321 Richton Ave · Muscle Shoals, AL 35661

$199,000

4 bd · 1.0 ba · 2,870 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 91 Days on market

Built 1965 0.29 ac lot $69/sqft · 16% below area Est $262k · 24% under

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Why this score? — see what drove the C 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 +18.8/30.0
• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• DSCR +5.9/10.0
• Schools +4.4/10.0
• 1% rule +4.0/10.0
• Livability +3.4/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks MLS

Spacious home in Muscle Shoals with great potential! This property offers plenty of room for living and entertaining with generous size bedrooms. While the house needs some updates and TLC, it’s a fantastic opportunity to customize and make it your own. Conveniently located with easy access to local amenities, this home is perfect for buyers looking to invest and create their dream space. Buyer to verify all information.

Key facts

• 0.29 acre lot
• 2 garage spots
• Built 1965

Tags

• GENEROUS SIZE BEDROOMS
• EASY ACCESS TO LOCAL AMENITIES

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 4-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $199k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $201 ($2k/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 $180k (9.5% below list).
• Recommended offer: $180k (9.5% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Cap rate 7.5% vs local median 2.8% in Muscle Shoals — 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.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 68/100 on livability (#68 in AL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• Muscle Shoals City (urban): math 42% / reading 60% proficiency, ranked #11 of 129 in AL (top 8%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Market conditions: 254 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 91 units permitted in Colbert 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.
• Colbert County population projected to shrink 7% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 91 days — a 9% lower offer ($181k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 2 sale attempts since 6y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $41k (17%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $145k; 37% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.

Risks & watch-outs

• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→20/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $180,000 (9.5% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 91 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 10% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Built in 1965 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
4. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
5. 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?
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: 0.90% ✗
• Cap rate: 7.51%
• Cash-on-cash: 4.34%
• DSCR: 1.19
• GRM: 9.2

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $262,172
• List price: $199,000
• Delta: -24.10%
• Verdict: UNDERPRICED
• Comps: 20 within 1.0 mi

Projected returns pro-forma

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

5-year hold

• IRR: -9.6%
• Equity multiple: 0.65×
• Total profit: $-19,486
• Equity at exit: $29,672

10-year hold

• IRR: -0.2%
• Equity multiple: 0.99×
• Total profit: $-726
• Equity at exit: $17,206

Cash invested: $55,720 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Alabama: 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+15
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Right-to-evict in 7 days for non-payment; no rent control; preempted statewide; courts move quickly.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 35661

• Active inventory: 254
• Price-to-rent: 9.2×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,800 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,044
• Tax from tax record: −$94 /mo · $1,129/yr
• Insurance: −$83
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$378
• Net cashflow: $201

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,545

Max offer price $199,000

Occupancy floor 84%

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: $49,750
• Closing costs: $5,970
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 1 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
701 E 18th St Sheffield, AL	4.0	2.5	2000	$1,800	$0.90	43d	1	1.14mi

Listing history 22 events

1. 2026-06-19
   days on market $199,000 Active 91 DOM
2. 2026-06-18
   days on market $199,000 Active 90 DOM
3. 2026-06-17
   days on market $199,000 Active 89 DOM
4. 2026-06-16
   days on market $199,000 Active 88 DOM
5. 2026-06-15
   days on market $199,000 Active 87 DOM
6. 2026-06-14
   days on market $199,000 Active 85 DOM
7. 2026-06-13
   days on market $199,000 Active 84 DOM
8. 2026-06-10
   days on market $199,000 Active 82 DOM
9. 2026-06-09
   days on market $199,000 Active 81 DOM
10. 2026-06-08
    days on market $199,000 Active 80 DOM
11. 2026-06-07
    days on market $199,000 Active 79 DOM
12. 2026-06-05
    days on market $199,000 Active 76 DOM
13. 2026-06-03
    days on market $199,000 Active 75 DOM
14. 2026-06-02
    days on market $199,000 Active 74 DOM
15. 2026-06-01
    days on market $199,000 Active 73 DOM
16. 2026-05-31
    days on market $199,000 Active 72 DOM
17. 2026-05-30
    days on market $199,000 Active 71 DOM
18. 2026-03-19
    listed $240,000 Active 430-char remark

    Show marketing remark (430 chars)

    Spacious home in Muscle Shoals with great potential! This property offers plenty of room for living and entertaining with generous size bedrooms. While the house needs some updates and TLC, it’s a fantastic opportunity to customize and make it your own. Conveniently located with easy access to local amenities, this home is perfect for buyers looking to invest and create their dream space. Buyer to verify all information.

19. 2021-04-09
    soldstatus $145,000
20. 2021-04-02
    soldstatus $145,000 210-char remark

    Show marketing remark (210 chars)

    This spacious home in the heart of Muscle Shoals boasts two living spaces, a large kitchen, 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths. With a little TLC, this home can be a beautiful showplace. This home is being sold AS-IS.

21. 2020-10-20
    listed $149,900 210-char remark

    Show marketing remark (210 chars)

    This spacious home in the heart of Muscle Shoals boasts two living spaces, a large kitchen, 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths. With a little TLC, this home can be a beautiful showplace. This home is being sold AS-IS.

22. 2020-09-03
    soldstatus $158,000

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

Tax reassessment forecast AL · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $1,129 · $94/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,129 · $94/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 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 6/10 Major 7 d/yr ≥107°F today · 20 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 4/10 Moderate 22% 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: $21,600
• − Mortgage interest: −$11,147
• − Property taxes: −$1,129
• − Insurance: −$995
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,728
• − Management: −$1,728
• − Depreciation: −$5,789
• Taxable loss: −$916
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$220
• After-tax cash flow: $2,637/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: Muscle Shoals City
• NCES district ID: 0102520
• Math proficiency: 42% ▼ -28.00%
• Reading proficiency: 60% ▼ -1.00%
• Median HH income: $50,688
• Composite: 43.61/100
• National rank: #2969
• State rank: #11 of 129 in AL

Livability — Muscle Shoals

• Score: 68/100
• State rank: #68
• US rank: #9422

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Muscle Shoals, AL
• Population (ZIP): 18,957

Population outlook (Colbert County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 54,154 people
• By 2030: 53,746 · -0.8%
• By 2040: 52,431 · -3.2%
• By 2050: 50,303 · -7.1%
• By 2075: 44,789 · -17.3%
• By 2100: 36,676 · -32.3%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (78%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 78% Black 14% Two or more races 5% Hispanic / Latino 5%
• Common ancestry: Slovak 2% Serbian 1% Iranian 1%
• Foreign-born: 2% · Canada
• Languages at home: 97% English-only · Spanish 2% Other Indo-European 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Colbert

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+46.4) · D 26.4% · R 72.8%
• 2008→2024 swing: -26.2pp toward R · 2008: -20.3pp · 2024: -46.4pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+46.4 2020: R+38.9 2016: R+38.3 2012: R+20.4 2008: R+20.3

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -103.94%
• Current HPI: 174.6414
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.94%
• F500 in state: 4

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in AL)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Financial Services	1	$8B
▸Healthcare	1	$5B

Price history

+51.9% since first listed

5 events — show timeline

• 2026-03-19 Listed $240,000 SAARMLS
• 2021-04-09 Sold (Public Records) $145,000 Public Records
• 2021-04-02 Sold (MLS) $145,000 SAARMLS
• 2020-10-20 Listed $149,900 SAARMLS
• 2020-09-03 Sold (Public Records) $158,000 Public Records

Property tax history

+10.6%/yr

Latest (2025): $1,129 · +7.0% YoY. Source: county tax records.