205 Ruffner Ave · Charleston, WV 25311

$109,900

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 2,528 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 16 Days on market

Built 1940 0.66 ac lot

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Why this score? — see what drove the C+ 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 +27.2/30.0
• DSCR +9.5/10.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• 1% rule +6.9/10.0
• Livability +4.2/5.0
• Schools +2.9/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Priced to sell! This two story home in the heart of downtown Charleston’s East end, with an open attic space that could be used as your fourth bedroom. There is a fenced back yard and street parking with just a short distance to the boulevard to watch the Fourth of July fireworks, enjoy the Kanawha River and partake in all of the festival’s Charleston has to offer. Being sold As-Is where seller would entertain cash or conventional loan offers. Photos have been digitally altered to remove unnecessary items.

Key facts

• 0.66 acre lot
• Built 1940
• Listed 16 days

Property features AI

Finance

• Other: Property listed as Residential — Single Family Residence
• Financial info: No investment or income details provided
• HOA & community: No HOA information provided

Exterior

• Parking: No parking information provided
• Security: Smoke detectors
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; Cable available
• Home design: Single-family residence; Two levels / 2 stories
• Construction: Frame construction with plaster and shingle siding; Composition shingle roof
• Exterior features: Porch; Fenced yard

Interior

• Kitchen: Dishwasher; Electric range; Refrigerator
• Bedrooms: Total of 7 rooms (bedroom count not specified)
• Flooring: Hardwood; Vinyl
• Bathrooms: 2 full bathrooms
• Heating & cooling: Central air conditioning; Forced air heating
• Interior features: Eat-in kitchen; Insulated windows with wood frames; Full basement
• Laundry & utility: No specific laundry details provided

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $110k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $259 ($3k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $110k).
• Recommended offer: $108k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 9.7% vs local median 3.8% in Charleston — 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 85/100 on livability (#3 in WV, #524 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: crime F.
• Kanawha County Schools (suburban): math 29% / reading 40% proficiency, ranked #17 of 55 in WV (top 31%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Piedmont Year-Round Education (math 17% / reading 22%, grade F, #350 of 377 statewide, top 95%, 258 students, 0% FRL); West Side Middle School (math 7% / reading 18%, grade F, #109 of 109 statewide, top 100%, 377 students, 0% FRL); Capital High School (math 22% / reading 52%, grade F, #32 of 110 statewide, top 34%, 1,086 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 46% district-wide (46 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Market conditions: 61 active listings in the ZIP; 103 units permitted in Kanawha County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $760 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Kanawha County population projected at -17% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 16 days — a 2% lower offer ($108k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Current owner paid $70k; list at $110k implies a 57% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $56/mo; built in 1940 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe flood risk; extreme-heat days projected 7→21/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $108,251 (1.5% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1940 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. Schools are A-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?
5. Crime grade is F in this area — have there been break-ins, vandalism, or insurance claims at this property in the last 3 years? What carrier currently insures it and at what premium?
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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: 1.19% ✓
• Cap rate: 9.73%
• Cash-on-cash: 12.27%
• DSCR: 1.55
• GRM: 7.0

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $267,968
• Comps found: 7

Show comp detail 7 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
1525 Lee St E	0.12mi	3/2.0	2,190 (-13%)	13mo	$173,400	$79	57
1565 Jackson St	0.31mi	3/3.0	2,278 (-10%)	7mo	$221,450	$97	55
1313 Lee St E #112	0.23mi	3/4.0	2,249 (-11%)	6mo	$275,000	$122	54
424 Porter Rd	0.52mi	3/2.0	2,273 (-10%)	7mo	$215,000	$95	49
1635 Quarrier St	0.58mi	3/3.0	2,691 (+6%)	17mo	$285,000	$106	40
501 Woodcliff Rd	0.56mi	3/2.5	2,352 (-7%)	21mo	$425,000	$181	39
1804 Loudon Heights Rd	0.64mi	3/3.0	2,804 (+11%)	23mo	$410,000	$146	25

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: -1.1%
• Equity multiple: 0.96×
• Total profit: $-1,279
• Equity at exit: $16,386

10-year hold

• IRR: 8.6%
• Equity multiple: 1.66×
• Total profit: $20,258
• Equity at exit: $9,502

Cash invested: $30,772 (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 25311

• Home prices YoY: -12.5%
• Active inventory: 61
• Price-to-rent: 7.0×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,312 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$576
• Tax from tax record: −$100 /mo · $1,202/yr
• Insurance: −$46
• Flood insurance flood zone: −$56 /mo · $666/yr
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$276
• Net cashflow: $259

Break-even live

Break-even rent $985

Max offer price $109,900

Occupancy floor 75%

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: $27,475
• Closing costs: $3,297
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 3 events

1. 2026-05-14
   price $109,900
2. 2026-05-06
   listed $119,900 Active
3. 2002-07-30
   soldstatus $69,900

ⓘ 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: $1,202 · $100/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,202 · $100/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 X (shaded) · 78% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 3/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 5/10 Major 7 d/yr ≥100°F today · 21 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low 100% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 1/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 0 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $15,750
• − Mortgage interest: −$6,156
• − Property taxes: −$1,202
• − Insurance: −$1,216
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,260
• − Management: −$1,260
• − Depreciation: −$3,197
• Taxable income: $1,459
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$350
• After-tax cash flow: $2,758/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: Kanawha County Schools
• NCES district ID: 5400600
• Math proficiency: 29% ▼ -13.00%
• Reading proficiency: 40% ▼ -7.00%
• Median HH income: $44,329
• Composite: 29.35/100
• National rank: #6540
• State rank: #17 of 55 in WV

Livability — Charleston

• Score: 85/100
• State rank: #3
• US rank: #524

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Charleston, WV
• City population: 33,502
• Population (ZIP): 9,613

Population outlook (Kanawha County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 178,946 people
• By 2030: 172,906 · -3.4%
• By 2040: 159,874 · -10.7%
• By 2050: 148,148 · -17.2%
• By 2075: 123,257 · -31.1%
• By 2100: 96,454 · -46.1%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (82%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 82% Black 10% Two or more races 6%
• Common ancestry: Italian 3% Iranian 2% Slovak 2%
• Foreign-born: 2% · Canada, China
• Languages at home: 97% English-only · Spanish 1% German/W. Germanic 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Kanawha

• 2024 margin: R (+17.4) · D 40.2% · R 57.6% · Other 2.2%
• 2008→2024 swing: -17.0pp toward R · 2008: -0.4pp · 2024: -17.4pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+17.4 2020: R+14.7 2016: R+20.6 2012: R+11.9 2008: R+0.4

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -23.77%
• Current HPI: 166.032
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: —
• F500 in state: 0

Price history

+57.2% since first listed

3 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-14 Price Changed $109,900 KVBOR
• 2026-05-06 Listed $119,900 KVBOR
• 2002-07-30 Sold (Public Records) $69,900 Public Records

Property tax history

+2.6%/yr

Latest (2025): $1,202 · +0.0% YoY. Source: county tax records.