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 100% on qualified files, capped at 75% ARV |
| 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.
East Side, Columbus — carry and draw discipline (2026)
Model IO carry on East Side, Columbus before demo: at 8.99%–13.5% on 88% LTC, each month on a $125K–$195K all-in file runs material interest-only bleed until lease-up or resale closes the bridge.
Who invests on the east side sets comp discipline — three solds within 0.5 mi on matching bed/bath, not adjacent-submarket premiums imported from a neighboring corridor on hard money loans eastside columbus files.
Draw releases on East Side, Columbus should tie to inspection milestones — calendar-based schedules stall when permits or weather push exterior work past your IO reserve.
| Gate | This file |
|---|---|
| Profile | Playbook |
| Duplex BRRRR operator | Sub-$200K all-in → Ohio DSCR recycle |
| SFR flipper | $130K–$175K all-in → $210K–$265K O-O/investor resale |
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.
Columbus in the 2024 Census, and why east-side basis is a different market
The 2024 American Community Survey for Columbus city, via Census Reporter, counts 931,551 residents. Median age is 33.5. Median household income is $67,084 (±$2,199). Median value of owner-occupied homes is $279,900 (±$6,524). The metro median value is $334,800. The city has 436,552 housing units and 396,650 households. Poverty is 17.2%. About 38.7% of adults hold a bachelor’s degree. 15.3% of residents are foreign-born.
King-Lincoln and Old Towne East as-is prices of $125,000–$195,000 sit far under that $279,900 city median. A citywide median is the wrong anchor for a boarded double. Finished resale at $210,000–$265,000 can still land under the city median. Say that in the appraisal narrative. Importing a Short North sale, or a metro median, invents equity the block will not support.
The young median age fits a renter city. It does not, by itself, raise rent on a high-vacancy block. Walk boarded houses before you use a $2,600 gross figure. Employment headlines near New Albany are context. The lease on a comparable double is the evidence.
Court-ordered sales under Ohio law
Ohio Revised Code 2323.07 says that when a mortgage is foreclosed, or a specific lien is enforced, a sale of the property shall be ordered by the court with jurisdiction. The section is on Ohio Laws. The court can order a tract sold whole or in parcels. That is a judicial sale, with a court calendar, and it is slower than a private contract closing.
Illustration: the Old Towne East estate example closes in 11 days because title is clean and the seller can deed. A file that must wait on a court-ordered sale does not get that clock. Budget the interest-only months to the sheriff’s schedule, and keep six to eight months of payments in reserve on heavy rehabs. Jaken Finance Group still closes clean estate and MLS contracts in 7–10 business days when title, scope, and appraisal line up. The court sale is the seller’s timeline. Your bridge starts after the deed.
Franklin County reassessment still hits the hold exit after you stabilize. The judicial delay and the tax reset are separate risks. Model both.
Lead paint on pre-1978 doubles
The federal government banned lead-based paint for homes in 1978. The EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule says about three-quarters of U.S. homes built before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint. The rule covers paid renovations that disturb paint in pre-1978 housing. It applies when you rent the home, and when you buy, renovate, and sell for profit. Firms and renovators have to be certified. Homeowners working only on a house they live in are generally outside the rule. An east-side flip is inside it.
Before a buyer or renter signs, federal law also requires the lead pamphlet and known-lead disclosure. Keep the pamphlet, the disclosure, and the certified-firm name in the loan file. A failed lead item at resale is a carry problem, and it shows up after the kitchen is already installed.
Illustration: on the $58,000 King-Lincoln rehab, treat lead-safe setup as its own line, ahead of cabinet delivery. Demo of painted trim, windows, and doors is the dust event. Schedule the certified renovator for that week. Do not bury the cost inside “paint.”
East-side closing stack
| Item | What to have in the file |
|---|---|
| Block | Photos both directions, vacancy count, same-corridor comps |
| Title | Heirship or estate notes, quiet-title plan if the deed is cloudy |
| Lead | Pre-1978 flag, certified renovator, pamphlet plan for the exit |
| Court | If the seller is in foreclosure, the case number and next hearing |
| Tax | Franklin treasurer card, with a post-rehab estimate |
| Exit | Sale, or leases and an Ohio DSCR quote |
| Rate | 8.99%–13.5% interest-only, 6–12 months, 75% ARV cap |
Statewide product terms are on the Ohio hard money guide. Jaken Finance Group will look at a King-Lincoln or Old Towne East contract when the block walk and the scope are in the same PDF. Call (833) 264-7776 before the inspection deadline, and keep the entity documents ready so a clean title file can still close inside 7–10 business days.
Illustration: the King-Lincoln double appraises at $268,000. Seventy-five percent of that value is $201,000. All-in cost is $200,000, and 88% of cost is $176,000. Here the cost slice is lower than the value cap, so $176,000 fits both tests. That is the opposite of a thin flip where the after-repair cap cuts the loan. Check both numbers on every east-side file before you tell a seller you are funding the whole budget. The fix and flip calculator is a fast way to see which cap binds.