715 Wolcott St · Sparta, WI 54656

$149,900

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,782 sqft · SingleFamily · 4 Days on market

0.98 ac lot Est $257k · 42% 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 +30.0/30.0
• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• 1% rule +10.0/10.0
• DSCR +10.0/10.0
• Livability +3.9/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.3/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Charming 3-bedroom, 1.5 bath home situated on a spacious . 98-acre lot in a convenient Sparta location! This property offers plenty of room inside and out, featuring a large unfinished basement ready for your storage, workshop or future finishing ideas. Enjoy exceptional outdoor space with two impressive pole sheds, including a 27x27 pole shed with a 3-car overhead door and an additional 24x27 pole shed- perfect for vehicles, hobbies, equipment, or extra storage. The large lot provides endless possibilities for gardening, recreation, or entertaining. Don't miss this great opportunity with space to grow.

Key facts

• 27x27 pole shed
• Unfinished basement
• Two pole sheds

Tags

• UNFINISHED BASEMENT
• TWO POLE SHEDS
• 27X27 POLE SHED
• 24X27 POLE SHED
• SPACIOUS LOT

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Detached 3-car garage
• Utilities: Municipal water; Municipal sewer
• Home design: Single-family, 1-story home; Zoned RES; Year built: see remarks
• Construction: Vinyl and wood construction
• Exterior features: Vinyl and wood exterior; Sidewalks; Pole barn on property; Approximately 0.98-acre lot

Interior

• Kitchen: Kitchen (18 x 10); Appliances: Other
• Bedrooms: Primary bedroom on main level (21 x 17); Bedroom 2 on main level (8 x 11); Bedroom 3 on main level (18 x 11)
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom; 1 half bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Central air; Forced air; Natural gas heating
• Interior features: Partial basement (see remarks); Living room on main level; Family room on main level; Dining room on main level; Kitchen on main level

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $150k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $746 ($9k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $150k).
• Cap rate 12.3% vs local median 5.3% in Sparta — 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 77/100 on livability (#124 in WI, #3,230 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime D, amenities F, commute F.
• Sparta Area School District (town): math 22% / reading 30% proficiency, ranked #302 of 342 in WI (top 88%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Market conditions: 70 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 93 units permitted in Monroe 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 $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Monroe County population projected to shrink 9% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $42k cash investment doubles in ~6 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• Only 4 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.

Recommended offer $149,900

Questions for the listing agent

1. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
2. 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?
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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: 1.57% ✓
• Cap rate: 12.27%
• Cash-on-cash: 21.33%
• DSCR: 1.95
• GRM: 5.3

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $256,608
• Comps found: 12

Show comp detail 12 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
715 Wolcott St	0.00mi	3/1.5	1,782 (0%)	1mo	$135,000	$76	99
604 Wolcott St	0.14mi	3/1.0	1,680 (-6%)	17mo	$150,000	$89	68
623 Prairie Ave	0.29mi	3/2.5	1,700 (-5%)	13mo	$245,000	$144	64
9686 Halo Ave	0.56mi	3/2.0	1,800 (+1%)	10mo	$300,000	$167	62
606 E Franklin St	0.52mi	3/2.0	1,840 (+3%)	9mo	$325,000	$177	61
616 East Ave	0.17mi	4/3.0 (+1)	1,600 (-10%)	7mo	$275,000	$172	58
312 E Main St	0.55mi	3/1.5	1,900 (+7%)	8mo	$195,000	$103	57
510 S Court St	0.66mi	3/2.0	1,777 (-0%)	15mo	$205,000	$115	54
522 Monroe St	0.73mi	4/1.5 (+1)	1,700 (-5%)	11mo	$255,000	$150	44
307 N Benton St	0.71mi	2/1.0 (-1)	1,820 (+2%)	18mo	$207,500	$114	42
10097 Heather Ave	0.54mi	2/1.0 (-1)	1,940 (+9%)	14mo	$125,000	$64	41
412 N Rusk Ave	0.66mi	3/2.0	1,525 (-14%)	16mo	$296,000	$194	30

