274 Highland St

Gate City, VA 24251

$159,900D

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,008 sqft · Built 2003 · SingleFamily · Pending · 13 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,317/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$839
• Tax + insurance: −$119
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$277
• Net cashflow: $83/mo
• Annual: $1,001/yr
• Cap rate: 6.92%
• Cash-on-cash: 2.23%
• DSCR: 1.10
• 1% rule: 0.82%
• Cash to close: $44,772

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $160k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $83 ($1k/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 $132k (17.6% below list).
• Only 13 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $132k (17.6% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $1k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $358 appreciation (0.2% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 62/100 on livability (#400 in VA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, crime B; Watch: amenities F, commute F, employment F.
• Scott County Public School District (rural): math 66% / reading 73% proficiency, ranked #33 of 131 in VA (top 25%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Shoemaker Elementary (math 64% / reading 72%, grade B+, #366 of 1,108 statewide, top 33%, 450 students, 81% FRL); Gate City Middle (math 74% / reading 71%, grade A, #61 of 342 statewide, top 18%, 333 students, 78% FRL); Gate City High (math 77% / reading 82%, grade A-, #63 of 319 statewide, top 22%, 619 students, 77% FRL) — zoned schools average 79% FRL vs 48% district-wide (31 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Market conditions: 50 active listings in the ZIP; 22 units permitted in Scott County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Scott County population projected at -24% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 3 sale attempts 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.
• At projected returns (0.2% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $45k cash investment doubles in ~10 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: moderate wildfire risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 6.9% vs local median 4.4% in Gate City — 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

• 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?
• 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?
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.