524 Warwood Ave

Wheeling, WV 26003

$24,000D+

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,908 sqft · Built 1915 · SingleFamily · Active · 29 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,238/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$126
• Tax + insurance: −$96
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$260
• Net cashflow: $757/mo
• Annual: $9,083/yr
• Cap rate: 46.92%
• Cash-on-cash: 145.08%
• DSCR: 7.46
• 1% rule: 5.16%
• Cash to close: $6,720

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $24k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $757 ($9k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $24k).
• It's been on market 29 days — a 2% lower offer ($24k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $24k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $166 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $720 of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 69/100 on livability (#74 in WV) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A-; Watch: crime F, amenities F, commute F.
• Ohio County Schools (urban): math 34% / reading 49% proficiency, ranked #5 of 55 in WV (top 9%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Warwood School (math 22% / reading 34%, grade F, #259 of 377 statewide, top 69%, 516 students, 0% FRL); Wheeling Park High School (math 27% / reading 57%, grade F, #14 of 110 statewide, top 16%, 1,490 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 44% district-wide (44 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $56/mo; built in 1915 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.0%/yr); 223 active listings in the ZIP; 2 units permitted in Ohio County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Ohio County population projected at -17% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 2 sale attempts since 7y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $45k (65%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $7k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: major flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 46.9% vs local median 4.3% in Wheeling — 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 1915 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
• 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?
• 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?
• 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?
• 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.