770 Echo Hill Dr

Burnsville, NC 28704

$194,000C-

2 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,344 sqft · Built 1975 · SingleFamily · Active · 60 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,784/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,017
• Tax + insurance: −$155
• HOA: −$30
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$375
• Net cashflow: $206/mo
• Annual: $2,477/yr
• Cap rate: 7.57%
• Cash-on-cash: 4.56%
• DSCR: 1.20
• 1% rule: 0.92%
• Cash to close: $54,320

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $194k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $206 ($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 $178k (8.0% below list).
• It's been on market 60 days — a 3% lower offer ($188k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $178k (8.0% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $6k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 74/100 on livability (#64 in NC, #4,938 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, health & safety A+; Watch: commute F, employment F.
• Yancey County Schools (rural): math 55% / reading 52% proficiency, ranked #56 of 178 in NC (top 32%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Burnsville Elementary (math 52% / reading 42%, grade D-, #497 of 1,410 statewide, top 38%, 286 students, 69% FRL); Mountain Heritage High (math 62% / reading 57%, grade C+, #216 of 535 statewide, top 43%, 639 students, 48% FRL).
• Market conditions: Rents flat; 251 active listings in the ZIP; solid renter incomes; 100 units permitted in Yancey County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Yancey County population projected at -20% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• Climate carrying-cost: moderate wildfire risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 7.6% vs local median 2.3% in Burnsville — 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 60 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 8% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1975 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
• 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?
• 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.