138 Southern Hts · Sweetwater, TX 79556

$160,000

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,109 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 6 Days on market

Built 1962 1.58 ac lot

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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 +21.9/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• DSCR +7.0/10.0
• 1% rule +5.0/10.0
• Livability +3.3/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.3/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Country Living at Its Finest – Welcome to this charming 3-bedroom, 1-bath farmhouse nestled on 1.58 acres in Sweetwater, Texas. Perched on a gentle hill in Nolan County, this rural property offers breathtaking panoramic views and those unforgettable West Texas sunsets right from your back porch. This move-in ready country home features a stalled barn, an additional barn or shed, and a storage shed — everything you need to enjoy the wide-open rural lifestyle West Texas is known for. Whether you're looking to keep horses, livestock, chickens, or simply soak in the peace and quiet, this affordable acreage property delivers. Located in Sweetwater TX 79556 with easy access to I-20, t

Key facts

• Storage shed
• Panoramic views
• Stalled barn

Tags

• STALLED BARN
• ADDITIONAL BARN
• STORAGE SHED
• PANORAMIC VIEWS
• ACREAGE PROPERTY
• EASY ACCESS TO I-20

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Attached carport; 1-car carport
• Utilities: Public water; Septic sewer
• Home design: Residential property; Built in 1962; Pillar/post/pier foundation; Metal roof
• Construction: Vinyl siding
• Exterior features: Fenced backyard; Storage; Barns, stables, and sheds on the property; Cul-de-sac lot

Interior

• Kitchen: Dishwasher; Microwave
• Bedrooms: Up to 3 bedrooms (possible)
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Central heating (electric); Central air conditioning (electric)
• Interior features: Tub with shower; Kitchen and dining combined; Six total rooms

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $160k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $253 ($3k/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 $160k (0.3% below list).
• Recommended offer: $160k (0.3% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Cap rate 8.2% vs local median 6.1% in Sweetwater — 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 66/100 on livability (#640 in TX) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime D+, amenities F, commute F.
• Sweetwater ISD (town): math 27% / reading 29% proficiency, ranked #681 of 826 in TX (top 82%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Southeast El (265 students, 87% FRL); Sweetwater H S (math 22% / reading 32%, grade F, #1,204 of 1,632 statewide, top 75%, 545 students, 64% FRL) — zoned schools average 75% FRL vs 55% district-wide (20 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Market conditions: 108 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 15 units permitted in Nolan 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 $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Nolan County population projected at +4% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.

Negotiation context

• Only 6 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.

Risks & watch-outs

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

Recommended offer $159,500 (0.3% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1962 — 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. Schools are F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
4. 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?
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: 1.00% ✗
• Cap rate: 8.19%
• Cash-on-cash: 6.78%
• DSCR: 1.30
• GRM: 8.4

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: -5.9%
• Equity multiple: 0.78×
• Total profit: $-9,834
• Equity at exit: $23,857

10-year hold

• IRR: 3.7%
• Equity multiple: 1.27×
• Total profit: $12,058
• Equity at exit: $13,834

Cash invested: $44,800 (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 79556

• Active inventory: 108
• Price-to-rent: 8.4×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,595 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$839
• Tax from tax record: −$101 /mo · $1,213/yr
• Insurance: −$67
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$335
• Net cashflow: $253

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,274

Max offer price $160,000

Occupancy floor 79%

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: $40,000
• Closing costs: $4,800
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 1 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
1310 Bell St Sweetwater, TX	3.0	2.0	1305	$1,595	$1.22	43d	1	0.97mi

Listing history 8 events

1. 2026-06-07
   statusdays on market $160,000 Pending 6 DOM
2. 2026-06-03
   days on market $160,000 Active 5 DOM
3. 2026-06-02
   days on market $160,000 Active 4 DOM
4. 2026-06-01
   days on market $160,000 Active 3 DOM
5. 2026-05-31
   days on market $160,000 Active 2 DOM
6. 2026-05-29
   listed $160,000 Active
7. 1986-04-25
   soldstatus
8. 1985-08-15
   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: $1,213 · $101/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $2,928 · $244/mo
• Expected delta: +$1,715/yr (+$143/mo · 141.4%)

ⓘ 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 · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 9/10 Extreme
• 🌡 Heat 6/10 Major 7 d/yr ≥103°F today · 20 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 4/10 Moderate 9% 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: $19,140
• − Mortgage interest: −$8,962
• − Property taxes: −$1,213
• − Insurance: −$800
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,531
• − Management: −$1,531
• − Depreciation: −$4,655
• Taxable income: $448
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$107
• After-tax cash flow: $2,932/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: Sweetwater ISD
• NCES district ID: 4842030
• Math proficiency: 27% ▼ -11.00%
• Reading proficiency: 29% ▼ -4.00%
• Median HH income: $37,599
• Composite: 23.36/100
• National rank: #7912
• State rank: #681 of 826 in TX

Livability — Sweetwater

• Score: 66/100
• State rank: #640
• US rank: #12189

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• City population: 12,593
• Population (ZIP): 12,593

Population outlook (Nolan County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 15,048 people
• By 2030: 15,043 · +-0.0%
• By 2040: 15,235 · +1.2%
• By 2050: 15,603 · +3.7%
• By 2075: 16,528 · +9.8%
• By 2100: 16,427 · +9.2%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Diverse neighborhood (Simpson 0.58)
• Race & ethnicity: White 53% Hispanic / Latino 38% Two or more races 19% Black 4%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 35%
• Common ancestry: Slovak 1% Italian 1% Lithuanian 1%
• Foreign-born: 4% · Canada, Dominican Republic
• Languages at home: 77% English-only · Spanish 22%

Political lean MEDSL · Nolan

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+59.2) · D 19.9% · R 79.2%
• 2008→2024 swing: -20.4pp toward R · 2008: -38.8pp · 2024: -59.2pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+59.2 2020: R+55.4 2016: R+53.2 2012: R+45.1 2008: R+38.8

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -129.76%
• Current HPI: 123.8718
• 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

3 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-29 Listed $160,000 HARMLS
• 1986-04-25 Sold (Public Records) — Public Records
• 1985-08-15 Sold (Public Records) — Public Records

Property tax history

+6.0%/yr

Latest (2025): $1,213 · -5.4% YoY. Source: county tax records.