17101 Spataro Ln NW · Zihlman, MD 21532

$159,000

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,211 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 7 Days on market

Built 1977 0.75 ac lot

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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 +16.3/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• DSCR +5.0/10.0
• 1% rule +3.7/10.0
• Livability +2.8/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +1.9/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

* * Seller is motivated and will consider all reasonable offers * * Welcome to this charming 3-bedroom, 1-bath brick home on almost an acre of land on Spataro Lane! Nestled between Frostburg and Mount Savage, this property offers privacy, scenic views, and plenty of space to enjoy both indoors and out. A standout feature is the oversized 3-car garage with additional storage space above — perfect for vehicles, hobbies, or extra storage needs. The property also includes a spacious storage shed, an enclosed front porch, and a gazebo in the backyard, creating great spaces for relaxing or entertaining. Inside, the home offers plenty of potential needing some minor updates. Major improv

Key facts

• Roof 2 years old
• Enclosed front porch
• 0.75 acre lot

Tags

• OVERSIZED 3-CAR GARAGE
• SPACIOUS STORAGE SHED
• ENCLOSED FRONT PORCH
• GAZEBO IN THE BACKYARD
• ROOF 2 YEARS OLD
• HOT WATER TANK 5 YEARS OLD

Property features AI

Finance

• Other: Above-grade finished area reported by assessor

Exterior

• Parking: Detached 3-car garage with additional storage area and garage door opener; Asphalt driveway; Off-street parking
• Utilities: Public water; Private septic tank; Electric hot water; Natural gas heating fuel; Electric cooling fuel
• Home design: Detached structure; Fee simple ownership; Average condition; Architectural shingle roof
• Construction: Brick construction; Crawl space foundation; Built year per assessor
• Exterior features: Gazebo; Shed; No tidal water

Interior

• Kitchen: Kitchen (appliances not specified)
• Bedrooms: Three main-level bedrooms
• Flooring: Carpet; Laminate plank
• Bathrooms: One full bathroom on the main level
• Heating & cooling: Forced air heating (natural gas); Central air conditioning
• Interior features: Paneled walls; Living room; Dining room
• Laundry & utility: Main-floor laundry

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $159k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $86 ($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 $139k (12.7% below list).
• Recommended offer: $139k (12.7% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 55/100 on livability (#418 in MD) — a working-class tenant base; expect higher turnover. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing B; Watch: employment D, crime F, amenities F.
• Allegany County Public Schools (other): math 15% / reading 30% proficiency, ranked #18 of 24 in MD (top 75%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Mt. Savage Elementary (math 12% / reading 17%, grade F, #477 of 860 statewide, top 59%, 220 students, 61% FRL); Mount Savage Middle (math 15% / reading 38%, grade F, #86 of 225 statewide, top 40%, 425 students, 54% FRL); Mountain Ridge High School (math 32% / reading 72%, grade D+, #100 of 222 statewide, top 47%, 736 students, 48% FRL).
• Market conditions: 102 active listings in the ZIP; 24 units permitted in Allegany County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Allegany County population projected at -14% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.

Negotiation context

• Only 7 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• 4 sale attempts since 20y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $11k (6%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $125k; 27% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.

Recommended offer $138,885 (12.7% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1977 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
3. 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?
4. 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?
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: 0.87% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.94%
• Cash-on-cash: 2.32%
• DSCR: 1.10
• GRM: 9.5

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

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

5-year hold

• IRR: -12.7%
• Equity multiple: 0.54×
• Total profit: $-20,324
• Equity at exit: $23,707

10-year hold

• IRR: -3.6%
• Equity multiple: 0.76×
• Total profit: $-10,782
• Equity at exit: $13,747

Cash invested: $44,520 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 27 Tenant-Leaning
• State Maryland: 27 Tenant-Leaning · D+14
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Failure-to-pay is dismissed if cured before judgment; Baltimore has just-cause; strict deposit rules.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 21532

