255 4th Ave NE · Valley City, ND 58072

$75,000

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 971 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 3 Days on market

Built 1900 4,007 sqft lot Est $146k · 49% under

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Why this score? — see what drove the B- grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• Cash flow +24.1/30.0
• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• DSCR +7.8/10.0
• 1% rule +6.2/10.0
• Schools +3.9/10.0
• Livability +3.7/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Key facts

• Brand new roof
• Several new windows
• 4,007 sq ft lot

Tags

• BRAND NEW ROOF
• BRACED AND INSULATED BASEMENT
• SEVERAL NEW WINDOWS

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Detached or attached garage with 1 car space
• Utilities: City water connected; City sewer connected; Natural gas
• Home design: Residential property; One and one-half stories; Main level and additional upper area; Age 8 years or less roof
• Construction: Block foundation; Wood construction; Roof replaced within last 8 years
• Exterior features: Wood exterior; Partial fencing; City street frontage; Publicly maintained road

Interior

• Bedrooms: 2 bedrooms
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Forced air heating; Window air conditioning units
• Interior features: Unfinished basement; Block foundation; One and one-half level layout; Has one fireplace
• Laundry & utility: Laundry in basement

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $75k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $148 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($843 rent vs $75k).
• Cap rate 8.7% vs local median 3.5% in Valley City — top-decile yield for the area; either an underpriced asset or a hidden risk that comps aren't pricing in. Stress-test before assuming the spread holds.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 74/100 on livability (#30 in ND, #4,920 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, crime A; Watch: health & safety D+, amenities F, commute F.
• Valley City 2 (town): math 52% / reading 40% proficiency, ranked #21 of 53 in ND (top 40%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Valley City High School (math 47% / reading 52%, grade D, #19 of 144 statewide, top 19%, 366 students, 34% FRL).
• Market conditions: 77 active listings in the ZIP; 4 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 24d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 9 units permitted in Barnes County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• This rent is only 16% of the median local income ($64k/yr) — well below the 30% rent-burden line; pricing power to push rent on renewal without tenant pushback.

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $519 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Barnes County population projected at +5% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.

Negotiation context

• Only 3 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Current owner paid $17k; list at $75k implies a 341% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $75,000

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1900 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
3. Schools are B-rated — typically a magnet for longer-tenancy family renters. What's the average tenant stay here, and is there a school-zone premium baked into asking?
4. What's the average days-on-market for RENTAL listings here right now (not sales)? A rising rental-DOM trend means longer vacancies and softer asking-rent achievability than the comps imply.
5. What's the recent tenant-quality profile in this submarket — average credit score on applications, eviction rate, late-payment / NSF rate, and stable-employment percentage? A property-management company in the area should have these aggregated.
6. How much new for-sale + rental construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply typically softens prices + rents 12–24 months out; constrained supply supports both.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 1.12% ✓
• Cap rate: 8.66%
• Cash-on-cash: 8.44%
• DSCR: 1.38
• GRM: 7.4

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $145,650
• Comps found: 4

Show comp detail 4 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
433 7th Ave NE	0.26mi	2/2.0	968 (-0%)	24mo	$145,000	$150	63
451 6th Ave NE	0.21mi	2/1.0	864 (-11%)	22mo	$99,000	$115	54
452 5th Ave NE	0.18mi	2/2.0	874 (-10%)	23mo	$98,500	$113	52
1147 2nd Ave NW	0.73mi	3/1.0 (+1)	1,074 (+11%)	13mo	$163,000	$152	33

Match score weights: distance 35% · size 25% · config 20% · recency 20%. Top-matched comps best support the ARV.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -3.5%
• Equity multiple: 0.87×
• Total profit: $-2,729
• Equity at exit: $11,183

10-year hold

• IRR: 6.2%
• Equity multiple: 1.47×
• Total profit: $9,795
• Equity at exit: $6,485

Cash invested: $21,000 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 82 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State North Dakota: 82 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+20
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

