240 Sycamore St · Alto, TX 75925

$155,000

3 bd · 3.0 ba · 2,255 sqft · SingleFamily public records

Built 1978 0.59 ac lot $69/sqft · 38% below area Est $249k · 38% under

---

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).

• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• Cash flow +6.2/30.0
• Appreciation +4.7/10.0
• Schools +3.1/10.0
• Livability +3.1/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• 1% rule +2.1/10.0
• DSCR +0.6/10.0

Listing remarks MLS

3BR/3BA home in the heart of Alto with endless potential! Situated on a large lot and conveniently located just 2 minutes from the grocery store and only 4 minutes from Alto Independent School District, this property offers a great opportunity for investors, flippers, or buyers looking to make a home their own. The spacious living room features beautiful wood beams and opens to the kitchen for an open concept feel. The garage conversion offers incredible flexibility and could be used as a mother in law suite, private guest retreat, second living area, home office, teen space, or even potential rental space with its own ensuite full bathroom and kitchenette area. Some remodeling has already been started, but portions remain unfinished, giving the next owner the chance to complete it to their taste. Home is being sold as is and priced to sell!

Key facts

• 0.59 acre lot
• Built 1978

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/3.0-bath single-family listed at $155k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-280 ($-3k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $105k (31.9% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $110k (28.9% below list).
• Recommended offer: $105k (31.9% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 62/100 on livability (#944 in TX) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, employment F.
• Alto ISD (rural): math 37% / reading 38% proficiency, ranked #484 of 826 in TX (top 59%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 67% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Alto Middle (math 37% / reading 32%, grade F, #858 of 1,662 statewide, top 54%, 167 students, 83% FRL) — zoned schools average 83% FRL vs 67% district-wide (16 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Market conditions: 61 active listings in the ZIP; 39 units permitted in Cherokee County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $206 of equity ($1k loan paydown + $-866 appreciation (-0.6% local appreciation)).

Negotiation context

• Only 0 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• 2 sale attempts 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.

Risks & watch-outs

• Climate carrying-cost: severe wind risk, 80% chance of damaging wind over 30y; moderate wildfire risk; extreme-heat days projected 7→25/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $105,496 (31.9% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
2. Built in 1978 — 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. Schools are D-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
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: 0.71% ✗
• Cap rate: 4.12%
• Cash-on-cash: -7.75%
• DSCR: 0.66
• GRM: 11.7

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $249,003
• List price: $155,000
• Delta: -37.75%
• Verdict: UNDERPRICED
• Comps: 2 within 1.0 mi

Projected returns pro-forma

-0.56% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -13.7%
• Equity multiple: 0.39×
• Total profit: $-26,340
• Equity at exit: $40,726

10-year hold

• IRR: -7.1%
• Equity multiple: 0.31×
• Total profit: $-29,750
• Equity at exit: $45,657

Cash invested: $43,400 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 87 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Texas: 87 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+5
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

3-day notice; statewide preemption; one of the fastest eviction climates; Travis County (Austin) slightly slower.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 75925

• Home prices YoY: -0.6%
• Active inventory: 61
• Price-to-rent: 11.7×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,102 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$813
• Tax from tax record: −$274 /mo · $3,285/yr
• Insurance: −$65
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$232
• Net cashflow: $-280

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,457

Max offer price $105,496

Occupancy floor —

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $-192	-5% $-236	+0% $-280	+5% $-324	+10% $-368
Rent	-10% $-367	-5% $-324	+0% $-280	+5% $-237	+10% $-193
Rate	-1.0pp $-202	-0.5pp $-241	base $-280	+0.5pp $-320	+1.0pp $-361

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: $38,750
• Closing costs: $4,650
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 7 events

1. 2026-06-03
   days on marketlisting id $155,000 Pending
2. 2026-06-02
   statusdays on market $155,000 Pending 18 DOM

   Show marketing remark (853 chars)

   3BR/3BA home in the heart of Alto with endless potential! Situated on a large lot and conveniently located just 2 minutes from the grocery store and only 4 minutes from Alto Independent School District, this property offers a great opportunity for investors, flippers, or buyers looking to make a home their own. The spacious living room features beautiful wood beams and opens to the kitchen for an open concept feel. The garage conversion offers incredible flexibility and could be used as a mother in law suite, private guest retreat, second living area, home office, teen space, or even potential rental space with its own ensuite full bathroom and kitchenette area. Some remodeling has already been started, but portions remain unfinished, giving the next owner the chance to complete it to their taste. Home is being sold as is and priced to sell!