• Home prices YoY: -24.2%
• Active inventory: 102
• Price-to-rent: 9.5×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,389 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$834
• Tax from tax record: −$111 /mo · $1,334/yr
• Insurance: −$66
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$292
• Net cashflow: $86

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,280

Max offer price $159,000

Occupancy floor 89%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $176	-5% $131	+0% $86	+5% $41	+10% $-4
Rent	-10% $-24	-5% $31	+0% $86	+5% $141	+10% $196
Rate	-1.0pp $166	-0.5pp $126	base $86	+0.5pp $45	+1.0pp $3

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: $39,750
• Closing costs: $4,770
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 10 events

1. 2026-05-14
   status Pending
2. 2026-05-10
   price $159,000
3. 2026-05-07
   listed $170,000 Active
4. 2009-04-29
   soldstatus $125,000
5. 2008-10-17
   historical
6. 2008-04-16
   listed
7. 2007-10-23
   historical
8. 2007-03-29
   listed
9. 2007-03-27
   historical
10. 2006-07-14
    listed

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

Tax reassessment forecast MD · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $1,334 · $111/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,534 · $128/mo
• Expected delta: +$199/yr (+$17/mo · 15.0%)

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

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 2/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 8 d/yr ≥91°F today · 19 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $16,666
• − Mortgage interest: −$8,906
• − Property taxes: −$1,334
• − Insurance: −$795
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,333
• − Management: −$1,333
• − Depreciation: −$4,625
• Taxable loss: −$1,661
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$399
• After-tax cash flow: $1,430/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: Allegany County Public Schools
• NCES district ID: 2400030
• Math proficiency: 15% ▼ -26.00%
• Reading proficiency: 30% ▼ -20.00%
• Median HH income: $39,760
• Composite: 18.95/100
• National rank: #8854
• State rank: #18 of 24 in MD

Livability — Zihlman

• Score: 55/100
• State rank: #418
• US rank: #23529

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Population (ZIP): 13,123

Population outlook (Allegany County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 68,778 people
• By 2030: 66,766 · -2.9%
• By 2040: 62,784 · -8.7%
• By 2050: 59,179 · -14.0%
• By 2075: 50,732 · -26.2%
• By 2100: 40,837 · -40.6%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (89%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 89% Black 6% Two or more races 2% Hispanic / Latino 2% Asian 2%
• Common ancestry: Slovak 5% Romanian 2% Italian 1%
• Foreign-born: 3% · Canada, China
• Languages at home: 96% English-only · Spanish 2% Chinese 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Allegany

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+40.3) · D 28.9% · R 69.2% · Other 2.0%
• 2008→2024 swing: -14.4pp toward R · 2008: -25.9pp · 2024: -40.3pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+40.3 2020: R+38.3 2016: R+48.0 2012: R+32.9 2008: R+25.9

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -78.31%
• Current HPI: 244.5937
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.97%
• F500 in state: 12

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in MD)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Aerospace / Defense	1	$71B
▸Utilities	1	$25B
▸Hotels	1	$24B
▸Consumer Goods	1	$7B
▸Real Estate	1	$6B
▸Chemicals	1	$2B

Price history

+27.2% since first listed

10 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-14 Pending — BRIGHT MLS
• 2026-05-10 Price Changed $159,000 BRIGHT MLS
• 2026-05-07 Listed $170,000 BRIGHT MLS
• 2009-04-29 Sold (Public Records) $125,000 Public Records
• 2008-10-17 Delisted — MRIS
• 2008-04-16 Listed — MRIS
• 2007-10-23 Delisted — MRIS
• 2007-03-29 Listed — MRIS
• 2007-03-27 Delisted — MRIS
• 2006-07-14 Listed — MRIS

Property tax history

+2.4%/yr

Latest (2025): $1,334 · +4.4% YoY. Source: county tax records.