196 Farrell Rd #2

Midway South, TX 78596

$137,500D

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,161 sqft · Built 2025 · Condo · Active · 23 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,195/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$721
• Tax + insurance: −$229
• HOA: −$100
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$251
• Net cashflow: $-106/mo
• Annual: $-1,271/yr
• Cap rate: 5.37%
• Cash-on-cash: -3.30%
• DSCR: 0.85
• 1% rule: 0.87%
• Cash to close: $38,500

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath condo listed at $138k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-106 ($-1k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $122k (11.1% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $120k (13.1% below list).
• It's been on market 23 days — a 2% lower offer ($135k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $120k (13.1% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $148 of equity ($951 loan paydown + $-803 appreciation (-0.6% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 58/100 on livability (#1,201 in TX) — a working-class tenant base; expect higher turnover. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, crime B+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, employment F.
• Weslaco ISD (suburban): math 23% / reading 31% proficiency, ranked #705 of 826 in TX (top 85%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Sam Houston El (math 22% / reading 37%, grade F, #2,525 of 4,322 statewide, top 62%, 745 students, 87% FRL); Central Middle (math 33% / reading 40%, grade F, #786 of 1,662 statewide, top 48%, 974 students, 70% FRL); Weslaco H S (math 25% / reading 33%, grade F, #1,147 of 1,632 statewide, top 71%, 2,553 students, 73% FRL) — zoned schools average 77% FRL vs 59% district-wide (17 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Market conditions: 1019 active listings in the ZIP; 40 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 11d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 7,378 units permitted in Hidalgo County in 2024 (641 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Hidalgo County population projected at +28% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 4 sale attempts 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.

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?
• What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
• Any open or pending special assessments — roof, HVAC, plumbing, elevator, façade? What's the per-unit balance and payoff schedule, and is the seller paying it off at close or rolling it to the buyer?
• 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?
• 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.