437 Mcmechen St · Benwood, WV 26031

$54,900

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,095 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 165 Days on market

Built 1900 0.43 ac lot Est $88k · 37% under ↓ 8% since listing

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Why this score? — see what drove the A- 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 +30.0/30.0
• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• 1% rule +10.0/10.0
• DSCR +10.0/10.0
• Appreciation +6.9/10.0
• Livability +3.2/5.0
• Schools +2.7/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0

Listing remarks

Hey Investors!!! Look at this one!!! Conveniently located to Rt. 2 in Benwood-- easy access on and off of Benwood Exit. Property is currently rented through Parkersburg Housing Authority. Tenant pays $700 a month with assistance from HUD and pays her own utilities. All appliances belong to tenant including A/C units. Property is located in flood plain--has not flooded since 1972 due to the flood wall that was installed on Water Street years ago. Tenant works different hours every day---"NEED" a 24-hour notice to view property.

Key facts

• Flood wall installed
• Easy access
• Currently rented

Tags

• CONVENIENTLY LOCATED
• EASY ACCESS
• CURRENTLY RENTED
• TENANT PAYS UTILITIES
• FLOOD WALL INSTALLED

🏷️ Possibly a rental listed for sale. The $54,900 price doesn't fit this home's estimated sale value (~$87,600) and the remarks read like a rental — treat the cards below with caution.

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $55k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-61 ($-736/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $44k (19.7% below list).
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($970 rent vs $55k).
• Recommended offer: $44k (19.7% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 64/100 on livability (#145 in WV) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, employment F.
• Marshall County Schools (suburban): math 28% / reading 36% proficiency, ranked #21 of 55 in WV (top 38%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Center Mcmechen Elementary School (math 42% / reading 42%, grade F, #87 of 377 statewide, top 28%, 197 students, 0% FRL); Sherrard Middle School (math 27% / reading 43%, grade F, #33 of 109 statewide, top 30%, 454 students, 0% FRL); John Marshall High School (math 22% / reading 49%, grade F, #41 of 110 statewide, top 37%, 1,046 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 42% district-wide (42 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Market conditions: 16 active listings in the ZIP; 6 units permitted in Marshall County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $2k of equity ($380 loan paydown + $2k appreciation (3.8% local appreciation)).
• Marshall County population projected at -19% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (3.8% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $15k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 165 days — a 12% lower offer ($48k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $460/mo; built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: in FEMA flood zone AE (mandatory federal flood insurance) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $44,068 (19.7% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
2. It's been on market 165 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 20% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
3. Built in 1900 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
4. What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
5. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
6. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
7. Schools are F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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: 1.77% ✓
• Cap rate: 15.02%
• Cash-on-cash: 31.16%
• DSCR: 2.39
• GRM: 4.7

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $87,600
• Comps found: 4

Show comp detail 4 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
135 Roosevelt Ave	0.43mi	2/1.0	1,168 (+7%)	0mo	$77,500	$66	69
111 Roosevelt Ave	0.49mi	2/1.0	1,008 (-8%)	14mo	$70,000	$69	52
3510 Trumbull St	0.72mi	3/1.0 (+1)	1,000 (-9%)	0mo	$85,000	$85	47
3725 Franklin St	0.64mi	3/1.5 (+1)	1,163 (+6%)	18mo	$92,500	$80	38

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

Projected returns pro-forma

3.8% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 5.8%
• Equity multiple: 1.35×
• Total profit: $5,355
• Equity at exit: $27,192

10-year hold

• IRR: 8.7%
• Equity multiple: 2.44×
• Total profit: $22,126
• Equity at exit: $43,970

Cash invested: $15,372 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State West Virginia: 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+22
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Landlord-favorable; preempted; minimal protections.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 26031

• Home prices YoY: 2.6%
• Active inventory: 16
• Price-to-rent: 4.7×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $970 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$288
• Tax from tax record: −$57 /mo · $682/yr
• Insurance: −$23
• Flood insurance flood zone: −$460 /mo · $5,525/yr
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$204
• Net cashflow: $-61

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,048

Max offer price $44,068

Occupancy floor —

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $-30	-5% $-46	+0% $-61	+5% $-77	+10% $-92
Rent	-10% $-138	-5% $-100	+0% $-61	+5% $-23	+10% $15
Rate	-1.0pp $-34	-0.5pp $-47	base $-61	+0.5pp $-76	+1.0pp $-90

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: $13,725
• Closing costs: $1,647
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 3 events

1. 2026-04-20
   status Pending
2. 2026-03-24
   price $54,900
3. 2025-11-06
   listed $59,900 Active

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

Tax reassessment forecast WV · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $682 · $57/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $682 · $57/mo
• Expected delta: $0/yr ($0/mo · 0.0%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 8/10 Severe FEMA zone AE · 49% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥97°F today · 19 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 1/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $11,646
• − Mortgage interest: −$3,075
• − Property taxes: −$682
• − Insurance: −$5,800
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$932
• − Management: −$932
• − Depreciation: −$1,597
• Taxable loss: −$1,371
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$329
• After-tax cash flow: $-407/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: Marshall County Schools
• NCES district ID: 5400750
• Math proficiency: 28% ▼ -6.00%
• Reading proficiency: 36% ▼ -4.00%
• Median HH income: $40,289
• Composite: 26.91/100
• National rank: #7086
• State rank: #21 of 55 in WV

Livability — Benwood

• Score: 64/100
• State rank: #145
• US rank: #14454

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Benwood, WV
• Population (ZIP): 1,556

Population outlook (Marshall County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 30,387 people
• By 2030: 29,242 · -3.8%
• By 2040: 26,806 · -11.8%
• By 2050: 24,627 · -19.0%
• By 2075: 19,846 · -34.7%
• By 2100: 15,169 · -50.1%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (91%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 91% Two or more races 7%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 11% Iranian 3% Subsaharan African 2%
• Foreign-born: 1% · Canada
• Languages at home: 98% English-only · German/W. Germanic 1% Spanish 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Marshall

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+50.0) · D 24.1% · R 74.1% · Other 1.8%
• 2008→2024 swing: -37.5pp toward R · 2008: -12.6pp · 2024: -50.0pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+50.0 2020: R+49.6 2016: R+51.0 2012: R+28.6 2008: R+12.6

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 3.80%
• Current HPI: 150.8599
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: —
• F500 in state: 0

Price history

-8.3% since first listed

3 events — show timeline

• 2026-04-20 Pending — WBOR
• 2026-03-24 Price Changed $54,900 WBOR
• 2025-11-06 Listed $59,900 WBOR

Property tax history

+2.9%/yr

Latest (2025): $682 · +4.7% YoY. Source: county tax records.