193 Halpine St

Morgantown, WV 26505

$68,000B

1 bd · 0.5 ba · 392 sqft · Built 1945 · SingleFamily · Active · 16 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $871/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$357
• Tax + insurance: −$66
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$183
• Net cashflow: $265/mo
• Annual: $3,185/yr
• Cap rate: 10.98%
• Cash-on-cash: 16.73%
• DSCR: 1.74
• 1% rule: 1.28%
• Cash to close: $19,040

Investor read

• This is a 1-bed/0.5-bath single-family listed at $68k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $265 ($3k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($871 rent vs $68k).
• It's been on market 16 days — a 2% lower offer ($67k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $67k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $470 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 84/100 on livability (#5 in WV, #674 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: employment D-.
• Monongalia County Schools (urban): math 45% / reading 53% proficiency, ranked #1 of 55 in WV (top 2%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Brookhaven Elementary School (math 49% / reading 56%, grade C-, #38 of 377 statewide, top 10%, 571 students, 0% FRL); South Middle School (math 33% / reading 48%, grade F, #16 of 109 statewide, top 16%, 755 students, 0% FRL); Morgantown High School (math 49% / reading 73%, grade C+, #2 of 110 statewide, top 1%, 1,859 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 32% district-wide (32 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1945 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.5%/yr); 123 active listings in the ZIP; 23 units permitted in Monongalia County in 2024 (15 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Monongalia County population projected at +38% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 5.5% rent growth), your $19k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 11.0% vs local median 3.1% in Morgantown — 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 1945 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• 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?
• 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.
• 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.