346 S 1st St W · Malta, MT 59538

$175,000

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,597 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 23 Days on market

Built 1965

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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 +10.1/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• Appreciation +6.1/10.0
• Livability +4.0/5.0
• Schools +3.5/10.0
• DSCR +2.9/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• 1% rule +2.1/10.0

Key facts

• Central fireplace
• Updated electrical
• 0.31-acre lot

Tags

• 0.31-ACRE LOT
• POCKET DOORS
• CENTRAL FIREPLACE
• HARDWOOD FLOORS
• FULLY REMODELED BATHROOM
• UPDATED ELECTRICAL

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $175k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-102 ($-1k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $157k (10.3% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $124k (29.3% below list).
• Recommended offer: $124k (29.3% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 79/100 on livability (#13 in MT, #2,030 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: schools D+, employment D, amenities F.
• Malta K-12 Schools (rural): math 34% / reading 49% proficiency, ranked #56 of 116 in MT (top 48%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Market conditions: 3 active listings in the ZIP.

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $5k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $4k appreciation (2.2% local appreciation)).
• Phillips County population projected at -11% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• By year 7, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$32k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 23 days — a 2% lower offer ($172k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Recommended offer $123,674 (29.3% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. 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?
2. Built in 1965 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. 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?
5. 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?
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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: 0.71% ✗
• Cap rate: 5.60%
• Cash-on-cash: -2.49%
• DSCR: 0.89
• GRM: 11.8

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

2.2% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 2.7%
• Equity multiple: 1.15×
• Total profit: $7,263
• Equity at exit: $70,948

10-year hold

• IRR: 6.5%
• Equity multiple: 1.90×
• Total profit: $44,234
• Equity at exit: $103,664

Cash invested: $49,000 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 82 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Montana: 82 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+11
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

30-day notice; no rent control; preempted; rural-skewed market.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 59538

• Home prices YoY: 1.0%
• Active inventory: 3
• Price-to-rent: 11.8×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,237 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$918
• Tax from tax record: −$88 /mo · $1,058/yr
• Insurance: −$73
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$260
• Net cashflow: $-102

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,366

Max offer price $157,022

Occupancy floor —

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: $43,750
• Closing costs: $5,250
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 16 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $175,000 Active 23 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   days on market $175,000 Active 22 DOM
3. 2026-06-16
   days on market $175,000 Active 21 DOM
4. 2026-06-15
   days on market $175,000 Active 20 DOM
5. 2026-06-13
   days on market $175,000 Active 18 DOM
6. 2026-06-12
   days on market $175,000 Active 17 DOM
7. 2026-06-09
   days on market $175,000 Active 14 DOM
8. 2026-06-08
   days on market $175,000 Active 13 DOM
9. 2026-06-07
   days on market $175,000 Active 12 DOM
10. 2026-06-05
    days on market $175,000 Active 10 DOM
11. 2026-06-04
    days on market $175,000 Active 8 DOM
12. 2026-06-02
    days on market $175,000 Active 7 DOM
13. 2026-06-01
    days on market $175,000 Active 6 DOM
14. 2026-05-31
    days on market $175,000 Active 5 DOM
15. 2026-05-26
    listed $175,000 Active
16. 1996-04-25
    soldstatus

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

Tax reassessment forecast MT · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $1,058 · $88/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,470 · $122/mo
• Expected delta: +$412/yr (+$34/mo · 39.0%)

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

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 3/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 2/10 Low 7 d/yr ≥96°F today · 13 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 1/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 6/10 Major 9 unhealthy d/yr today · 9 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $14,841
• − Mortgage interest: −$9,803
• − Property taxes: −$1,058
• − Insurance: −$875
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,187
• − Management: −$1,187
• − Depreciation: −$5,091
• Taxable loss: −$4,360
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$1,046
• After-tax cash flow: $-175/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: Malta K-12 Schools
• NCES district ID: 3017580
• Math proficiency: 34% ▼ -3.00%
• Reading proficiency: 49% ▼ -2.00%
• Median HH income: $39,689
• Composite: 34.7/100
• National rank: #5139
• State rank: #56 of 116 in MT

Livability — Malta

• Score: 79/100
• State rank: #13
• US rank: #2030

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Malta, MT
• Population (ZIP): 2,842

Population outlook (Phillips County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 3,926 people
• By 2030: 3,810 · -3.0%
• By 2040: 3,617 · -7.9%
• By 2050: 3,480 · -11.4%
• By 2075: 3,204 · -18.4%
• By 2100: 2,718 · -30.8%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (86%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 86% Two or more races 9% Hispanic / Latino 2% Native American 2%
• Common ancestry: Portuguese 24% Lithuanian 7% Slovak 4%
• Foreign-born: 2% · Canada

Political lean MEDSL · Phillips

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+62.5) · D 17.6% · R 80.1% · Other 2.3%
• 2008→2024 swing: -25.5pp toward R · 2008: -37.0pp · 2024: -62.5pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+62.5 2020: R+63.7 2016: R+65.2 2012: R+54.6 2008: R+37.0

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 2.20%
• Current HPI: 216.1875
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 3.41%
• F500 in state: 2

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in MT)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Technology / Analytics	1	$2B

Price history

2 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-26 Listed $175,000 FSBO.com
• 1996-04-25 Sold (Public Records) — Public Records

Property tax history

-2.0%/yr

Latest (2025): $1,058 · +0.7% YoY. Source: county tax records.