506 Romig St

Lafayette, IN 47901

$30,000C-

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 2,144 sqft · Built 1890 · SingleFamily · Pending · 2 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,982/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$157
• Tax + insurance: −$50
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$416
• Net cashflow: $1,358/mo
• Annual: $16,300/yr
• Cap rate: 60.63%
• Cash-on-cash: 194.05%
• DSCR: 9.63
• 1% rule: 6.61%
• Cash to close: $8,400

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $30k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $1k ($16k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $30k).
• Only 2 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• In year one you build about $1k of equity ($207 loan paydown + $1k appreciation (3.5% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 74/100 on livability (#68 in IN, #4,374 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: amenities D+, employment D+, crime F.
• Lafayette School Corporation (urban): math 29% / reading 34% proficiency, ranked #235 of 301 in IN (top 78%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 63% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Thomas Miller Elementary School (math 27% / reading 22%, grade F, #762 of 994 statewide, top 78%, 343 students, 85% FRL); Lafayette Sunnyside Intermediate (math 26% / reading 26%, grade F, #240 of 330 statewide, top 73%, 1,047 students, 77% FRL); Jefferson High School (math 23% / reading 55%, grade F, #235 of 369 statewide, top 65%, 2,118 students, 69% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1890 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+4.8%/yr); 17 active listings in the ZIP; 13 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 23d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 1,341 units permitted in Tippecanoe County in 2024 (869 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Tippecanoe County population projected at +41% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• At projected returns (3.5% appreciation + 4.8% rent growth), your $8k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 60.6% vs local median 4.1% in Lafayette — 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.
• At $1,982/mo this rent would consume 50% of the median local household income ($47k/yr) (locally 314% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1890 — 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 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?
• 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.