2301 Main St · Fort Benton, MT 59442

$60,000

4 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,022 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 2 Days on market

Built 1920 0.29 ac lot

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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
• Livability +3.7/5.0
• Schools +3.6/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Key facts

• 0.29 acre lot
• Built 1920
• Listed 2 days

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 4-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $60k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $525 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $60k).

Location & tenants

• Location reads 74/100 on livability (#40 in MT, #4,810 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: health & safety C-, amenities F, commute F.
• Fort Benton H S (rural): math 40% / reading 40% proficiency, ranked #146 of 339 in MT (top 43%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Market conditions: 32 active listings in the ZIP; 16 units permitted in Chouteau County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $415 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Chouteau County population projected at +8% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $17k cash investment doubles in ~4 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• Only 2 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: major flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $60,000

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1920 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
3. 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?
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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: 2.00% ✓
• Cap rate: 16.79%
• Cash-on-cash: 37.51%
• DSCR: 2.67
• GRM: 4.2

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

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

5-year hold

• IRR: 33.5%
• Equity multiple: 2.41×
• Total profit: $23,744
• Equity at exit: $8,946

10-year hold

• IRR: 40.4%
• Equity multiple: 4.80×
• Total profit: $63,833
• Equity at exit: $5,188

Cash invested: $16,800 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 82 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Montana: 82 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+11
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

30-day notice; no rent control; preempted; rural-skewed market.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 59442

• Home prices YoY: -11.4%
• Active inventory: 32
• Price-to-rent: 4.2×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,199 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$315
• Tax from tax record: −$83 /mo · $993/yr
• Insurance: −$25
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$252
• Net cashflow: $525

Break-even live

Break-even rent $535

Max offer price $60,000

Occupancy floor 51%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $559	-5% $542	+0% $525	+5% $508	+10% $491
Rent	-10% $430	-5% $478	+0% $525	+5% $572	+10% $620
Rate	-1.0pp $555	-0.5pp $540	base $525	+0.5pp $510	+1.0pp $494

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: $15,000
• Closing costs: $1,800
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 3 events

1. 2026-04-09
   status Pending
2. 2026-04-08
   listed $60,000 Active
3. 2009-03-09
   soldstatus

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

Tax reassessment forecast MT · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $993 · $83/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $993 · $83/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 6/10 Major 74% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 4/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥94°F today · 14 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 1/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 5/10 Major 8 unhealthy d/yr today · 9 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $14,392
• − Mortgage interest: −$3,361
• − Property taxes: −$993
• − Insurance: −$300
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,151
• − Management: −$1,151
• − Depreciation: −$1,745
• Taxable income: $5,690
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$1,366
• After-tax cash flow: $4,936/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: Fort Benton H S
• NCES district ID: 3011260
• Math proficiency: 40% ▬ 0.00%
• Reading proficiency: 40% ▬ 0.00%
• Median HH income: $43,454
• Composite: 36.3/100
• National rank: #9400
• State rank: #146 of 339 in MT

Livability — Fort Benton

• Score: 74/100
• State rank: #40
• US rank: #4810

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Fort Benton, MT
• Population (ZIP): 1,777

Population outlook (Chouteau County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 5,948 people
• By 2030: 6,042 · +1.6%
• By 2040: 6,221 · +4.6%
• By 2050: 6,433 · +8.2%
• By 2075: 7,265 · +22.1%
• By 2100: 7,340 · +23.4%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (89%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 89% Hispanic / Latino 8% Two or more races 4%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 8%
• Common ancestry: Italian 12% Portuguese 7% Scottish 3%
• Foreign-born: 2%
• Languages at home: 98% English-only · Spanish 1% German/W. Germanic 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Chouteau

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+32.2) · D 32.0% · R 64.2% · Other 3.7%
• 2008→2024 swing: -14.3pp toward R · 2008: -17.9pp · 2024: -32.2pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+32.2 2020: R+30.3 2016: R+36.8 2012: R+27.9 2008: R+17.9

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -34.06%
• Current HPI: 263.4728
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 3.41%
• F500 in state: 2

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in MT)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Technology / Analytics	1	$2B

Price history

3 events — show timeline

• 2026-04-09 Pending — MRMLS
• 2026-04-08 Listed $60,000 MRMLS
• 2009-03-09 Sold (Public Records) — Public Records

Property tax history

+3.6%/yr

Latest (2025): $993 · -19.7% YoY. Source: county tax records.