2402 N Van Buren St

Wilmington, DE 19802

$229,900D

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,375 sqft · Built 1930 · Townhouse · Active · 146 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,778/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,206
• Tax + insurance: −$187
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$373
• Net cashflow: $12/mo
• Annual: $144/yr
• Cap rate: 6.36%
• Cash-on-cash: 0.22%
• DSCR: 1.01
• 1% rule: 0.77%
• Cash to close: $64,372

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath townhouse listed at $230k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $12 ($144/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 $178k (22.6% below list).
• It's been on market 146 days — a 12% lower offer ($202k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $178k (22.6% 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 64/100 on livability (#52 in DE) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A; Watch: employment D+, commute D, crime F.
• Red Clay Consolidated School District (suburban): math 27% / reading 42% proficiency, ranked #12 of 26 in DE (top 46%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Warner Elementary School (math 2% / reading 2%, grade F, #104 of 105 statewide, top 100%, 360 students, 0% FRL); Skyline Middle School (math 14% / reading 20%, grade F, #32 of 36 statewide, top 89%, 475 students, 0% FRL); Dickinson (John) School (math 24% / reading 47%, grade F, #17 of 40 statewide, top 41%, 1,058 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 44% district-wide (44 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 18% at this address vs 34% district-wide (-16 pts) — the specific schools serving this property underperform the Red Clay Consolidated School District average; the district grade overstates school quality for this exact location.
• Watch-outs: built in 1930 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.7%/yr); 132 active listings in the ZIP; 40 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 27d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 1,367 units permitted in New Castle County in 2024 (201 in 5+ unit buildings).
• New Castle County population projected at +9% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 2 sale attempts since 7y 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: major wind risk, 27% 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.
• This rent runs 40% of the median local income ($54k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 146 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 23% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1930 — 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.
• 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?
• 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?
• 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.