301 Walnut St

Elkins, WV 26241

$49,900B

1 bd · 1.0 ba · 576 sqft · Built 1950 · SingleFamily · Active · 19 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $774/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$262
• Tax + insurance: −$83
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$163
• Net cashflow: $267/mo
• Annual: $3,204/yr
• Cap rate: 12.71%
• Cash-on-cash: 22.93%
• DSCR: 2.02
• 1% rule: 1.55%
• Cash to close: $13,972

Investor read

• This is a 1-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $50k. Condition is rated poor.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $267 ($3k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($774 rent vs $50k).
• It's been on market 19 days — a 2% lower offer ($49k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $49k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $345 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $1k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 74/100 on livability (#34 in WV, #4,824 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: commute F, employment F.
• Randolph County Schools (town): math 24% / reading 35% proficiency, ranked #33 of 55 in WV (top 60%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Elkins Third Ward Elementary School (math 32% / reading 37%, grade F, #148 of 377 statewide, top 49%, 305 students, 0% FRL); Elkins Middle School (math 17% / reading 32%, grade F, #84 of 109 statewide, top 81%, 569 students, 0% FRL); Elkins High School (math 27% / reading 47%, grade F, #32 of 110 statewide, top 34%, 783 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 47% district-wide (47 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1950 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 84 active listings in the ZIP; 3 units permitted in Randolph County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Randolph County population projected at -13% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $14k cash investment doubles in ~6 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 12.7% vs local median 3.7% in Elkins — 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

• Have any recent inspections been done? Can we get a copy of the seller's disclosures and any deferred-maintenance estimates?
• Built in 1950 — 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 B-rated — typically a magnet for longer-tenancy family renters. What's the average tenant stay here, and is there a school-zone premium baked into asking?
• 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.

Repairs flagged (vision-AI assessment)

• Major: Kitchen cabinets — Exposed concrete floor
• Major: Bathroom fixtures — Exposed concrete floor
• Major: Exterior siding — Vines growing on exterior walls
• Major: Landscaping — Overgrown landscaping