Should I Accept the Counter Offer for a SFH in SoCal?
I'm a new investor and would love to hear your opinion on my 1st rental property purchase attempt in Southern California.
The good:
1. 4/2/2 1600 sf SFH with big yard;
2. flipped house so everything is new;
3. comps with smaller square footage or not so good condition are all over $100k (ARV is around $120k-130k), and seller countered for $75k;
4. it can rent for $1000/month;
5. it's a relatively safe and quiet area.
The bad:
1. vacancy rate is like 20%-30% in average for that area because it's rural and has lots of rental properties;
2. roof is in very bad shape and will need to be replaced in a year or 2, which will cost about $5000-$8000;
3. no dishwasher, will cost about $1000-$1500 to alter kitchen cabinets and add dishwasher;
4. only has vinyl siding, not a good choice for high heat area and will stretch and sag, cost $5000+ to replace with stucco;
5. no separate garage door connecting main house, will cost about $1000 to add it;
6. house is about 2.5 hours away from where I live;
7. almost no appreciation.
Expenses:
property tax: $1541
insurance: $570
property management: 10%
maintenance: 5%
tenant replacement: one month rent
I understand how hard it is to find cash flow properties in SoCal, so I'm struggling on whether to proceed with this deal even though cash flow is only about $100/month, not to mention cash on cash ROI is less than 5% considering all the capital expenses in the near future.
I welcome any input. Thanks in advance.