107 College Ave

Princeton, WV 24740

$140,000C+

4 bd · 1.5 ba · 2,186 sqft · Built 1905 · SingleFamily · Active · 30 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,124/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$734
• Tax + insurance: −$87
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$236
• Net cashflow: $67/mo
• Annual: $800/yr
• Cap rate: 6.86%
• Cash-on-cash: 2.04%
• DSCR: 1.09
• 1% rule: 0.80%
• Cash to close: $39,200

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $140k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $67 ($800/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 $112k (19.7% below list).
• It's been on market 30 days — a 2% lower offer ($138k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $112k (19.7% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $15k of equity ($968 loan paydown + $14k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 72/100 on livability (#53 in WV) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, crime B+; Watch: amenities D, commute F, employment F.
• Mercer County Schools (town): math 26% / reading 37% proficiency, ranked #28 of 55 in WV (top 51%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Princeton Primary School (499 students, 0% FRL); Princeton Middle School (math 21% / reading 27%, grade F, #89 of 109 statewide, top 82%, 503 students, 0% FRL); Princeton Senior High School (math 32% / reading 52%, grade F, #14 of 110 statewide, top 16%, 983 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 54% district-wide (54 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1905 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 48 active listings in the ZIP; lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 4 units permitted in Mercer County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Mercer County population projected at -18% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 2 sale attempts since 9y ago 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.
• Current owner paid $46k; list at $140k implies a 208% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (10.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $39k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 3, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$38k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Cap rate 6.9% vs local median 3.7% in Princeton — 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

• Built in 1905 — 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?
• 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.