71 Merrill Ave · Rivesville, WV 26588

$22,500

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,016 sqft · SingleFamily · 105 Days on market

Built 1919 Poor condition ↓ 16% since listing

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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 +15.0/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• Appreciation +6.6/10.0
• 1% rule +5.0/10.0
• DSCR +5.0/10.0
• Livability +3.2/5.0
• Schools +3.1/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +1.0/5.0

Listing remarks

Riverville, Marion County. 3 bed, 1 bath home on Merrill Ave. Gas forced air heating, vinyl exterior, shingle roof on pier foundation. Fenced yard, basement, linoleum and carpet flooring. Gas water heater included.

Key facts

• Fenced yard
• Basement
• Linoleum flooring

Tags

• GAS FORCED AIR HEATING
• VINYL EXTERIOR
• SHINGLE ROOF
• FENCED YARD
• BASEMENT
• LINOLEUM FLOORING

Property features AI

Exterior

• Home design: Residential property
• Construction: Pillar/post/pier foundation; Built on a 0.11-acre lot
• Exterior features: Shingle roof

Interior

• Flooring: Carpet; Vinyl; Laminate
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Forced air heating; No central cooling
• Interior features: Laminate countertops; Carpet flooring; Vinyl flooring; Laminate flooring; Total of 5 rooms

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $22k. Condition is rated poor.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $547 ($7k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($973 rent vs $22k).
• Recommended offer: $20k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 65/100 on livability (#124 in WV) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, crime B+; Watch: health & safety C-, employment D+, schools F.
• Marion County Schools (town): math 30% / reading 43% proficiency, ranked #11 of 55 in WV (top 20%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Market conditions: 4 active listings in the ZIP; 3 units permitted in Marion County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $856 of equity ($156 loan paydown + $700 appreciation (3.1% local appreciation)).
• At projected returns (3.1% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $6k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 105 days — a 9% lower offer ($20k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $66/mo; built in 1919 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe flood risk; extreme-heat days projected 8→21/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $20,475 (9.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 105 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Have any recent inspections been done? Can we get a copy of the seller's disclosures and any deferred-maintenance estimates?
3. Built in 1919 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
4. What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
5. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
6. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
7. 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?
8. 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?
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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: 4.33% ✓
• Cap rate: 39.00%
• Cash-on-cash: 116.82%
• DSCR: 6.20
• GRM: 1.9

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $187,960
• Comps found: 1

Show comp detail 1 sale within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
502 Hayhurst	0.29mi	3/1.0	864 (-15%)	12mo	$159,800	$185	52

Match score weights: distance 35% · size 25% · config 20% · recency 20%. Top-matched comps best support the ARV.

Projected returns pro-forma

3.11% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: —
• Equity multiple: 6.99×
• Total profit: $37,727
• Equity at exit: $10,259

10-year hold

• IRR: —
• Equity multiple: 14.56×
• Total profit: $85,410
• Equity at exit: $15,922

Cash invested: $6,300 (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 26588

• Home prices YoY: 1.7%
• Active inventory: 4
• Price-to-rent: 1.9×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $973 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$118
• Tax est. 1.5%: −$28 /mo · $338/yr
• Insurance: −$9
• Flood insurance flood zone: −$66 /mo · $798/yr
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$204
• Net cashflow: $547

Break-even live

Break-even rent $281

Max offer price $22,500

Occupancy floor 39%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $562	-5% $555	+0% $547	+5% $539	+10% $531
Rent	-10% $470	-5% $508	+0% $547	+5% $585	+10% $624
Rate	-1.0pp $558	-0.5pp $553	base $547	+0.5pp $541	+1.0pp $535

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: $5,625
• Closing costs: $675
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 18 events

1. 2026-06-19
   days on market $22,500 Active 105 DOM
2. 2026-06-18
   days on market $22,500 Active 104 DOM
3. 2026-06-17
   days on market $22,500 Active 103 DOM
4. 2026-06-16
   days on market $22,500 Active 102 DOM
5. 2026-06-15
   days on market $22,500 Active 101 DOM
6. 2026-06-14
   days on market $22,500 Active 99 DOM
7. 2026-06-13
   days on market $22,500 Active 98 DOM
8. 2026-06-10
   days on market $22,500 Active 96 DOM
9. 2026-06-09
   days on market $22,500 Active 95 DOM
10. 2026-06-08
    days on market $22,500 Active 94 DOM
11. 2026-06-07
    days on market $22,500 Active 93 DOM
12. 2026-06-02
    days on market $22,500 Active 88 DOM
13. 2026-06-01
    days on market $22,500 Active 87 DOM
14. 2026-05-31
    days on market $22,500 Active 86 DOM
15. 2026-05-30
    days on market $22,500 Active 85 DOM
16. 2026-04-30
    price $22,500
17. 2026-03-22
    price $25,900
18. 2026-03-06
    listed $26,900 Active

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

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 9/10 Extreme FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 99% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 3/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 5/10 Major 8 d/yr ≥99°F today · 21 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 1/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 2 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $11,678
• − Mortgage interest: −$1,260
• − Property taxes: −$338
• − Insurance: −$910
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$934
• − Management: −$934
• − Depreciation: −$655
• Taxable income: $6,647
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$1,595
• After-tax cash flow: $4,967/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.

