616 Douglas St · Sparta, WI 54656

$199,900

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,434 sqft · Other · 3 Days on market

Built 1920 0.26 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 +15.6/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• DSCR +4.8/10.0
• 1% rule +4.6/10.0
• Livability +3.9/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.3/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks MLS

AUCTION. Charming opportunity on the SE side of Sparta! This 3-bedroom, 1-bath home offers a great chance for affordable ownership. Enjoy relaxing on the large front porch, accessible from both the living and dining rooms, which were updated in recent years. The fenced backyard features mature shade trees and space for outdoor activities, plus a brick outdoor oven for cooking and entertaining. A spacious two-car garage offers additional storage or workspace. Convenient location with quick access to I-90 for commuting and close to the Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail. A solid starter home with room to add your personal touch. As-is sale, buyer to verify all measurements. All offers to be submitted through online portal.

Key facts

• Oversized corner lot
• Expansive deck
• 0.26 acre lot

Tags

• OVERSIZED CORNER LOT
• FULLY FENCED BACKYARD
• CUSTOM BRICK OUTDOOR OVEN
• EXPANSIVE DECK
• DETACHED 2-CAR GARAGE

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Detached 2-car garage
• Utilities: Municipal water; Municipal sewer; Natural gas
• Home design: Single-family, 2-story home; Less than 1/2 acre lot (approx. 0.26 acre); Residential zoning
• Construction: Block foundation; Year built from assessor/public record
• Exterior features: Deck; Stucco/Slate and vinyl exterior

Interior

• Kitchen: Kitchen on main level, approximately 11 x 9; Seller-owned appliances included
• Bedrooms: Main-level primary bedroom, approximately 13 x 11; Bedroom, approximately 11 x 9; Upper-level bedroom, approximately 13 x 10
• Bathrooms: One full bathroom with tub only
• Heating & cooling: Forced air heat (natural gas); Central air conditioning
• Interior features: High speed internet; Full block basement
• Laundry & utility: Basement utility area

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath other listed at $200k.

Deal economics

• 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 $192k (4.0% below list).
• Recommended offer: $192k (4.0% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Cap rate 6.8% vs local median 5.3% in Sparta — meaningfully above typical; check what's discounted (condition, days-on-market, listing class) to confirm the premium yield is real.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 77/100 on livability (#124 in WI, #3,230 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime D, amenities F, commute F.
• Sparta Area School District (town): math 22% / reading 30% proficiency, ranked #302 of 342 in WI (top 88%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Southside Early Learning Center (292 students, 58% FRL); Sparta Meadowview Middle (math 22% / reading 29%, grade F, #313 of 383 statewide, top 82%, 722 students, 50% FRL); Sparta High (math 12% / reading 27%, grade F, #385 of 483 statewide, top 82%, 837 students, 42% FRL).
• Market conditions: 70 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 93 units permitted in Monroe 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 $6k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Monroe County population projected to shrink 9% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.

Negotiation context

• Only 3 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• 5 sale attempts since 12y 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 $122k; list at $200k implies a 64% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $191,892 (4.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1920 — 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. 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?
4. 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?
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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: 0.96% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.79%
• Cash-on-cash: 1.79%
• DSCR: 1.08
• GRM: 8.7

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: -13.4%
• Equity multiple: 0.52×
• Total profit: $-27,016
• Equity at exit: $29,806

10-year hold

• IRR: -4.5%
• Equity multiple: 0.71×
• Total profit: $-16,434
• Equity at exit: $17,284

Cash invested: $55,972 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 73 Landlord-Friendly
• State Wisconsin: 73 Landlord-Friendly · R+2
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

5-day notice; preempted; Madison / Milwaukee have some local enforcement.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 54656

• Active inventory: 70
• Price-to-rent: 8.7×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,919 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,048
• Tax from tax record: −$301 /mo · $3,611/yr
• Insurance: −$83
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$403
• Net cashflow: $83

