4 bd · 2.5 ba ·
2,369 sqft ·
Built 1885
· Townhouse
· Active
· 94 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$2,092/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$1,311
Tax + insurance
−$416
HOA
−$0
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$439
Net cashflow
$-74/mo
Annual
$-888/yr
Cap rate
5.94%
Cash-on-cash
-1.27%
DSCR
0.94
1% rule
0.84%
Cash to close
$69,972
Investor read
This is a 4-bed/2.5-bath townhouse listed at $250k. Condition is rated good.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $-74 ($-888/yr) — negative.
To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $239k (4.3% below list).
To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $209k (16.3% below list).
It's been on market 94 days — a 9% lower offer ($227k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
Recommended offer: $209k (16.3% 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: area grade D — affects rentability + tenant quality, not the cash-flow math above.
St. Louis City (urban): math 10% / reading 18% proficiency, ranked #312 of 324 in MO (top 96%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 80% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
Zoned schools: Sigel Elem. Comm. Ed. Ctr. (math 2% / reading 2%, grade F, #1,099 of 1,115 statewide, top 100%, 219 students, 99% FRL); Gateway Middle (math 0% / reading 8%, grade F, #389 of 391 statewide, top 100%, 506 students, 99% FRL); Roosevelt High (math 2% / reading 8%, grade F, #517 of 521 statewide, top 100%, 460 students, 99% FRL) — zoned schools average 99% FRL vs 80% district-wide (19 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
Watch-outs: built in 1885 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+4.9%/yr); 328 active listings in the ZIP; 40 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 36d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 60% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 294 units permitted in St. Louis city in 2024 (227 in 5+ unit buildings).
St. Louis County population projected to shrink 6% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
3 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $20k (7%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→21/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
Cap rate 5.9% vs local median 4.9% in St. Louis — meaningfully above typical; check what's discounted (condition, days-on-market, listing class) to confirm the premium yield is real.
This rent runs 43% of the median local income ($58k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.
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 94 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 16% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
Built in 1885 — 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.
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.
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.
CashFlowRE · CFR-Z5VYCY2A0D67WQ
· Data 17 h agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29