608 E Elm St

Algona, IA 50511

$87,000C

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,087 sqft · Built 1928 · SingleFamily · Pending · 232 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $846/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$456
• Tax + insurance: −$118
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$178
• Net cashflow: $94/mo
• Annual: $1,131/yr
• Cap rate: 7.59%
• Cash-on-cash: 4.64%
• DSCR: 1.21
• 1% rule: 0.97%
• Cash to close: $24,360

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $87k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $94 ($1k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $85k (2.8% below list).
• It's been on market 232 days — a 12% lower offer ($77k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $77k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $601 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 79/100 on livability (#98 in IA, #2,006 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: schools A+, crime A+, cost of living A+; Watch: employment D+, amenities F, commute F.
• Algona Community School District (town): math 65% / reading 70% proficiency, ranked #170 of 289 in IA (top 59%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Watch-outs: built in 1928 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 50 active listings in the ZIP; 6 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 44d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 100% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 15 units permitted in Kossuth County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Kossuth County population projected to shrink 6% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• Current owner paid $50k; list at $87k implies a 74% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Cap rate 7.6% vs local median 3.7% in Algona — 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

• It's been on market 232 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1928 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are A-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.