211 4th Ave

South Charleston, WV 25303

$400,000F

None bd · None ba · 5,980 sqft · Built 1960 · Townhouse · Pending · 10 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $0/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$2,098
• Tax + insurance: −$622
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$0
• Net cashflow: $-2,719/mo
• Annual: $-32,630/yr
• Cap rate: -1.70%
• Cash-on-cash: -28.54%
• DSCR: -0.27
• 1% rule: 0.00%
• Cash to close: $112,000

Investor read

• This is a townhouse listed at $400k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-3k ($-33k/yr) — negative.
• Rent doesn't cover operating costs at any purchase price — skip.
• Only 10 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $3k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $12k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 71/100 on livability (#58 in WV) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety B+; Watch: crime F, amenities F, commute 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: Bridgeview Elementary School (math 22% / reading 17%, grade F, #350 of 377 statewide, top 95%, 421 students, 0% FRL); South Charleston High School (math 22% / reading 47%, grade F, #42 of 110 statewide, top 47%, 952 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.
• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $56/mo.
• Market conditions: 50 active listings in the ZIP; 103 units permitted in Kanawha County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Kanawha County population projected at -17% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 2 sale attempts since 9y 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 $160k; list at $400k implies a 150% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• 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.
• Cap rate -1.7% vs local median 4.8% in South Charleston — below-typical yield; the buyer is paying a premium for something (appreciation thesis, condition, location) that the cap rate doesn't capture.

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?
• Built in 1960 — 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 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?
• 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?
• 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.