225 Bell St · Lynchburg, VA 24501

$137,900

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 838 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 103 Days on market

Built 1941 6,251 sqft lot $165/sqft · 14% below area Est $161k · 14% 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 +16.4/30.0
• ARV discount +14.0/15.0
• DSCR +5.1/10.0
• Livability +4.5/5.0
• Schools +4.0/10.0
• 1% rule +3.5/10.0
• Rent growth +2.8/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks MLS

Welcome to 225 Bell St! A charming bungalow home in a great location! Located off of 221 in Lynchburg this home has easy access to the University of Lynchburg, making it a great rental opportunity. Don't wait to schedule your showing!

Key facts

• 6,251 sq ft lot
• Built 1941
• Listed 102 days

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $138k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $77 ($929/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 $117k (15.1% below list).
• Recommended offer: $117k (15.1% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Cap rate 7.0% vs local median 4.0% in Lynchburg — 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 91/100 on livability (#1 in VA, #58 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: crime C-, employment D+.
• Lynchburg City Public School District (urban): math 36% / reading 61% proficiency, ranked #104 of 131 in VA (top 79%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 61% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Perrymont Elementary (math 27% / reading 42%, grade F, #966 of 1,108 statewide, top 89%, 337 students, 95% FRL); Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle For Innovation (math 37% / reading 66%, grade C, #222 of 342 statewide, top 65%, 531 students, 95% FRL); E.C. Glass High (math 42% / reading 84%, grade B-, #223 of 319 statewide, top 70%, 1,325 students, 92% FRL) — zoned schools average 94% FRL vs 61% district-wide (33 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+1.1%/yr); 221 active listings in the ZIP; 28 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 23d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 472 units permitted in Lynchburg city in 2024 (240 in 5+ unit buildings).
• This rent runs 33% of the median local income ($42k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $953 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Lynchburg County population projected at +37% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 103 days — a 9% lower offer ($125k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Current owner paid $74k; list at $138k implies a 87% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1941 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→18/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $117,074 (15.1% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 103 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 15% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Built in 1941 — 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 A-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: 0.85% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.97%
• Cash-on-cash: 2.40%
• DSCR: 1.11
• GRM: 9.8

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $161,206
• List price: $137,900
• Delta: -14.46%
• Verdict: UNDERPRICED
• Comps: 20 within 1.0 mi

Show comp detail 12 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
3400 College Dr	0.09mi	2/1.0	802 (-4%)	6mo	$169,900	$212	84
209 College Dr	0.24mi	3/1.0 (+1)	853 (+2%)	3mo	$154,900	$182	78
3211 Richmond St	0.16mi	2/1.0	755 (-10%)	2mo	$179,900	$238	74
490 Oakley Ave	0.36mi	2/1.0	896 (+7%)	7mo	$155,000	$173	66
411 Newberne St	0.23mi	2/2.0	927 (+11%)	2mo	$200,000	$216	66
1200 Brandon Rd	0.65mi	2/1.0	846 (+1%)	6mo	$169,900	$201	64
623 Hood St	0.40mi	2/1.0	775 (-8%)	9mo	$143,000	$185	62
1012 N Grand Ave	0.54mi	2/1.0	884 (+6%)	8mo	$149,900	$170	59
612 Thomas Rd	0.51mi	2/1.0	742 (-12%)	2mo	$105,000	$142	56
3508 Joel St	0.66mi	2/1.0	786 (-6%)	8mo	$190,000	$242	52
701 Mansfield Ave	0.57mi	3/2.0 (+1)	910 (+9%)	5mo	$182,000	$200	46
718 Kenbridge Rd	0.70mi	2/1.0	742 (-12%)	3mo	$176,696	$238	46

Match score weights: distance 35% · size 25% · config 20% · recency 20%. Top-matched comps best support the ARV.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 1.15% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -14.4%
• Equity multiple: 0.49×
• Total profit: $-19,604
• Equity at exit: $20,561

10-year hold

• IRR: -8.7%
• Equity multiple: 0.50×
• Total profit: $-19,377
• Equity at exit: $11,923

Cash invested: $38,612 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 55 Moderately Landlord-Leaning
• State Virginia: 55 Moderately Landlord-Leaning · D+2
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

VRLTA gives some tenant protections; Northern Virginia courts slower; rural VA landlord-leaning.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 24501

• Rents YoY: 1.1%
• Active inventory: 221
• Price-to-rent: 9.8×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,171 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$723
• Tax from tax record: −$67 /mo · $803/yr
• Insurance: −$57
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$246
• Net cashflow: $77

