mo
Annual
$-4,466/yr
Cap rate
4.01%
Cash-on-cash
-8.16%
DSCR
0.64
1% rule
0.82%
Cash to close
$54,740
Investor read
This is a 2-bed/1.5-bath townhouse listed at $196k.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $-372 ($-4k/yr) — negative.
To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $130k (33.6% below list).
To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $161k (17.9% below list).
It's been on market 300 days — a 12% lower offer ($172k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
Recommended offer: $130k (33.6% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.
In year one you build about $21k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $20k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
Location reads 76/100 on livability (#12 in AL, #3,280 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: employment A+, housing A+, schools A; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
Madison City (suburban): math 51% / reading 71% proficiency, ranked #4 of 129 in AL (top 3%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease; only 17% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
Watch-outs: HOA is 22% of rent.
Market conditions: Rents rising (+1.6%/yr); 382 active listings in the ZIP; 33 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 23d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 45% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; high-income renter base; 4,709 units permitted in Madison County in 2024 (1,186 in 5+ unit buildings).
Madison County population projected at +18% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
2 sale attempts 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.
By year 2, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$34k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→19/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
Cap rate 4.0% vs local median 2.6% in Madison — 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.
This rent is only 16% of the median local income ($117k/yr) — well below the 30% rent-burden line; pricing power to push rent on renewal without tenant pushback.
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?
It's been on market 300 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 34% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
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.
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?
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.
CashFlowRE · CFR-X3KGHF5GDKC66B
· Data 2 days agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29