Pays from day one — check the rent yourself

Rented normally, you'd make about $510 a month, and it holds up.

The rent is our own estimate — worth checking against two or three real local lettings. One month without a tenant wipes out about 2 months of that profit, so keep a buffer for gaps.

19941 Prairie St, Detroit, MI 48221 · 682 sqft · $88/sqft

2 BED SINGLE-FAMILY HOMEListed 53d ago

$59,900

List price

Monthly profit

+$510/mo

Cash needed

$17K

+ refurb costs

Return after costs

11.6%

Cash return

36.5%

Weak

We could not confirm the local rent, so check it before you offer — the 25.50% return before costs on price rests on it.

Why it works

Monthly profit +$510/mo from completion — the no.1 reason to invest
This is the money left after the mortgage, the running costs and tax — not the rent.It assumes the rent we modelled and the empty weeks we assumed. Change either and it moves. Try your own numbers →
Stress Rent-covers-mortgage check PASS at 6.5% rate stress — lender-friendly
Lenders test the rent against a stressed rate, not the one you are quoted. This clears it.The cover level is each lender’s own policy, not law — treat it as the shape of the test. See the lender's view →

Why to be cautious

No rent comparables — estimate is a rule-of-thumb fallback, not market data. Verify the rent locally before offering.

Research, not financial advice · how we decide →

One card is deliberately absent. Renting it by the room — Only 2 bed — too small for an HMO (3+ unrelated tenants from 2+ households) without major reconfiguration.

Ready to move on this deal?

Generates an offer pack with your numbers & sources — take it to the agent.

Listing seen …