914 Alta St

Staunton, VA 24401

$199,900D

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 672 sqft · Built 1940 · SingleFamily · Pending · 200 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,518/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,048
• Tax + insurance: −$190
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$319
• Net cashflow: $-39/mo
• Annual: $-471/yr
• Cap rate: 6.06%
• Cash-on-cash: -0.84%
• DSCR: 0.96
• 1% rule: 0.76%
• Cash to close: $55,972

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $200k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-39 ($-471/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $193k (3.5% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $152k (24.1% below list).
• It's been on market 200 days — a 12% lower offer ($176k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $152k (24.1% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $6k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 81/100 on livability (#56 in VA, #1,524 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: commute F.
• Staunton City Public School District (urban): math 48% / reading 67% proficiency, ranked #73 of 131 in VA (top 56%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Bessie Weller Elementary (math 42% / reading 57%, grade D, #742 of 1,108 statewide, top 70%, 369 students, 99% FRL); Shelburne Middle (math 43% / reading 66%, grade B-, #194 of 342 statewide, top 60%, 574 students, 99% FRL); Staunton High (math 48% / reading 77%, grade B-, #226 of 319 statewide, top 72%, 822 students, 99% FRL) — zoned schools average 99% FRL vs 47% district-wide (52 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1940 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.8%/yr); 297 active listings in the ZIP; 71 units permitted in Staunton city in 2024 (20 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Staunton County population projected at +9% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 4 sale attempts since 4y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $25k (11%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $126k; list at $200k implies a 59% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Cap rate 6.1% vs local median 2.9% in Staunton — 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.

Questions for listing agent

• 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?
• It's been on market 200 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 24% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1940 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• 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?
• The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
• 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.