Investing in Mercer County
Mercer County covers 2 rental markets we actively finance in West Virginia — Bluefield, Princeton. Across those markets the median investment basis averages $127,500, a long-term lease averages $1,150/month, and the average all-in PITIA on a DSCR loan at the minimum down payment is $825. That produces a county-wide average DSCR ratio near 1.40x.
Basis varies more inside Mercer County than the average suggests. Bluefield is the lowest entry point at roughly $110,000, while Bluefield currently models the strongest coverage ratio in the county at 1.44x. When two towns in the same county ratio differently, it is almost always the rent-to-price relationship rather than the rate — the same loan pricing applies county-wide, so the deal is won on which submarket you buy in.