304 S 1st St · Van Buren, IN 46991

$109,900

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,736 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 24 Days on market

Built 1900 8,712 sqft lot Est $146k · 25% under

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Why this score? — see what drove the B+ 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 +27.1/30.0
• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• DSCR +9.4/10.0
• Appreciation +7.3/10.0
• 1% rule +6.2/10.0
• Schools +3.8/10.0
• Livability +3.0/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0

Listing remarks

Welcome home to the 3-bedroom property situated on a corner lot in the quiet town of Van Buren. This home offers the perfect blend of small-town living and everyday convenience. Inside, you'll find a comfortable layout with plenty of space to make your own. Outside, the large detached garage provides excellent room for vehicles, storage, hobbies, or a workshop setup. Enjoy peaceful evenings and the charm of a desirable corner lot location. Whether you're looking for your first home, downsizing, or adding to your investment portfolio, this property gives options.

Key facts

• Corner lot
• Detached garage
• 8,712 sq ft lot

Tags

• CORNER LOT
• DETACHED GARAGE

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Detached 2-car garage
• Security: Smoke detector(s)
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; Cable connected
• Home design: Single-family residence (site-built); One story; Entry level: main level
• Construction: Vinyl siding; Shingle roof; Built on crawl space
• Exterior features: Covered, enclosed porch; Corner lot

Interior

• Kitchen: Refrigerator; Electric range
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom (main level)
• Heating & cooling: Natural gas forced-air heating; No central cooling
• Interior features: Open floorplan; Crawl space basement
• Laundry & utility: Washer hookup (main level); Electric dryer hookup (main level); Electric water heater

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $110k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $313 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $110k).
• Recommended offer: $108k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 60/100 on livability (#529 in IN) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A-; Watch: health & safety C-, crime D, amenities F.
• Eastbrook Community School Corporation (rural): math 42% / reading 46% proficiency, ranked #98 of 301 in IN (top 33%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Eastbrook North Elementary (math 43% / reading 34%, grade F, #535 of 994 statewide, top 54%, 307 students, 52% FRL); Eastbrook Middle School (math 30% / reading 45%, grade F, #146 of 330 statewide, top 46%, 399 students, 48% FRL); Eastbrook High School (math 52% / reading 72%, grade B-, #41 of 369 statewide, top 12%, 509 students, 38% FRL).
• Market conditions: 9 active listings in the ZIP; 52 units permitted in Grant County in 2024 (8 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $6k of equity ($760 loan paydown + $5k appreciation (4.6% local appreciation)).
• Grant County population projected at -18% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (4.6% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $31k cash investment doubles in ~4 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 6, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$31k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 24 days — a 2% lower offer ($108k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $108,251 (1.5% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1900 — 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 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?
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: 1.12% ✓
• Cap rate: 9.71%
• Cash-on-cash: 12.20%
• DSCR: 1.54
• GRM: 7.4

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $145,824
• Comps found: 5

Show comp detail 5 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
111 W Penn St	0.39mi	3/1.0	1,864 (+7%)	6mo	$25,000	$13	65
618 S First St	0.28mi	3/1.5	1,792 (+3%)	18mo	$205,000	$114	64
809 W Main St	0.48mi	4/2.5 (+1)	1,800 (+4%)	13mo	$125,000	$69	50
722 N 1st St	0.53mi	3/2.0	1,966 (+13%)	18mo	$165,900	$84	34
708 W Main St	0.45mi	4/2.0 (+1)	1,484 (-14%)	19mo	$140,000	$94	30

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

Projected returns pro-forma

4.61% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 22.5%
• Equity multiple: 2.39×
• Total profit: $42,810
• Equity at exit: $59,721

10-year hold

• IRR: 22.2%
• Equity multiple: 4.68×
• Total profit: $113,320
• Equity at exit: $101,015

Cash invested: $30,772 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Indiana: 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+11
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

10-day pay-or-quit; landlord-favorable; preempted.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 46991

• Home prices YoY: 2.4%
• Active inventory: 9
• Price-to-rent: 7.4×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,235 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$576
• Tax from tax record: −$41 /mo · $492/yr
• Insurance: −$46
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$259
• Net cashflow: $313

Break-even live

Break-even rent $839

Max offer price $109,900

Occupancy floor 70%

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: $27,475
• Closing costs: $3,297
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 12 events

1. 2026-06-14
   statusdays on market $109,900 Pending 24 DOM
2. 2026-06-12
   days on market $109,900 Active 23 DOM
3. 2026-06-09
   days on market $109,900 Active 20 DOM
4. 2026-06-08
   days on market $109,900 Active 19 DOM
5. 2026-06-07
   days on market $109,900 Active 18 DOM
6. 2026-06-05
   days on market $109,900 Active 15 DOM
7. 2026-06-03
   days on market $109,900 Active 14 DOM
8. 2026-06-02
   days on market $109,900 Active 13 DOM
9. 2026-06-01
   days on market $109,900 Active 12 DOM
10. 2026-05-31
    days on market $109,900 Active 11 DOM
11. 2026-05-30
    days on market $109,900 Active 10 DOM
12. 2026-05-20
    listed $109,900 Active

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

Tax reassessment forecast IN · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $492 · $41/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $713 · $59/mo
• Expected delta: +$221/yr (+$18/mo · 44.9%)

ⓘ 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 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥100°F today · 18 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low 0% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 3/10 Moderate 2 unhealthy d/yr today · 3 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $14,825
• − Mortgage interest: −$6,156
• − Property taxes: −$492
• − Insurance: −$550
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,186
• − Management: −$1,186
• − Depreciation: −$3,197
• Taxable income: $2,058
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$494
• After-tax cash flow: $3,260/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: Eastbrook Community School Corporation
• NCES district ID: 1803030
• Math proficiency: 42% ▬ 0.00%
• Reading proficiency: 46% ▼ -1.00%
• Median HH income: $55,030
• Composite: 38.28/100
• National rank: #4234
• State rank: #98 of 301 in IN

Livability — Van Buren

• Score: 60/100
• State rank: #529
• US rank: #19010

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Van Buren, IN
• Population (ZIP): 1,657

Population outlook (Grant County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 64,394 people
• By 2030: 62,145 · -3.5%
• By 2040: 57,252 · -11.1%
• By 2050: 52,968 · -17.7%
• By 2075: 45,986 · -28.6%
• By 2100: 39,400 · -38.8%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (90%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 90% Two or more races 7% Hispanic / Latino 3%
• Common ancestry: Serbian 2% Slovak 1% Lithuanian 1%
• Foreign-born: 1% · Canada
• Languages at home: 98% English-only · Spanish 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Grant

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+41.8) · D 28.2% · R 70.0% · Other 1.9%
• 2008→2024 swing: -28.7pp toward R · 2008: -13.1pp · 2024: -41.8pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+41.8 2020: R+38.8 2016: R+39.5 2012: R+22.0 2008: R+13.1

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 4.61%
• Current HPI: 193.7506
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.90%
• F500 in state: 18

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in IN)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Industrial Machinery	2	$37B
▸Healthcare	1	$177B
▸Pharmaceuticals	1	$45B
▸Metals / Steel	1	$18B
▸Agriculture	1	$17B
▸Packaging	1	$12B

Price history

1 event — show timeline

• 2026-05-20 Listed $109,900 IRMLS

Property tax history

+53.0%/yr

Latest (2025): $492 · +20.2% YoY. Source: county tax records.