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,813

Max offer price $199,900

Occupancy floor 91%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $197	-5% $140	+0% $83	+5% $27	+10% $-30
Rent	-10% $-68	-5% $8	+0% $83	+5% $159	+10% $235
Rate	-1.0pp $184	-0.5pp $134	base $83	+0.5pp $32	+1.0pp $-21

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: $49,975
• Closing costs: $5,997
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 2 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
703 Stelting St Sparta, WI	3.0	2.0	1368	$2,350	$1.72	16d	1	0.86mi
604 N Black River St Sparta, WI	2.0	1.0	900	$949	$1.05	25d	1	1.27mi

Listing history 3 events

1. 2026-06-22
   days on market $199,900 Active 3 DOM
2. 2026-06-18
   remarks 699-char remark
3. 2026-06-18
   listed $199,900 Active 1 DOM

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

Tax reassessment forecast WI · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $3,611 · $301/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $3,654 · $305/mo
• Expected delta: +$44/yr (+$4/mo · 1.2%)

ⓘ 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 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 2/10 Low 7 d/yr ≥100°F today · 14 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 1/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 0 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $23,027
• − Mortgage interest: −$11,198
• − Property taxes: −$3,611
• − Insurance: −$1,000
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,842
• − Management: −$1,842
• − Depreciation: −$5,815
• Taxable loss: −$2,280
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$547
• After-tax cash flow: $1,549/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: Sparta Area School District
• NCES district ID: 5514160
• Math proficiency: 22% ▼ -9.00%
• Reading proficiency: 30% ▼ -2.00%
• Median HH income: $51,340
• Composite: 22.99/100
• National rank: #7982
• State rank: #302 of 342 in WI

Livability — Sparta

• Score: 77/100
• State rank: #124
• US rank: #3230

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Sparta, WI
• Population (ZIP): 18,068

Population outlook (Monroe County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 45,682 people
• By 2030: 45,187 · -1.1%
• By 2040: 43,768 · -4.2%
• By 2050: 41,596 · -8.9%
• By 2075: 35,555 · -22.2%
• By 2100: 28,278 · -38.1%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (88%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 88% Hispanic / Latino 6% Two or more races 4% Black 2%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 5%
• Common ancestry: Portuguese 14% Romanian 4% Slovak 3%
• Foreign-born: 3% · Canada
• Languages at home: 94% English-only · Spanish 4% Other Indo-European 0%

Political lean MEDSL · Monroe

• 2024 margin: Strong R (+26.1) · D 36.3% · R 62.5% · Other 1.2%
• 2008→2024 swing: -34.1pp toward R · 2008: 8.0pp · 2024: -26.1pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+26.1 2020: R+23.6 2016: R+22.5 2012: R+0.7 2008: D+8.0

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -154.23%
• Current HPI: 214.4606
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.10%
• F500 in state: 20

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in WI)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Industrial Machinery	4	$23B
▸Industrial Technology	2	$36B
▸Insurance	1	$36B
▸Professional Services	1	$19B
▸Utilities	1	$9B
▸Consumer Goods	1	$3B

Price history

+472.8% since first listed

15 events — show timeline

• 2026-06-18 Listed $199,900 METROMLS
• 2026-04-22 Sold (MLS) $121,800 SCWMLS
• 2026-03-28 Pending — SCWMLS
• 2026-03-17 Listed $145,000 SCWMLS
• 2022-08-15 Sold (Public Records) $145,000 Public Records
• 2022-08-15 Sold (MLS) $145,000 METROMLS
• 2022-07-13 Pending — METROMLS
• 2022-07-04 Price Changed $145,000 METROMLS
• 2022-06-10 Listed $155,000 METROMLS
• 2014-12-13 Listing Removed — METROMLS
• 2014-09-17 Relisted — METROMLS
• 2014-09-17 Price Changed $52,500 METROMLS
• 2014-09-13 Listing Removed — METROMLS
• 2014-09-04 Listed $55,100 METROMLS
• 2000-11-09 Sold (Public Records) $34,900 Public Records

Property tax history

+5.0%/yr

Latest (2025): $3,611 · +35.8% YoY. Source: county tax records.