417 Union St · Bluefield, WV 24701

$40,000

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,800 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 38 Days on market

Built 1916 ↓ 38% since listing

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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 +30.0/30.0
• 1% rule +10.0/10.0
• DSCR +10.0/10.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• Appreciation +6.7/10.0
• Livability +2.8/5.0
• Schools +2.6/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0

Listing remarks

Will update info as we go through the house. We are currently living here looking to relocate.

Key facts

• Built 1916
• Listed 37 days

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $40k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $595 ($7k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $40k).
• Recommended offer: $39k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 25.8% vs local median 5.2% in Bluefield — 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 56/100 on livability (#265 in WV) — a working-class tenant base; expect higher turnover. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime D+, amenities F, commute F.
• Mercer County Schools (town): math 26% / reading 37% proficiency, ranked #28 of 55 in WV (top 51%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Bluefield Intermediate School (math 24% / reading 34%, grade F, #258 of 377 statewide, top 68%, 289 students, 0% FRL); Bluefield Middle School (math 21% / reading 35%, grade F, #66 of 109 statewide, top 63%, 467 students, 0% FRL); Bluefield High School (math 22% / reading 47%, grade F, #42 of 110 statewide, top 47%, 608 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 54% district-wide (54 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Market conditions: 52 active listings in the ZIP; 4 units permitted in Mercer County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $2k of equity ($277 loan paydown + $1k appreciation (3.4% local appreciation)).
• Mercer County population projected at -18% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (3.4% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $11k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 38 days — a 3% lower offer ($39k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: flood insurance adds $56/mo; built in 1916 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: severe flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $38,800 (3.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 38 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Built in 1916 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. What's the actual annual flood-insurance premium (NFIP or private), and is the property in a SFHA with mandatory coverage?
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: 2.84% ✓
• Cap rate: 25.80%
• Cash-on-cash: 69.65%
• DSCR: 4.10
• GRM: 2.9

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $162,000
• Comps found: 9

Show comp detail 9 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
235 Mountain View Ave	0.24mi	3/1.5	1,668 (-7%)	14mo	$159,900	$96	63
501 Parkway	0.34mi	3/1.5	1,768 (-2%)	24mo	$180,000	$102	60
328 Union	0.15mi	3/1.0	1,580 (-12%)	18mo	$7,000	$4	58
504 Monterey Hl	0.23mi	3/1.5	2,019 (+12%)	24mo	$130,000	$64	47
2712 Clovis St	0.59mi	3/2.0	1,839 (+2%)	22mo	$199,900	$109	47
213 Ridgecrest Rd	0.68mi	2/2.0 (-1)	1,842 (+2%)	17mo	$195,000	$106	41
2611 Valley View Ave	0.48mi	4/2.0 (+1)	1,944 (+8%)	21mo	$145,000	$75	38
2808 Clovis St	0.63mi	2/1.5 (-1)	1,606 (-11%)	11mo	$139,000	$87	37
2801 Tolosa St	0.66mi	3/2.5	1,560 (-13%)	24mo	$140,000	$90	22

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

Projected returns pro-forma

3.42% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 68.9%
• Equity multiple: 4.90×
• Total profit: $43,625
• Equity at exit: $18,948

10-year hold

• IRR: 68.1%
• Equity multiple: 10.03×
• Total profit: $101,183
• Equity at exit: $29,972

Cash invested: $11,200 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State West Virginia: 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+22
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Landlord-favorable; preempted; minimal protections.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 24701

• Home prices YoY: 1.6%
• Active inventory: 52
• Price-to-rent: 2.9×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,137 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$210
• Tax from tax record: −$22 /mo · $259/yr
• Insurance: −$17
• Flood insurance flood zone: −$56 /mo · $666/yr
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$239
• Net cashflow: $595