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,073

Max offer price $137,900

Occupancy floor 88%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $155	-5% $116	+0% $77	+5% $38	+10% $-1
Rent	-10% $-15	-5% $31	+0% $77	+5% $124	+10% $170
Rate	-1.0pp $147	-0.5pp $112	base $77	+0.5pp $42	+1.0pp $5

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: $34,475
• Closing costs: $4,137
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 28 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
202 Macon St Lynchburg, VA	2.0	1.0	645	$1,195	$1.85	45d	1	0.24mi
106 Yeardley Ave Unit B Lynchburg, VA	3.0	1.0	1060	$895	$0.84	22d	1	0.41mi
540 Monticello Ave Unit B Lynchburg, VA	2.0	1.0	900	$995	$1.11	22d	1	0.46mi
803 Mansfield Ave Lynchburg, VA	2.0	1.0	900	$1,300	$1.44	22d	1	0.55mi
1218 Shirley Rd Lynchburg, VA	2.0	1.0	742	$950	$1.28	22d	1	0.58mi
216 Kenyon St Lynchburg, VA	2.0	1.0	1114	$995	$0.89	45d	1	0.68mi
4067 Fort Ave Unit 3 Lynchburg, VA	2.0	1.0	950	$995	$1.05	22d	1	0.76mi
4300 Tremont St Lynchburg, VA	3.0	1.0	1122	$1,200	$1.07	45d	1	0.81mi
905 Centerdale St Lynchburg, VA	2.0	1.0	780	$895	$1.15	14d	1	0.81mi
318 Wadsworth St Lynchburg, VA	3.0	1.0	943	$995	$1.06	22d	1	0.88mi
2734 Fort Ave Lynchburg, VA	1.0–2.0	1.0–2.0	875	$1,450	$1.66	45d	1	0.88mi
317 Grove St Unit A Lynchburg, VA	2.0	1.0	900	$895	$0.99	45d	1	0.90mi
4607 Fairmont Ave Lynchburg, VA	3.0	1.0	1001	$1,650	$1.65	22d	1	0.92mi
2245 Landover Pl Lynchburg, VA	1.0–3.0	1.0–1.5	925	$870	$0.94	45d	2	0.93mi
4647 Ferncliff Dr Lynchburg, VA	2.0	2.0	1034	$1,800	$1.74	45d	1	0.95mi
2121 Langhorne Rd Unit 11041092SF 2BR/2BA Lynchburg, VA	2.0	2.0	1092	$1,495	$1.37	22d	1	0.97mi
2121 Langhorne Rd Unit 1103756SF 1BR/1BA Lynchburg, VA	1.0	1.0	756	$1,225	$1.62	22d	1	0.97mi
1320 Saint Cloud Ave Lynchburg, VA	3.0	1.0	960	$1,550	$1.61	45d	1	0.98mi
2121 Langhorne Rd Lynchburg, VA	1.0	1.0	983	$1,475	$1.50	45d	1	0.99mi
2107 Park Ave Unit 4 Lynchburg, VA	2.0	1.0	800	$785	$0.98	14d	1	1.05mi
1625 Shaffer St Lynchburg, VA	2.0	1.0	895	$850	$0.95	45d	1	1.09mi
2021 Rose Ln Lynchburg, VA	2.0	1.0	836	$1,095	$1.31	22d	1	1.12mi
2336 Aragon St Lynchburg, VA	2.0	1.0	1042	$995	$0.95	14d	1	1.22mi
1400 Weeping Willow Dr Apt A Lynchburg, VA	1.0–3.0	1.0–2.0	1003	$1,286	$1.28	14d	12	1.25mi
1009 Lindsay St Lynchburg, VA	3.0	2.0	1050	$1,800	$1.71	45d	1	1.25mi
1705 1st St Unit A Lynchburg, VA	2.0	1.0	1100	$1,395	$1.27	22d	1	1.35mi
1401 Kemper St Lynchburg, VA	2.0–3.0	2.0	1118	$707	$0.63	22d	6	1.39mi
302 Fleetwood Dr Lynchburg, VA	2.0	1.0	856	$995	$1.16	22d	1	1.50mi

