East side Columbus is Franklin County’s duplex stacking lane — King-Lincoln Bronzeville, Old Towne East, and residential blocks where side-by-side doubles trade $125K–$195K as-is and stabilize at $2,500–$3,100/mo gross after honest mechanical scope.
Hard money loans on Columbus’s east side fund estate sales, heirship acquisitions, and 10-day close windows where proof of funds beats conventional inspection timelines.
Metro: Columbus hub · Ohio DSCR · Premium compare: Short North · Rankings.
Who invests on the east side
| Profile | Playbook |
|---|---|
| Duplex BRRRR operator | Sub-$200K all-in → Ohio DSCR recycle |
| SFR flipper | $130K–$175K all-in → $210K–$265K O-O/investor resale |
| Small MF sponsor | 4-unit reposition — experienced only |
Intel and healthcare employment support rent growth — do not underwrite coastal appreciation on working-class doubles without leases.
2026 economics
| Asset | As-is | Rehab | ARV / rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| SFR value-add | $95K–$145K | $40K–$65K | $185K–$245K resale |
| Duplex heavy | $125K–$195K | $45K–$75K | $195K–$285K; $2,500–$3,100/mo |
| Four-unit | $185K–$280K | $85K–$135K | Hold — $6,500–$8,800/mo gross |
Worked example: King-Lincoln duplex BRRRR
Acquisition: $142,000 side-by-side — one vacant, shared panel, roof deferred
Rehab: $58,000 — roof, dual panels, kitchens/baths, paint
All-in: $200,000
Hard money: 88% LTC · 9-day close · 10.5% IO
Stabilized rent: $1,325 + $1,275 = $2,600/mo gross
Appraisal: $268,000
DSCR refi: 71% LTV — equity to second door
Franklin County reassessment +15% in PITIA — not seller homestead bill.
Worked example: Old Towne East SFR flip
Acquisition: $118,000 estate — 11-day close
Rehab: $52,000 HVAC, kitchen, bath, windows
All-in: $170,000
Sale: $232,000 at 5 months — net ~$26,000 after carry
Block walk protocol
- Boarded structures both directions — above 20% vacancy haircuts rent
- Quiet title on heirship deeds
- Lead paint scope on pre-1978 stock
- Sewer lateral camera on older rows
- Three sold comps same corridor — not Short North imports
- Reassessment modeled before DSCR file
Old Towne East vs. King-Lincoln
| Old Towne East | King-Lincoln | |
|---|---|---|
| O-O flip demand | Stronger on renovated SFR | Moderate |
| Duplex stacking | Solid | Solid |
| Basis | Similar bands | Similar bands |
| Block variance | High | High |
Walk the specific block — corridor labels do not replace street diligence.
Carry math — duplex
$200K all-in at 88% LTC and 10.5% IO ≈ $1,540/mo interest. Seven months to lease-up ≈ $10,800 carry — still clears on $268K appraisal when rent documented.
Judicial foreclosure note
Ohio judicial foreclosure extends distressed acquisition timelines vs Michigan or Indiana. Budget patience on REO negotiations — hard money speed still wins estate and MLS files with clean title.
First-time sponsor path
Start one SFR flip under $175K all-in with six months IO reserved — not a four-unit. Graduate to duplex BRRRR after one clean block walk. Premium corridors later: Franklinton · Short North.
Duplex utility protocol
Separate meters, fire separation, legal two-unit status — verify before draw two release on both-unit rehab.
Linden and Intel corridor spillover
Residential blocks benefiting from Intel New Albany and logistics employment can support $50–$125/mo rent bumps vs interior east-side streets — verify with executed leases on comparable doubles, not employment headlines alone.
Four-unit reposition caution
Courtyard four-units above $280K acquisition need $85K–$135K rehab and 12–18 month timelines — experienced sponsors only. Per-door basis target under $70K all-in or pivot to duplex stacking on Franklinton O-O flip to recycle capital faster.
Franklin County treasurer workflow
Pull treasurer card before LOI on every hold exit — Franklin reassessment +12%–20% post-rehab is the local DSCR friction that kills files modeled on seller homestead bills.
Comparison to Indianapolis Near Eastside
Near Eastside Indianapolis duplex math resembles Columbus east-side stacking — similar basis bands and gross caps — but Marion County reassessment and Indiana eviction timelines differ from Franklin County. Never import Indy ARV onto Columbus appraisals.
SFR flip channel on east side
Single-family flips under $175K all-in remain the best first sponsor path before duplex stacking — the $170K → $232K example on this page clears carry faster than four-unit reposition with lower management intensity.
Loan terms (2026)
| Parameter | Range |
|---|---|
| Rate | 8.99%–13.5% IO |
| LTC | Up to 90% |
| Close | 7–10 days on clean title |
East side — King-Lincoln block file gates (2026)
East-side files fail when Short North ARV comps price King-Lincoln or Bronzeville basis, or when block vacancy above 20% is skipped on the walk. Strongest Franklin County yield-on-cost lane — block selection is the entire thesis.
- Basis: $125K–$195K duplex/SFR — match scope to $195K–$285K ARV on same corridor
- Title: Franklin County heirship and estate sales — quiet title before wire
- Carry: Reserve 6–8 months IO — judicial foreclosure state extends distressed timelines
- Exit: BRRRR at $1,250–$1,550/side → Ohio DSCR at 70%–72% LTV
Bridge 8.99%–13.5% IO · Columbus rankings · (833) 264-7776.
Analyzing an east-side duplex or SFR acquisition? Pre-qualify for hard money or call (833) 264-7776 for proof of funds before your next Franklin County offer.
Underwriting anchor: All-in: $200,000 — windows where proof of funds beats conventional inspection timelines on Eastside Columbus before IO term. Rates, terms and conditions offered only to qualified borrowers and are subject to change without notice. All loans are subject to full underwriting. Jaken Finance Group only finances non-owner occupied investment properties.