533 4th Ave · Marlinton, WV 24954

$40,000

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 736 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 379 Days on market

Built 1900

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Why this score? — see what drove the B+ 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 +30.0/30.0
• 1% rule +10.0/10.0
• DSCR +10.0/10.0
• Appreciation +8.5/10.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• Livability +3.1/5.0
• Schools +2.9/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0

Listing remarks

WITHIN A STONE'S THROW OF THE GREENBRIER RIVER TRAIL House on 4th Avenue above flood levels. Nicely secluded as far as town lots go. SOLD AS IS with LOTS OF POTENTIAL.

Key facts

• Secluded town lot
• Listed 379 days

Tags

• SECLUDED TOWN LOT

Property features AI

Exterior

• Home design: Residential property
• Construction: Block construction; Foundation: block, concrete perimeter, and stone
• Exterior features: Wood and shingle roof

Interior

• Flooring: Hardwood
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: No heating; No cooling
• Interior features: Hardwood flooring; Total of 5 rooms

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $40k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $362 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($839 rent vs $40k).
• Recommended offer: $35k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 61/100 on livability (#208 in WV) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, employment F.
• Pocahontas County Schools (rural): math 31% / reading 39% proficiency, ranked #19 of 55 in WV (top 34%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Marlinton Elementary School (math 37% / reading 42%, grade F, #108 of 377 statewide, top 33%, 203 students, 0% FRL); Pocahontas County High School (math 22% / reading 42%, grade F, #55 of 110 statewide, top 59%, 278 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 53% district-wide (53 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Market conditions: 50 active listings in the ZIP; 2 units permitted in Pocahontas County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $3k of equity ($277 loan paydown + $3k appreciation (7.1% local appreciation)).
• Pocahontas County population projected at -18% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (7.1% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $11k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 10, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$33k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 379 days — a 12% lower offer ($35k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 2 sale attempts since 2y 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.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $56/mo; built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $35,200 (12.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 379 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Built in 1900 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
4. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
5. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
6. Schools are F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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: 2.10% ✓
• Cap rate: 18.81%
• Cash-on-cash: 44.70%
• DSCR: 2.99
• GRM: 4.0

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

7.09% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 50.2%
• Equity multiple: 4.33×
• Total profit: $37,254
• Equity at exit: $27,958

10-year hold

• IRR: 46.1%
• Equity multiple: 9.13×
• Total profit: $91,086
• Equity at exit: $53,325

Cash invested: $11,200 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State West Virginia: 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+22
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Landlord-favorable; preempted; minimal protections.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 24954

• Home prices YoY: 2.8%
• Active inventory: 50
• Price-to-rent: 4.0×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $839 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$210
• Tax from tax record: −$19 /mo · $230/yr
• Insurance: −$17
• Flood insurance flood zone: −$56 /mo · $666/yr
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$176
• Net cashflow: $362

Break-even live

Break-even rent $381

Max offer price $40,000

Occupancy floor 52%

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: $10,000
• Closing costs: $1,200
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 21 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $40,000 Active 379 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   days on market $40,000 Active 378 DOM
3. 2026-06-16
   days on market $40,000 Active 377 DOM
4. 2026-06-15
   days on market $40,000 Active 376 DOM
5. 2026-06-15
   days on market $40,000 Active 375 DOM
6. 2026-06-13
   days on market $40,000 Active 374 DOM
7. 2026-06-12
   days on market $40,000 Active 373 DOM
8. 2026-06-09
   days on market $40,000 Active 370 DOM
9. 2026-06-08
   days on market $40,000 Active 369 DOM
10. 2026-06-08
    days on market $40,000 Active 368 DOM
11. 2026-06-07
    days on market $40,000 Active 367 DOM
12. 2026-06-04
    days on market $40,000 Active 365 DOM
13. 2026-06-03
    days on market $40,000 Active 364 DOM
14. 2026-06-02
    days on market $40,000 Active 363 DOM
15. 2026-06-01
    days on market $40,000 Active 362 DOM
16. 2026-05-31
    days on market $40,000 Active 361 DOM
17. 2025-09-04
    status Active
18. 2025-08-22
    historical
19. 2024-12-27
    soldstatus $180,000
20. 2024-09-17
    listed $40,000 Active
21. 1994-03-21
    soldstatus $17,000

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

Tax reassessment forecast WV · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $230 · $19/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $236 · $20/mo
• Expected delta: +$6/yr (+$1/mo · 2.6%)

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

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 8/10 Severe FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 79% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 4/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥89°F today · 20 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: $10,068
• − Mortgage interest: −$2,241
• − Property taxes: −$230
• − Insurance: −$866
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$805
• − Management: −$805
• − Depreciation: −$1,164
• Taxable income: $3,956
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$949
• After-tax cash flow: $3,390/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: Pocahontas County Schools
• NCES district ID: 5401140
• Math proficiency: 31% ▼ -4.00%
• Reading proficiency: 39% ▼ -1.00%
• Median HH income: $35,035
• Composite: 28.89/100
• National rank: #6640
• State rank: #19 of 55 in WV

Livability — Marlinton

• Score: 61/100
• State rank: #208
• US rank: #18353

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Marlinton, WV
• Population (ZIP): 2,973

Population outlook (Pocahontas County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 8,115 people
• By 2030: 7,797 · -3.9%
• By 2040: 7,149 · -11.9%
• By 2050: 6,639 · -18.2%
• By 2075: 6,002 · -26.0%
• By 2100: 5,379 · -33.7%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (96%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 96% Two or more races 3% Hispanic / Latino 2%
• Common ancestry: Italian 10% Serbian 3% Iranian 2%
• Foreign-born: 1%
• Languages at home: 99% English-only · Spanish 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Pocahontas

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+50.3) · D 23.8% · R 74.1% · Other 2.2%
• 2008→2024 swing: -37.6pp toward R · 2008: -12.7pp · 2024: -50.3pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+50.3 2020: R+46.1 2016: R+42.8 2012: R+24.5 2008: R+12.7

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 7.09%
• Current HPI: 261.6948
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: —
• F500 in state: 0

Price history

+958.8% since first listed

5 events — show timeline

• 2025-09-04 Relisted — GVBOR
• 2025-08-22 Delisted — GVBOR
• 2024-12-27 Sold (Public Records) $180,000 Public Records
• 2024-09-17 Listed $40,000 GVBOR
• 1994-03-21 Sold (Public Records) $17,000 Public Records

Property tax history

+0.4%/yr

Latest (2025): $230 · +6.9% YoY. Source: county tax records.