740 Merrill St · Salina, KS 67401

$112,000

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 959 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 64 Days on market

Built 1935 6,098 sqft lot

---

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 +16.9/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• DSCR +5.2/10.0
• 1% rule +4.5/10.0
• Rent growth +3.9/5.0
• Livability +3.6/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.2/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Key facts

• Remodeled bathroom
• Eating bar
• Fenced backyard

Tags

• REMODELED BATHROOM
• EATING BAR
• FENCED BACKYARD
• OFF-STREET ALLEY PARKING
• LOW MAINTENANCE VINYL SIDING

Property features AI

Exterior

• Utilities: Public sewer available
• Home design: Single-family onsite built; One story
• Construction: Composition roof; Partial foundation (no egress window[s])
• Exterior features: Chain link fencing

Interior

• Kitchen: Refrigerator; Range
• Bedrooms: One-level home
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Central air conditioning; Forced air heating; Natural gas heating
• Interior features: Partially finished basement; Patio
• Laundry & utility: Laundry in basement

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $112k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $73 ($879/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 $107k (4.7% below list).
• Recommended offer: $105k (6.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 71/100 on livability (#127 in KS) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: employment C-, crime F, amenities F.
• Salina (town): math 21% / reading 30% proficiency, ranked #134 of 169 in KS (top 79%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Sunset Elem (math 17% / reading 32%, grade F, #540 of 684 statewide, top 82%, 387 students, 80% FRL); Salina South Middle (math 20% / reading 26%, grade F, #125 of 219 statewide, top 59%, 811 students, 62% FRL); Salina High South (math 11% / reading 25%, grade F, #233 of 327 statewide, top 71%, 1,102 students, 54% FRL) — zoned schools average 65% FRL vs 50% district-wide (16 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.7%/yr); 328 active listings in the ZIP; 293 units permitted in Saline County in 2024 (186 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $774 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Saline County population projected to shrink 9% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 64 days — a 6% lower offer ($105k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Current owner paid $68k; list at $112k implies a 65% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1935 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→17/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $105,280 (6.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 64 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 6% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Built in 1935 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
4. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
5. 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?
6. 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?
7. 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?
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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: 0.95% ✗
• Cap rate: 7.08%
• Cash-on-cash: 2.80%
• DSCR: 1.12
• GRM: 8.7

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 5.66% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -8.9%
• Equity multiple: 0.66×
• Total profit: $-10,538
• Equity at exit: $16,700

10-year hold

• IRR: 3.8%
• Equity multiple: 1.31×
• Total profit: $9,600
• Equity at exit: $9,684

Cash invested: $31,360 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Kansas: 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+10
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

3-day pay-or-quit; preempts local rent control; moderate court pace.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 67401

• Rents YoY: 5.7%
• Active inventory: 328
• Price-to-rent: 8.7×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,068 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$587
• Tax from tax record: −$136 /mo · $1,636/yr
• Insurance: −$47
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$224
• Net cashflow: $73

Break-even live

Break-even rent $975

Max offer price $112,000

Occupancy floor 88%

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: $28,000
• Closing costs: $3,360
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 18 events

1. 2026-06-19
   days on market $112,000 Active 64 DOM
2. 2026-06-18
   days on market $112,000 Active 63 DOM
3. 2026-06-17
   days on market $112,000 Active 62 DOM
4. 2026-06-16
   days on market $112,000 Active 61 DOM
5. 2026-06-15
   days on market $112,000 Active 60 DOM
6. 2026-06-14
   days on market $112,000 Active 58 DOM
7. 2026-06-12
   days on market $112,000 Active 57 DOM
8. 2026-06-09
   days on market $112,000 Active 54 DOM
9. 2026-06-08
   days on market $112,000 Active 53 DOM
10. 2026-06-07
    days on market $112,000 Active 52 DOM
11. 2026-06-05
    days on market $112,000 Active 49 DOM
12. 2026-06-03
    days on market $112,000 Active 48 DOM
13. 2026-06-02
    days on market $112,000 Active 47 DOM
14. 2026-06-01
    pricedays on market $112,000 Active 46 DOM
15. 2026-05-31
    days on market $120,000 Active 45 DOM
16. 2026-05-30
    days on market $120,000 Active 44 DOM
17. 2026-04-15
    listed $120,000 Active
18. 2003-05-01
    soldstatus $68,000

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

Tax reassessment forecast KS · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $1,636 · $136/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,636 · $136/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 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (shaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 5/10 Major 7 d/yr ≥107°F today · 17 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 1/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 0 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $12,814
• − Mortgage interest: −$6,274
• − Property taxes: −$1,636
• − Insurance: −$560
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,025
• − Management: −$1,025
• − Depreciation: −$3,258
• Taxable loss: −$964
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$231
• After-tax cash flow: $1,110/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: Salina
• NCES district ID: 2011370
• Math proficiency: 21% ▼ -3.00%
• Reading proficiency: 30% ▼ -1.00%
• Median HH income: $44,726
• Composite: 21.94/100
• National rank: #8224
• State rank: #134 of 169 in KS

Livability — Salina

• Score: 71/100
• State rank: #127
• US rank: #6569

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Salina, KS
• County: Saline County · 50,217 people
• City population: 50,217
• Metro: Salina, KS
• Population (ZIP): 50,217
• Household income: $64,606
• Rent vs Own: 33.9% rent · 66.1% own
• Severe rent burden: 1536.0

Population outlook (Saline County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 55,099 people
• By 2030: 54,446 · -1.2%
• By 2040: 52,572 · -4.6%
• By 2050: 50,362 · -8.6%
• By 2075: 45,522 · -17.4%
• By 2100: 40,059 · -27.3%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (78%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 78% Hispanic / Latino 13% Two or more races 7% Black 4% Asian 2%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 10%
• Common ancestry: Lithuanian 3% Iranian 2% Slovak 2%
• Foreign-born: 4% · Canada, South Korea
• Languages at home: 91% English-only · Spanish 6% Other Asian/Pacific 1% Korean 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Saline

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+31.6) · D 33.3% · R 64.9% · Other 1.8%
• 2008→2024 swing: -5.3pp toward R · 2008: -26.2pp · 2024: -31.6pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+31.6 2020: R+30.5 2016: R+34.3 2012: R+32.2 2008: R+26.2

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -210.03%
• Current HPI: 175.4541
• Rent YoY: ▲ 5.66%
• Metro: Salina, KS
• State GDP YoY: —
• F500 in state: 0

Price history

+76.5% since first listed

2 events — show timeline

• 2026-04-15 Listed $120,000 SCKMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2003-05-01 Sold (Public Records) $68,000 Public Records

Property tax history

+5.9%/yr

Latest (2025): $1,636 · +15.6% YoY. Source: county tax records.