5217 Hickory Woods Ln

Chattanooga, TN 37343

$262,900C+

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,796 sqft · Built 1970 · MultiFamily · Active · 39 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,710/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,379
• Tax + insurance: −$249
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$569
• Net cashflow: $513/mo
• Annual: $6,159/yr
• Cap rate: 8.64%
• Cash-on-cash: 8.37%
• DSCR: 1.37
• 1% rule: 1.03%
• Cash to close: $73,612

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 2-bed/1.0-bath units multifamily listed at $263k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $513 ($6k/yr) — positive. Per door: $257/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $263k).
• It's been on market 39 days — a 3% lower offer ($255k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $255k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $8k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 78/100 on livability (#3 in TN, #2,582 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: employment D+, crime F.
• Hamilton County (urban): math 31% / reading 31% proficiency, ranked #42 of 139 in TN (top 30%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Hixson Elementary (math 24% / reading 20%, grade F, #601 of 952 statewide, top 66%, 402 students, 0% FRL); Hixson Middle School (math 27% / reading 20%, grade F, #162 of 333 statewide, top 50%, 607 students, 0% FRL); Hixson High School (math 22% / reading 32%, grade F, #104 of 332 statewide, top 33%, 935 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 52% district-wide (52 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+2.4%/yr); 466 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; solid renter incomes; 2,133 units permitted in Hamilton County in 2024 (405 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Hamilton County population projected at +23% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 3 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: extreme-heat days projected 7→20/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 8.6% vs local median 3.4% in Chattanooga — 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 runs 40% of the median local income ($82k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 39 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
• What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
• Built in 1970 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are F-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?
• 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.