Listing history 22 events

1. 2026-06-21
   days on market $137,900 Active 103 DOM
2. 2026-06-19
   days on market $137,900 Active 101 DOM
3. 2026-06-18
   days on market $137,900 Active 100 DOM
4. 2026-06-17
   days on market $137,900 Active 99 DOM
5. 2026-06-17
   price $137,900 Active 98 DOM
6. 2026-06-16
   days on market $139,900 Active 98 DOM
7. 2026-06-15
   days on market $139,900 Active 97 DOM
8. 2026-06-14
   days on market $139,900 Active 95 DOM
9. 2026-06-13
   days on market $139,900 Active 94 DOM
10. 2026-06-10
    days on market $139,900 Active 92 DOM
11. 2026-06-09
    days on market $139,900 Active 91 DOM
12. 2026-06-08
    days on market $139,900 Active 90 DOM
13. 2026-06-07
    days on market $139,900 Active 89 DOM
14. 2026-06-03
    days on market $139,900 Active 85 DOM
15. 2026-06-02
    days on market $139,900 Active 84 DOM
16. 2026-06-01
    days on market $139,900 Active 83 DOM
17. 2026-05-31
    days on market $139,900 Active 82 DOM
18. 2026-05-30
    days on market $139,900 Active 81 DOM
19. 2026-03-10
    listed $139,900 Active 234-char remark

    Show marketing remark (234 chars)

    Welcome to 225 Bell St! A charming bungalow home in a great location! Located off of 221 in Lynchburg this home has easy access to the University of Lynchburg, making it a great rental opportunity. Don't wait to schedule your showing!

20. 2018-08-01
    soldstatus $73,900
21. 1974-08-01
    soldstatus $15,300
22. 1972-05-17
    soldstatus $11,500

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

Tax reassessment forecast VA · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $803 · $67/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,131 · $94/mo
• Expected delta: +$328/yr (+$27/mo · 40.9%)

ⓘ 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 ≥101°F today · 18 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low 3% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $14,049
• − Mortgage interest: −$7,725
• − Property taxes: −$803
• − Insurance: −$690
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,124
• − Management: −$1,124
• − Depreciation: −$4,012
• Taxable loss: −$1,427
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$343
• After-tax cash flow: $1,271/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: Lynchburg City Public School District
• NCES district ID: 5102340
• Math proficiency: 36% ▼ -38.00%
• Reading proficiency: 61% ▼ -8.00%
• Median HH income: $39,097
• Composite: 40.4/100
• National rank: #3730
• State rank: #104 of 131 in VA

Livability — Lynchburg

• Score: 91/100
• State rank: #1
• US rank: #58

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Lynchburg, VA
• County: Lynchburg City · 97,036 people
• City population: 97,036
• Metro: Lynchburg, VA
• Population (ZIP): 25,006
• Household income: $42,222
• Rent vs Own: 53.0% rent · 47.0% own
• Severe rent burden: 1717.0

Population outlook (Lynchburg County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 87,977 people
• By 2030: 93,626 · +6.4%
• By 2040: 106,145 · +20.7%
• By 2050: 120,783 · +37.3%
• By 2075: 162,249 · +84.4%
• By 2100: 191,358 · +117.5%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Diverse neighborhood (Simpson 0.55)
• Race & ethnicity: White 58% Black 34% Two or more races 4% Hispanic / Latino 3%
• Common ancestry: Slovak 1% Italian 1% Serbian 1%
• Foreign-born: 3% · Canada
• Languages at home: 96% English-only · Spanish 2%

Political lean MEDSL · Lynchburg

• 2024 margin: Lean R (+7.9) · D 45.4% · R 53.3% · Other 1.3%
• 2008→2024 swing: -3.9pp toward R · 2008: -4.0pp · 2024: -7.9pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+7.9 2020: D+2.6 2016: R+9.0 2012: R+10.6 2008: R+4.0

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -131.06%
• Current HPI: 223.6839
• Rent YoY: ▲ 1.15%
• Metro: Lynchburg, VA
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.40%
• F500 in state: 50

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in VA)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Aerospace / Defense	4	$236B
▸Technology / Defense	3	$32B
▸Financial Services	2	$176B
▸Utilities	2	$27B
▸Insurance	2	$25B
▸Technology	2	$15B

Price history

+1116.5% since first listed

4 events — show timeline

• 2026-03-10 Listed $139,900 LMLS
• 2018-08-01 Sold (Public Records) $73,900 Public Records
• 1974-08-01 Sold (Public Records) $15,300 Public Records
• 1972-05-17 Sold (Public Records) $11,500 Public Records

Property tax history

+0.0%/yr

Latest (2018): $803 · +0.0% YoY. Source: county tax records.