3-day notice; landlord-friendly.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 58072

• Active inventory: 77
• Price-to-rent: 7.4×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $843 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$393
• Tax est. 1.5%: −$94 /mo · $1,125/yr
• Insurance: −$31
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$177
• Net cashflow: $148

Break-even live

Break-even rent $656

Max offer price $75,000

Occupancy floor 77%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $200	-5% $174	+0% $148	+5% $122	+10% $96
Rent	-10% $81	-5% $114	+0% $148	+5% $181	+10% $214
Rate	-1.0pp $186	-0.5pp $167	base $148	+0.5pp $128	+1.0pp $109

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $18,750
• Closing costs: $2,250
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 4 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
735 4th Ave NE Valley City, ND	1.0–2.0	1.0	640	$650	$1.02	24d	3	0.37mi
824 2nd Ave NW Apt 1 Valley City, ND	1.0	1.0	760	$825	$1.09	24d	1	0.48mi
847 2nd Ave NW Valley City, ND	2.0	1.0	960	$995	$1.04	24d	1	0.52mi
1110 2nd St SE Valley City, ND	3.0	1.0	864	$995	$1.15	24d	1	0.57mi

Listing history 4 events

1. 2026-05-14
   status Pending
2. 2026-05-11
   listed $75,000 Active
3. 2008-11-04
   soldstatus $17,000
4. 2008-01-16
   soldstatus $10,000

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $10,118
• − Mortgage interest: −$4,201
• − Property taxes: −$1,125
• − Insurance: −$375
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$809
• − Management: −$809
• − Depreciation: −$2,182
• Taxable income: $616
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$148
• After-tax cash flow: $1,625/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Valley City 2
• NCES district ID: 3818850
• Math proficiency: 52% ▼ -5.00%
• Reading proficiency: 40% ▼ -13.00%
• Median HH income: $47,717
• Composite: 39.31/100
• National rank: #3992
• State rank: #21 of 53 in ND

Livability — Valley City

• Score: 74/100
• State rank: #30
• US rank: #4920

Category grades

Amenities F Commute F Cost of living A+ Crime A Employment C+ Housing A+ Health & safety D+ User ratings A

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Valley City, ND
• County: Barnes County · 7,863 people
• City population: 7,863
• Metro: nan
• Population (ZIP): 7,863
• Household income: $64,375
• Rent vs Own: 37.4% rent · 62.6% own
• Severe rent burden: 251.0

Population outlook (Barnes County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 11,119 people
• By 2030: 11,184 · +0.6%
• By 2040: 11,336 · +2.0%
• By 2050: 11,647 · +4.7%
• By 2075: 14,006 · +26.0%
• By 2100: 17,179 · +54.5%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (91%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 91% Two or more races 3% Hispanic / Latino 2% Asian 2% Black 2% Native American 1%
• Common ancestry: Portuguese 27% Romanian 4% Scotch-Irish 3%
• Foreign-born: 3% · Canada
• Languages at home: 97% English-only · Tagalog/Filipino 1% Spanish 1% Other Asian/Pacific 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Barnes

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+35.3) · D 31.4% · R 66.7% · Other 1.9%
• 2008→2024 swing: -33.8pp toward R · 2008: -1.5pp · 2024: -35.3pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+35.3 2020: R+31.4 2016: R+29.7 2012: R+10.3 2008: R+1.5

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -156.64%
• Current HPI: 130.2036
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: nan
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.09%
• F500 in state: 2

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in ND)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Utilities / Construction	1	$6B

Price history

+650.0% since first listed

4 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-14 Pending — NORTHSTARMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2026-05-11 Listed $75,000 NORTHSTARMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2008-11-04 Sold (Public Records) $17,000 Public Records
• 2008-01-16 Sold (Public Records) $10,000 Public Records

Property tax history

-20.0%/yr

Latest (2025): $18 · -81.6% YoY. Source: county tax records.