249 South Wells St

Sistersville, WV 26175

$36,000A-

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 955 sqft · Built 1918 · SingleFamily · Active · 49 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $976/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$189
• Tax + insurance: −$102
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$205
• Net cashflow: $481/mo
• Annual: $5,767/yr
• Cap rate: 24.53%
• Cash-on-cash: 65.12%
• DSCR: 3.90
• 1% rule: 2.71%
• Cash to close: $10,080

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $36k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $481 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($976 rent vs $36k).
• It's been on market 49 days — a 3% lower offer ($35k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $35k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• In year one you build about $503 of equity ($249 loan paydown + $254 appreciation (0.7% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 63/100 on livability (#165 in WV) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: health & safety D, schools F, amenities F.
• Tyler County Schools (rural): math 31% / reading 39% proficiency, ranked #18 of 55 in WV (top 33%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $66/mo; built in 1918 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 15 active listings in the ZIP.
• Tyler County population projected at -23% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 2 sale attempts with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.
• Current owner paid $25k; 44% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• At projected returns (0.7% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $10k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: major flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 49 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1918 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• 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?
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.