517 Main St

Charleston, WV 25302

$99,900B+

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,464 sqft · Built 1917 · SingleFamily · Active · 33 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,344/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$524
• Tax + insurance: −$545
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$282
• Net cashflow: $-7/mo
• Annual: $-86/yr
• Cap rate: 11.74%
• Cash-on-cash: 19.45%
• DSCR: 1.87
• 1% rule: 1.35%
• Cash to close: $27,972

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $100k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-7 ($-86/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $99k (1.3% below list).
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $100k).
• It's been on market 33 days — a 3% lower offer ($97k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $97k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $691 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 85/100 on livability (#3 in WV, #524 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: crime 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: Mary C. Snow West Side Elementary (math 12% / reading 12%, grade F, #375 of 377 statewide, top 99%, 353 students, 0% FRL); West Side Middle School (math 7% / reading 18%, grade F, #109 of 109 statewide, top 100%, 377 students, 0% FRL); Capital High School (math 22% / reading 52%, grade F, #32 of 110 statewide, top 34%, 1,086 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.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 20% at this address vs 34% district-wide (-14 pts) — the specific schools serving this property underperform the Kanawha County Schools average; the district grade overstates school quality for this exact location.
• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $460/mo; built in 1917 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 99 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.
• Current owner paid $40k; list at $100k implies a 150% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Climate carrying-cost: in FEMA flood zone AE (mandatory federal flood insurance); extreme-heat days projected 7→20/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 11.7% vs local median 3.8% in Charleston — 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 33 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1917 — 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 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?
• 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?
• 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.