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

Projected returns pro-forma

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

5-year hold

• IRR: 13.9%
• Equity multiple: 1.56×
• Total profit: $23,316
• Equity at exit: $22,351

10-year hold

• IRR: 22.7%
• Equity multiple: 2.95×
• Total profit: $81,828
• Equity at exit: $12,961

Cash invested: $41,972 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 73 Landlord-Friendly
• State Wisconsin: 73 Landlord-Friendly · R+2
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

5-day notice; preempted; Madison / Milwaukee have some local enforcement.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 54656

• Active inventory: 70
• Price-to-rent: 5.3×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $2,350 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$786
• Tax from tax record: −$262 /mo · $3,141/yr
• Insurance: −$62
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$494
• Net cashflow: $746

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,405

Max offer price $149,900

Occupancy floor 63%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $831	-5% $789	+0% $746	+5% $704	+10% $661
Rent	-10% $561	-5% $653	+0% $746	+5% $839	+10% $932
Rate	-1.0pp $822	-0.5pp $784	base $746	+0.5pp $707	+1.0pp $668

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: $37,475
• Closing costs: $4,497
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 1 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
703 Stelting St Sparta, WI	3.0	2.0	1368	$2,350	$1.72	15d	1	0.96mi

Listing history 2 events

1. 2026-05-15
   status Pending
2. 2026-05-08
   listed $149,900 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 WI · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $3,141 · $262/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $3,141 · $262/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 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 2/10 Low 7 d/yr ≥100°F today · 14 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 1/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 0 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $28,200
• − Mortgage interest: −$8,397
• − Property taxes: −$3,141
• − Insurance: −$750
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$2,256
• − Management: −$2,256
• − Depreciation: −$4,361
• Taxable income: $7,040
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$1,690
• After-tax cash flow: $7,265/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: Sparta Area School District
• NCES district ID: 5514160
• Math proficiency: 22% ▼ -9.00%
• Reading proficiency: 30% ▼ -2.00%
• Median HH income: $51,340
• Composite: 22.99/100
• National rank: #7982
• State rank: #302 of 342 in WI

Livability — Sparta

• Score: 77/100
• State rank: #124
• US rank: #3230

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Sparta, WI
• Population (ZIP): 18,068

Population outlook (Monroe County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 45,682 people
• By 2030: 45,187 · -1.1%
• By 2040: 43,768 · -4.2%
• By 2050: 41,596 · -8.9%
• By 2075: 35,555 · -22.2%
• By 2100: 28,278 · -38.1%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (88%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 88% Hispanic / Latino 6% Two or more races 4% Black 2%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 5%
• Common ancestry: Portuguese 14% Romanian 4% Slovak 3%
• Foreign-born: 3% · Canada
• Languages at home: 94% English-only · Spanish 4% Other Indo-European 0%

Political lean MEDSL · Monroe

• 2024 margin: Strong R (+26.1) · D 36.3% · R 62.5% · Other 1.2%
• 2008→2024 swing: -34.1pp toward R · 2008: 8.0pp · 2024: -26.1pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+26.1 2020: R+23.6 2016: R+22.5 2012: R+0.7 2008: D+8.0

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -154.23%
• Current HPI: 214.4606
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.10%
• F500 in state: 20

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in WI)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Industrial Machinery	4	$23B
▸Industrial Technology	2	$36B
▸Insurance	1	$36B
▸Professional Services	1	$19B
▸Utilities	1	$9B
▸Consumer Goods	1	$3B

Price history

2 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-15 Pending — METROMLS
• 2026-05-08 Listed $149,900 METROMLS

Property tax history

+4.1%/yr

Latest (2025): $3,141 · +9.5% YoY. Source: county tax records.