Break-even live

Break-even rent $384

Max offer price $40,000

Occupancy floor 43%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $617	-5% $606	+0% $595	+5% $583	+10% $572
Rent	-10% $505	-5% $550	+0% $595	+5% $639	+10% $684
Rate	-1.0pp $615	-0.5pp $605	base $595	+0.5pp $584	+1.0pp $574

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: $10,000
• Closing costs: $1,200
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 17 events

1. 2026-06-19
   days on market $40,000 Active 38 DOM
2. 2026-06-18
   days on market $40,000 Active 37 DOM
3. 2026-06-17
   days on market $40,000 Active 36 DOM
4. 2026-06-16
   days on market $40,000 Active 35 DOM
5. 2026-06-15
   days on market $40,000 Active 34 DOM
6. 2026-06-14
   days on market $40,000 Active 32 DOM
7. 2026-06-12
   days on market $40,000 Active 31 DOM
8. 2026-06-09
   days on market $40,000 Active 28 DOM
9. 2026-06-08
   days on market $40,000 Active 27 DOM
10. 2026-06-07
    days on market $40,000 Active 26 DOM
11. 2026-06-05
    days on market $40,000 Active 23 DOM
12. 2026-06-02
    days on market $40,000 Active 21 DOM
13. 2026-06-01
    days on market $40,000 Active 20 DOM
14. 2026-05-31
    days on market $40,000 Active 19 DOM
15. 2026-05-30
    days on market $40,000 Active 18 DOM
16. 2026-05-12
    listed $40,000 Active
17. 2020-02-27
    soldstatus $65,000

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

Tax reassessment forecast WV · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $259 · $22/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $259 · $22/mo
• Expected delta: $0/yr ($0/mo · 0.0%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 9/10 Extreme FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 99% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 3/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 2/10 Low 7 d/yr ≥91°F today · 21 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low 0% 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: $13,642
• − Mortgage interest: −$2,241
• − Property taxes: −$259
• − Insurance: −$866
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,091
• − Management: −$1,091
• − Depreciation: −$1,164
• Taxable income: $6,930
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$1,663
• After-tax cash flow: $5,472/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: Mercer County Schools
• NCES district ID: 5400840
• Math proficiency: 26% ▼ -13.00%
• Reading proficiency: 37% ▼ -6.00%
• Median HH income: $35,064
• Composite: 25.98/100
• National rank: #7325
• State rank: #28 of 55 in WV

Livability — Bluefield

• Score: 56/100
• State rank: #265
• US rank: #22470

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Bluefield, WV
• County: Mercer County · 33,615 people
• City population: 17,117
• Metro: Bluefield, WV-VA
• Population (ZIP): 17,117
• Household income: $50,455
• Rent vs Own: 31.5% rent · 68.5% own
• Severe rent burden: 302.0

Population outlook (Mercer County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 57,860 people
• By 2030: 55,781 · -3.6%
• By 2040: 51,365 · -11.2%
• By 2050: 47,476 · -17.9%
• By 2075: 38,851 · -32.9%
• By 2100: 30,053 · -48.1%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (82%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 82% Black 9% Two or more races 7% Hispanic / Latino 2%
• Common ancestry: Slovak 2% Serbian 1% Danish 1%
• Foreign-born: 1%
• Languages at home: 96% English-only · Spanish 3%

Political lean MEDSL · Mercer

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+57.3) · D 20.6% · R 77.9% · Other 1.5%
• 2008→2024 swing: -29.8pp toward R · 2008: -27.6pp · 2024: -57.3pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+57.3 2020: R+54.4 2016: R+55.3 2012: R+47.1 2008: R+27.6

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 3.42%
• Current HPI: 215.9682
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: Bluefield, WV-VA
• State GDP YoY: —
• F500 in state: 0

Price history

-38.5% since first listed

2 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-12 Listed $40,000 FSBO.com
• 2020-02-27 Sold (Public Records) $65,000 Public Records

Property tax history

-8.0%/yr

Latest (2025): $259 · +7.1% YoY. Source: county tax records.