229 Watson Ave

Fairmont, WV 26554

$89,900B-

3 bd · 3.0 ba · 2,503 sqft · Built 1902 · MultiFamily · Active · 40 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,599/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$471
• Tax + insurance: −$196
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$546
• Net cashflow: $1,386/mo
• Annual: $16,635/yr
• Cap rate: 24.80%
• Cash-on-cash: 66.09%
• DSCR: 3.94
• 1% rule: 2.89%
• Cash to close: $25,172

Investor read

• This is a 3 × 1-bed/1-bath units multifamily listed at $90k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $1k ($17k/yr) — positive. Per door: $462/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $90k).
• It's been on market 40 days — a 3% lower offer ($87k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $87k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $622 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 70/100 on livability (#64 in WV) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime D, amenities F, commute 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.
• Zoned schools: Jayenne Elementary School (math 47% / reading 47%, grade D-, #63 of 377 statewide, top 18%, 300 students, 0% FRL); West Fairmont Middle School (math 27% / reading 41%, grade F, #36 of 109 statewide, top 35%, 629 students, 0% FRL); East Fairmont High School (math 27% / reading 52%, grade F, #21 of 110 statewide, top 26%, 689 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 46% district-wide (46 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1902 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 151 active listings in the ZIP; 3 units permitted in Marion County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $25k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 24.8% vs local median 4.3% in Fairmont — 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

• It's been on market 40 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
• What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
• Built in 1902 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are B-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?
• Crime grade is D 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?
• 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.