3. 2026-06-01
   days on market $155,000 Active 17 DOM
4. 2026-05-31
   days on market $155,000 Active 16 DOM
5. 2026-05-15
   listed $155,000 Active 853-char remark

   Show marketing remark (853 chars)

   3BR/3BA home in the heart of Alto with endless potential! Situated on a large lot and conveniently located just 2 minutes from the grocery store and only 4 minutes from Alto Independent School District, this property offers a great opportunity for investors, flippers, or buyers looking to make a home their own. The spacious living room features beautiful wood beams and opens to the kitchen for an open concept feel. The garage conversion offers incredible flexibility and could be used as a mother in law suite, private guest retreat, second living area, home office, teen space, or even potential rental space with its own ensuite full bathroom and kitchenette area. Some remodeling has already been started, but portions remain unfinished, giving the next owner the chance to complete it to their taste. Home is being sold as is and priced to sell!

6. 2012-03-06
   soldstatus
7. 2007-07-17
   soldstatus

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

Tax reassessment forecast TX · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $3,285 · $274/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $3,285 · $274/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 5/10 Major
• 🌡 Heat 7/10 Severe 7 d/yr ≥109°F today · 25 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 8/10 Severe 80% 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: $13,230
• − Mortgage interest: −$8,682
• − Property taxes: −$3,285
• − Insurance: −$775
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,058
• − Management: −$1,058
• − Depreciation: −$4,509
• Taxable loss: −$6,139
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$1,473
• After-tax cash flow: $-1,889/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: Alto ISD
• NCES district ID: 4807980
• Math proficiency: 37% ▼ -13.00%
• Reading proficiency: 38% ▼ -1.00%
• Median HH income: $37,945
• Composite: 31.27/100
• National rank: #6023
• State rank: #484 of 826 in TX

Livability — Alto

• Score: 62/100
• State rank: #944
• US rank: #16828

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Alto, TX
• Population (ZIP): 3,079

Population outlook (Cherokee County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 51,949 people
• By 2030: 51,984 · +0.1%
• By 2040: 51,780 · -0.3%
• By 2050: 51,085 · -1.7%
• By 2075: 47,418 · -8.7%
• By 2100: 39,464 · -24.0%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Diverse neighborhood (Simpson 0.63)
• Race & ethnicity: White 54% Hispanic / Latino 21% Black 18% Two or more races 10% Native American 4%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 18%
• Common ancestry: Lithuanian 3% Iranian 1% Italian 1%
• Foreign-born: 11% · Canada
• Languages at home: 81% English-only · Spanish 19%

Political lean MEDSL · Cherokee

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+62.7) · D 18.3% · R 80.9%
• 2008→2024 swing: -19.5pp toward R · 2008: -43.2pp · 2024: -62.7pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+62.7 2020: R+55.8 2016: R+56.5 2012: R+51.0 2008: R+43.2

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -0.56%
• Current HPI: 97.3516
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 3.95%
• F500 in state: 110

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in TX)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Energy	16	$1,198B
▸Technology	5	$198B
▸Engineering / Construction	4	$72B
▸Energy Services	3	$60B
▸Utilities	3	$41B
▸Healthcare	2	$330B

Price history

+0.0% since first listed

6 events — show timeline

• 2026-06-02 Pending — Deep East Texas MLS
• 2026-06-02 Listing Removed — HARMLS
• 2026-05-15 Listed $155,000 HARMLS
• 2026-05-15 Listed $155,000 Deep East Texas MLS
• 2012-03-06 Sold (Public Records) — Public Records
• 2007-07-17 Sold (Public Records) — Public Records

Property tax history

+7.2%/yr

Latest (2025): $3,285 · +0.1% YoY. Source: county tax records.