255 Fieldcrest Dr · Garden City, AL 35079

$129,900

1 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,008 sqft · SingleFamily · 125 Days on market

Built 1998 Fair condition 2.94 ac lot $129/sqft · at area comps Est $136k · at est.

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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 +19.7/30.0
• ARV discount +9.5/15.0
• DSCR +6.2/10.0
• 1% rule +5.2/10.0
• Schools +2.8/10.0
• Livability +2.7/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.2/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks MLS

Are you looking for a small cabin-like feel? This home is your get-a-way home. This home is sold As-Is and the price reflects any repairs. Buyer's home inspection is for buyer purposes only. Survey completed in February 2026

Key facts

• 2.94 acre lot
• Built 1998
• Listed 125 days

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 1-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $130k. Condition is rated fair.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $152 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $130k).
• Recommended offer: $114k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 53/100 on livability (#476 in AL) — a working-class tenant base; expect higher turnover. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime D, schools F, amenities F.
• Blount County (rural): math 20% / reading 45% proficiency, ranked #54 of 129 in AL (top 42%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Market conditions: 54 active listings in the ZIP; 13 units permitted in Blount County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $898 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Blount County population projected to shrink 8% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 125 days — a 12% lower offer ($114k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

• Climate carrying-cost: moderate wind risk, 25% chance of damaging wind over 30y; extreme-heat days projected 6→15/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $114,312 (12.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 125 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Have any recent inspections been done? Can we get a copy of the seller's disclosures and any deferred-maintenance estimates?
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 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?
6. 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?
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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: 1.02% ✓
• Cap rate: 7.70%
• Cash-on-cash: 5.03%
• DSCR: 1.22
• GRM: 8.1

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $136,000
• List price: $129,900
• Delta: -4.49%
• Verdict: FAIR
• Comps: 1 within 2.0 mi

Projected returns pro-forma

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

5-year hold

• IRR: -8.5%
• Equity multiple: 0.69×
• Total profit: $-11,322
• Equity at exit: $19,369

10-year hold

• IRR: 1.1%
• Equity multiple: 1.07×
• Total profit: $2,722
• Equity at exit: $11,231

Cash invested: $36,372 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Alabama: 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+15
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Right-to-evict in 7 days for non-payment; no rent control; preempted statewide; courts move quickly.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 35079

• Home prices YoY: -12.4%
• Active inventory: 54
• Price-to-rent: 8.1×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,329 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$681
• Tax est. 1.5%: −$162 /mo · $1,948/yr
• Insurance: −$54
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$279
• Net cashflow: $152

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,136

Max offer price $129,900

Occupancy floor 84%

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: $32,475
• Closing costs: $3,897
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 3 events

1. 2026-06-01
   statusdays on market $129,900 Pending 125 DOM
2. 2026-05-31
   days on market $129,900 Active 124 DOM
3. 2026-01-24
   listed $129,900 Active 224-char remark

   Show marketing remark (224 chars)

   Are you looking for a small cabin-like feel? This home is your get-a-way home. This home is sold As-Is and the price reflects any repairs. Buyer's home inspection is for buyer purposes only. Survey completed in February 2026

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

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 3/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 5/10 Major 6 d/yr ≥105°F today · 15 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 5/10 Major 25% 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: $15,951
• − Mortgage interest: −$7,276
• − Property taxes: −$1,948
• − Insurance: −$650
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,276
• − Management: −$1,276
• − Depreciation: −$3,779
• Taxable loss: −$254
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$61
• After-tax cash flow: $1,890/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.

Condition & rehab AI · 12 photos

Fair 45/100 Moderate rehab

This property requires moderate repairs and maintenance, with potential for significant value increase through exterior and interior updates.

Repairs flagged

• Moderate roof — visible wear
• Moderate exterior siding — visible wear
• Minor HVAC system — existing water heater

Value-add opportunities

• Both paint exterior and interior — enhances curb appeal and interior aesthetics
• Both landscaping and curb appeal — improves property's visual appeal
• Both roof repair — extends home's lifespan and improves appearance

Renovation cost estimate screening

Repair item	Severity	Est. cost
roof · visible wear	Moderate	$3,000–15,000
exterior siding · visible wear	Moderate	$3,000–15,000
HVAC system · existing water heater	Minor	$500–3,000
Total estimated repair cost · 3 items		$6,500–33,000

Value-add ROI direction

• Both paint exterior and interior — enhances curb appeal and interior aesthetics ↑
• Both landscaping and curb appeal — improves property's visual appeal ↑
• Both roof repair — extends home's lifespan and improves appearance ↑

ⓘ Cost ranges are severity-bucket heuristics (US national rule-of-thumb). Get contractor quotes + a written scope before underwriting a rehab budget.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Blount County
• NCES district ID: 0100420
• Math proficiency: 20% ▼ -25.00%
• Reading proficiency: 45% ▼ -1.00%
• Median HH income: $45,961
• Composite: 27.79/100
• National rank: #6891
• State rank: #54 of 129 in AL

Livability — Garden City

• Score: 53/100
• State rank: #476
• US rank: #24315

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• City population: 127
• Population (ZIP): 9,388

Population outlook (Blount County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 57,983 people
• By 2030: 57,405 · -1.0%
• By 2040: 55,602 · -4.1%
• By 2050: 53,393 · -7.9%
• By 2075: 48,248 · -16.8%
• By 2100: 44,190 · -23.8%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (93%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 93% Two or more races 3% Hispanic / Latino 2% Black 2%
• Common ancestry: Slovak 2% Italian 1% Serbian 1%
• Foreign-born: 1% · Canada
• Languages at home: 98% English-only · Spanish 1% Other Indo-European 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Blount

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+81.0) · D 9.2% · R 90.2%
• 2008→2024 swing: -11.5pp toward R · 2008: -69.5pp · 2024: -81.0pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+81.0 2020: R+80.0 2016: R+81.4 2012: R+74.1 2008: R+69.5

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -36.00%
• Current HPI: 255.3136
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.94%
• F500 in state: 4

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in AL)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Financial Services	1	$8B
▸Healthcare	1	$5B

Price history

1 event — show timeline

• 2026-01-24 Listed $129,900 Greater Alabama MLS