13804 Mercersburg Rd · Clear Spring, MD 21722

$159,999

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,672 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 36 Days on market

Built 1905 0.50 ac lot $96/sqft · 53% below area

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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 +16.0/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• DSCR +4.9/10.0
• 1% rule +4.1/10.0
• Livability +3.4/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.3/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Welcome to 13804 Mercersburg Rd. This 3-bedroom, 1-bath home sits on a half-acre in Clear Spring and offers a great opportunity to create something of your own. With a solid layout, basement, and a detached garage, there’s plenty of space and flexibility to bring your vision to life. The home does need some touch-ups and updates and is being sold as-is, but for the right buyer, the potential here is clear. Whether you’re looking to renovate, invest, or settle into a quieter setting, this property gives you room to grow. Enjoy a peaceful rural atmosphere with open space around you, while still being within a reasonable drive to major routes and everyday conveniences. If you&rsquo

Key facts

• Open space
• Half-acre
• Solid layout

Tags

• HALF-ACRE
• SOLID LAYOUT
• DETACHED GARAGE
• PEACEFUL RURAL ATMOSPHERE
• OPEN SPACE

Property features AI

Finance

• Other: Fee simple ownership
• HOA & community: Ground rent paid annually

Exterior

• Parking: Detached garage (1 car); Driveway space for 1 vehicle; Total of 2 parking spaces
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; Electric service available; Municipal trash not provided
• Home design: Detached property; Building not winterized
• Construction: Stucco exterior; Stone foundation; Composite/shingle roof; Major rehab needed; Built year per assessor
• Exterior features: Rural lot setting; Not in a federal flood zone; Above-grade and below-grade structures noted

Interior

• Bedrooms: Three bedrooms on the main level
• Bathrooms: One full bathroom (main level)
• Heating & cooling: Radiator heating; Oil-fired heat; Electric hot water
• Interior features: Unfinished basement; Some accessibility features

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $160k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $80 ($956/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 $146k (8.8% below list).
• Recommended offer: $146k (8.8% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 67/100 on livability (#219 in MD) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime F, amenities F, commute F.
• Washingtion County Public Schools (suburban): math 18% / reading 33% proficiency, ranked #13 of 24 in MD (top 54%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Market conditions: 26 active listings in the ZIP; 232 units permitted in Washington County in 2024 (12 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.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 36 days — a 3% lower offer ($155k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Current owner paid $65k; list at $160k implies a 146% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1905 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→16/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $145,923 (8.8% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 36 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Built in 1905 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
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: 0.91% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.89%
• Cash-on-cash: 2.13%
• DSCR: 1.09
• GRM: 9.1

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $340,722
• List price: $159,999
• Delta: -53.04%
• Verdict: UNDERPRICED
• Comps: 2 within 1.0 mi

Projected returns pro-forma

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

5-year hold

• IRR: -12.9%
• Equity multiple: 0.53×
• Total profit: $-20,851
• Equity at exit: $23,856

10-year hold

• IRR: -3.9%
• Equity multiple: 0.74×
• Total profit: $-11,615
• Equity at exit: $13,834

Cash invested: $44,800 (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 21722

• Home prices YoY: -12.8%
• Active inventory: 26
• Price-to-rent: 9.1×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,459 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$839
• Tax from tax record: −$167 /mo · $2,009/yr
• Insurance: −$67
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$306
• Net cashflow: $80

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,358

Max offer price $159,999

Occupancy floor 90%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $170	-5% $125	+0% $80	+5% $34	+10% $-11
Rent	-10% $-36	-5% $22	+0% $80	+5% $137	+10% $195
Rate	-1.0pp $160	-0.5pp $120	base $80	+0.5pp $38	+1.0pp $-4

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: $40,000
• Closing costs: $4,800
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 12 events

1. 2026-06-10
   days on market $159,999 Active 36 DOM
2. 2026-06-09
   days on market $159,999 Active 35 DOM
3. 2026-06-08
   days on market $159,999 Active 34 DOM
4. 2026-06-07
   days on market $159,999 Active 33 DOM
5. 2026-06-03
   days on market $159,999 Active 29 DOM
6. 2026-06-02
   days on market $159,999 Active 28 DOM
7. 2026-06-01
   days on market $159,999 Active 27 DOM
8. 2026-05-31
   days on market $159,999 Active 26 DOM
9. 2026-05-30
   days on market $159,999 Active 25 DOM
10. 2026-05-05
    listed $159,999 Active 809-char remark
11. 1997-08-13
    soldstatus $65,000
12. 1991-04-05
    soldstatus $44,900

ⓘ 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: $2,009 · $167/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $2,009 · $167/mo
• Expected delta: $0/yr ($0/mo · 0.0%)

ⓘ 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 3/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 5/10 Major 7 d/yr ≥102°F today · 16 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low 3% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 1/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 0 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $17,511
• − Mortgage interest: −$8,962
• − Property taxes: −$2,009
• − Insurance: −$800
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,401
• − Management: −$1,401
• − Depreciation: −$4,655
• Taxable loss: −$1,717
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$412
• After-tax cash flow: $1,368/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: Washingtion County Public Schools
• NCES district ID: 2400660
• Math proficiency: 18% ▼ -20.00%
• Reading proficiency: 33% ▼ -17.00%
• Median HH income: $54,784
• Composite: 22.87/100
• National rank: #8007
• State rank: #13 of 24 in MD

Livability — Clear Spring

• Score: 67/100
• State rank: #219
• US rank: #10796

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Population (ZIP): 6,918

Population outlook (Washington County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 151,614 people
• By 2030: 151,455 · -0.1%
• By 2040: 150,097 · -1.0%
• By 2050: 148,193 · -2.3%
• By 2075: 146,581 · -3.3%
• By 2100: 138,025 · -9.0%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (92%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 92% Two or more races 4% Hispanic / Latino 2% Black 1%
• Common ancestry: Iranian 8% Slovak 4% Lithuanian 3%
• Foreign-born: 2% · Canada, Guatemala, Jamaica
• Languages at home: 99% English-only · Spanish 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Washington

• 2024 margin: Strong R (+23.0) · D 37.3% · R 60.4% · Other 2.3%
• 2008→2024 swing: -10.2pp toward R · 2008: -12.9pp · 2024: -23.0pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+23.0 2020: R+20.9 2016: R+32.4 2012: R+18.5 2008: R+12.9

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -36.79%
• Current HPI: 249.5896
• 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

+256.3% since first listed

4 events — show timeline

• 2026-06-12 Listing Removed — BRIGHT MLS
• 2026-05-05 Listed $159,999 BRIGHT MLS
• 1997-08-13 Sold (Public Records) $65,000 Public Records
• 1991-04-05 Sold (Public Records) $44,900 Public Records

Property tax history

+4.6%/yr

Latest (2025): $2,009 · +13.1% YoY. Source: county tax records.