Evaluate properties, neighborhoods, and investment returns for home buying
Analyze properties, neighborhoods, and real estate investment opportunities for home buyers and investors. Evaluate listings, estimate fair value, assess neighborhoods, and model investment returns.
Gather and evaluate listing details:
Basic Details:
Condition Indicators:
Red Flags:
Pull comps — specific sources:
webFetch Redfin sold filter: redfin.com/city/{id}/filter/include=sold-6mo — recently sold within 0.5mi, ±20% sqft, same bedszillow.com/research/data/) — free CSV downloads of ZHVI (home value index) and ZORI (rent index) by ZIP, monthly back to 1996"{county name} property assessor {address}" for tax-assessed value, last sale price, permit history. Assessed value is typically 70-90% of market value.Affordability math (compute, don't estimate):
# PITI at 30yr fixed — webSearch current rates (use Freddie Mac PMMS)
# PMMS reports percentage (e.g. 6.76), so divide by 100 first
P, r, n = loan_amount, annual_rate/100/12, 360
monthly_PI = P * (r*(1+r)**n) / ((1+r)**n - 1)
# + property tax (county rate × assessed value / 12)
# + homeowners insurance (~$150-250/mo, varies wildly by state)
# + PMI if <20% down (~0.5-1.0% of loan/yr)
webSearch/webFetch targets (name the source, don't be vague):
greatschools.org/{state}/{city} — rating ≥7 protects resale value even if user has no kidscrimemapping.com or spotcrime.com/{city} — check 6-month trend, not just snapshot. NeighborhoodScout for demographic overlay.walkscore.com/score/{address}msc.fema.gov/portal/search — Zone A/AE/V = mandatory flood insurance ($400-3,000+/yr, often kills deals)"{city} planning commission agenda" + "{city} zoning map" — a highway expansion or apartment rezoning next door changes everythingQuick-filter rules (kill deals fast):
Full underwriting (build in Python):
Gross rent (use Rentometer or Zillow ZORI for the ZIP)
− Vacancy (5-8% typical; 10% conservative)
− Property management (8-10% of collected rent)
− Repairs/maintenance (~8% of rent)
− CapEx reserve (~5% — roof/HVAC/water heater sinking fund)
− Taxes + insurance
= NOI (Net Operating Income)
Cap rate = NOI / purchase price
→ <4%: you're buying appreciation, not cash flow
→ 4-6%: typical for A/B-class in growth metros
→ 6-8%: solid cash flow, B/C-class
→ >10%: either a great deal or a war zone — verify crime data
NOI − annual debt service (P+I) = annual cash flow
Cash-on-cash = annual cash flow / total cash in (down pmt + closing + rehab)
→ Target 8%+ CoC. Below that, an index fund wins with zero tenants.
DSCR (what lenders check for investment loans):
BRRRR stack: Buy distressed (hard money, 7-14 day close) → Rehab → Rent → Refinance at 75% of new ARV into DSCR loan → pull most capital out → Repeat. Only works if ARV × 0.75 ≥ purchase + rehab + holding costs.
Rent comps: webSearch Rentometer free tier, or pull Zillow rentals for the ZIP and compute median $/sqft for same bed count.
Before making an offer:
Always present key findings and recommendations as a plaintext summary in chat, even when also generating files. The user should be able to understand the results without opening any files.
# Property Analysis: [Address]
## Summary
- Asking Price: $XXX,XXX
- Estimated Fair Value: $XXX,XXX — [Over/Under/Fair priced by X%]
- Recommendation: [Strong Buy / Buy / Hold / Pass]
## Property Details
[Key facts table]
## Valuation
[Comps analysis, price per sqft comparison]
## Neighborhood
[Schools, safety, livability scores]
## Financial Analysis
[Monthly payment breakdown, investment returns if applicable]
## Risks & Concerns
[Red flags, upcoming expenses, market risks]
## Verdict
[2-3 sentence recommendation]
After analyzing properties, build a web app that displays properties and relevant neighborhood data on an interactive map.
Display relevant context around the properties:
Use the free Nominatim API (OpenStreetMap) to convert addresses to lat/lng — no API key required: