534 Hill Bluff Rd · Guntersville, AL 35976

$199,900

3 bd · 3.0 ba · 1,272 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 8 Days on market

Built 1996 0.66 ac lot

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Why this score? — see what drove the D 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 +15.9/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• DSCR +4.9/10.0
• 1% rule +3.1/10.0
• Livability +3.0/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.2/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks MLS

NICE COUNTRY RANCHER located on Georgia Mountain. Built in 1996, this home offers hardwood floors, eat-in kitchen and a split floor plan. A later addition included a two car garage and an in-law suite with kitchen, bedroom and a full bath! Fenced back yard, big covered deck and central heating and air. A great buy!

Key facts

• Tile in bathrooms
• Tile in kitchen
• New water heater

Tags

• RANCH STYLE HOME
• NEW WATER HEATER
• UPDATED LVP FLOORING
• TILE IN KITCHEN
• TILE IN BATHROOMS
• NEW FIXTURES

Property features AI

Finance

• HOA & community: No homeowners association; Subdivision: Metes And Bounds

Exterior

• Parking: Two-car garage; Gravel driveway
• Utilities: Public water; Septic sewer; Electric service (standard)
• Home design: Single-family residence; Built in 1996; Vinyl siding
• Construction: Vinyl siding construction; One story
• Exterior features: 0.66-acre lot; Public water; Septic tank

Interior

• Bathrooms: 2 full bathrooms; 1 three-quarter bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Central heating; Central cooling
• Interior features: Crawl space basement; One-level living

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/3.0-bath single-family listed at $200k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $95 ($1k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $161k (19.4% below list).
• Recommended offer: $161k (19.4% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Cap rate 6.9% vs local median 2.1% in Guntersville — 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 59/100 on livability (#323 in AL) — a working-class tenant base; expect higher turnover. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime C-, employment C-, amenities F.
• Marshall County (rural): math 14% / reading 38% proficiency, ranked #86 of 129 in AL (top 67%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 63% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Brindlee Mountain Elementary School (math 25% / reading 41%, grade F, #323 of 627 statewide, top 52%, 236 students, 46% FRL); Brindlee Mountain High School (math 7% / reading 27%, grade F, #195 of 305 statewide, top 68%, 553 students, 51% FRL).
• Market conditions: 469 active listings in the ZIP; 163 units permitted in Marshall County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• 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.

Negotiation context

• Only 8 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• 2 sale attempts since 10y ago 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 $132k; list at $200k implies a 51% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Climate carrying-cost: moderate wildfire risk; extreme-heat days projected 7→20/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $161,142 (19.4% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
2. Schools are D-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
3. 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?
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: 0.81% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.86%
• Cash-on-cash: 2.04%
• DSCR: 1.09
• GRM: 10.3

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

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

5-year hold

• IRR: -13.1%
• Equity multiple: 0.53×
• Total profit: $-26,444
• Equity at exit: $29,806

10-year hold

• IRR: -4.2%
• Equity multiple: 0.72×
• Total profit: $-15,647
• Equity at exit: $17,284

Cash invested: $55,972 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Alabama: 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+15
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Right-to-evict in 7 days for non-payment; no rent control; preempted statewide; courts move quickly.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 35976

• Home prices YoY: -25.1%
• Active inventory: 469
• Price-to-rent: 10.3×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,611 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,048
• Tax from tax record: −$46 /mo · $558/yr
• Insurance: −$83
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$338
• Net cashflow: $95

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,491

Max offer price $199,900

Occupancy floor 89%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $208	-5% $152	+0% $95	+5% $38	+10% $-18
Rent	-10% $-32	-5% $31	+0% $95	+5% $159	+10% $222
Rate	-1.0pp $196	-0.5pp $146	base $95	+0.5pp $43	+1.0pp $-10

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: $49,975
• Closing costs: $5,997
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 7 events

1. 2026-06-13
   statusdays on market $199,900 Pending 8 DOM
2. 2026-06-10
   days on market $199,900 Active 6 DOM
3. 2026-06-09
   days on market $199,900 Active 5 DOM
4. 2026-06-08
   days on market $199,900 Active 4 DOM
5. 2026-06-07
   days on market $199,900 Active 3 DOM
6. 2026-06-05
   remarks 542-char remark
7. 2026-06-05
   listed $199,900 Active 1 DOM

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

Tax reassessment forecast AL · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $558 · $46/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $820 · $68/mo
• Expected delta: +$262/yr (+$22/mo · 47.0%)

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

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 5/10 Major
• 🌡 Heat 5/10 Major 7 d/yr ≥105°F today · 20 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 4/10 Moderate 21% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $19,337
• − Mortgage interest: −$11,198
• − Property taxes: −$558
• − Insurance: −$1,000
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,547
• − Management: −$1,547
• − Depreciation: −$5,815
• Taxable loss: −$2,327
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$558
• After-tax cash flow: $1,698/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
• NCES district ID: 0100006
• Math proficiency: 14% ▼ -26.00%
• Reading proficiency: 38% ▲ 2.00%
• Median HH income: $40,439
• Composite: 21.88/100
• National rank: #8234
• State rank: #86 of 129 in AL

Livability — Guntersville

• Score: 59/100
• State rank: #323
• US rank: #19857

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• City population: 16,604
• Population (ZIP): 16,604

Population outlook (Marshall County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 97,402 people
• By 2030: 98,138 · +0.8%
• By 2040: 98,502 · +1.1%
• By 2050: 97,024 · -0.4%
• By 2075: 89,334 · -8.3%
• By 2100: 74,749 · -23.3%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (84%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 84% Black 6% Two or more races 6% Hispanic / Latino 5%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 4%
• Common ancestry: Slovak 2% Serbian 2% Italian 2%
• Foreign-born: 3% · Canada
• Languages at home: 94% English-only · Spanish 4% French/Haitian/Cajun 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Marshall

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+71.7) · D 13.8% · R 85.5%
• 2008→2024 swing: -15.4pp toward R · 2008: -56.4pp · 2024: -71.7pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+71.7 2020: R+68.7 2016: R+69.5 2012: R+60.1 2008: R+56.4

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -74.75%
• Current HPI: 223.0157
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.94%
• F500 in state: 4

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in AL)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Financial Services	1	$8B
▸Healthcare	1	$5B

Price history

+163.0% since first listed

5 events — show timeline

• 2026-06-04 Listed $199,900 VMLS
• 2023-01-06 Sold (Public Records) $132,000 Public Records
• 2020-11-05 Sold (Public Records) $105,000 Public Records
• 2016-10-28 Sold (MLS) $70,100 VMLS
• 2016-06-25 Listed $76,000 VMLS

Property tax history

+6.2%/yr

Latest (2025): $558 · +6.9% YoY. Source: county tax records.