Condition & rehab AI · 6 photos

Poor 20/100 Extensive rehab

This property requires extensive renovations and repairs, including major work on the exterior, interior, and HVAC system. Improvements in these areas will significantly increase its resale and rental value.

Repairs flagged

• Major siding — Severe weathering and damage to the exterior siding.
• Major landscaping — Overgrown and unkempt yard needs trimming and planting.
• Major fencing — Basic chain-link fence in need of repair or replacement.
• Major interior walls — Worn wallpaper and outdated fixtures need replacement.
• Major bathroom — Small, outdated bathroom with peeling paint and basic fixtures needs renovation.
• Major kitchen — Basic kitchen with outdated appliances and cabinets needs renovation.
• Major HVAC — Basic gas forced air system, possibly outdated, needs inspection and potential replacement.

Value-add opportunities

• Both Landscaping and fencing improvements — Enhanced curb appeal and increased property value.
• Both Kitchen and bathroom renovations — Modernizing the kitchen and bathroom will attract more buyers and renters.
• Both HVAC system replacement — A new HVAC system will improve comfort and energy efficiency, attracting more buyers and renters.

Renovation cost estimate screening

Repair item	Severity	Est. cost
siding · Severe weathering and damage to the exterior siding.	Major	$15,000–50,000
landscaping · Overgrown and unkempt yard needs trimming and planting.	Major	$15,000–50,000
fencing · Basic chain-link fence in need of repair or replacement.	Major	$15,000–50,000
interior walls · Worn wallpaper and outdated fixtures need replacement.	Major	$15,000–50,000
bathroom · Small, outdated bathroom with peeling paint and basic fixtures needs renovation.	Major	$15,000–50,000
kitchen · Basic kitchen with outdated appliances and cabinets needs renovation.	Major	$15,000–50,000
HVAC · Basic gas forced air system, possibly outdated, needs inspection and potential replacement.	Major	$15,000–50,000
Total estimated repair cost · 7 items		$105,000–350,000

Value-add ROI direction

• Both Landscaping and fencing improvements — Enhanced curb appeal and increased property value. ↑
• Both Kitchen and bathroom renovations — Modernizing the kitchen and bathroom will attract more buyers and renters. ↑
• Both HVAC system replacement — A new HVAC system will improve comfort and energy efficiency, attracting more buyers and renters. ↑

ⓘ Cost ranges are severity-bucket heuristics (US national rule-of-thumb). Get contractor quotes + a written scope before underwriting a rehab budget.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Marion County Schools
• NCES district ID: 5400720
• Math proficiency: 30% ▼ -14.00%
• Reading proficiency: 43% ▼ -8.00%
• Median HH income: $42,195
• Composite: 30.8/100
• National rank: #6145
• State rank: #11 of 55 in WV

Livability — Rivesville

• Score: 65/100
• State rank: #124
• US rank: #12828

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Rivesville, WV
• Population (ZIP): 2,911

Population outlook (Marion County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 56,923 people
• By 2030: 56,850 · -0.1%
• By 2040: 56,469 · -0.8%
• By 2050: 56,027 · -1.6%
• By 2075: 55,509 · -2.5%
• By 2100: 51,082 · -10.3%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (93%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 93% Two or more races 5% Hispanic / Latino 1%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 4% Iranian 2% Slovak 1%
• Foreign-born: 1%
• Languages at home: 98% English-only · German/W. Germanic 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Marion

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+31.2) · D 33.2% · R 64.5% · Other 2.3%
• 2008→2024 swing: -31.7pp toward R · 2008: 0.5pp · 2024: -31.2pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+31.2 2020: R+28.7 2016: R+33.5 2012: R+14.4 2008: D+0.5

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 3.11%
• Current HPI: 189.8469
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: —
• F500 in state: 0

Price history

-16.4% since first listed

3 events — show timeline

• 2026-04-30 Price Changed $22,500 GVBOR
• 2026-03-22 Price Changed $25,900 GVBOR
• 2026-03-06 Listed $26,900 GVBOR