2906 A St

Rock Falls, IL 61071

$27,000D

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,152 sqft · Built 1977 · SingleFamily · Pending · 58 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,230/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$142
• Tax + insurance: −$44
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$258
• Net cashflow: $787/mo
• Annual: $9,441/yr
• Cap rate: 41.26%
• Cash-on-cash: 124.88%
• DSCR: 6.56
• 1% rule: 4.56%
• Cash to close: $7,560

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $27k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $787 ($9k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $27k).
• It's been on market 58 days — a 3% lower offer ($26k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $26k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $187 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $810 of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 65/100 on livability (#607 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A, health & safety B; Watch: crime F, amenities F, commute F.
• Rock Falls Twp Hsd 301 (town): math 10% / reading 30% proficiency, ranked #726 of 919 in IL (top 79%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Rock Falls Township High School (math 22% / reading 32%, grade F, #218 of 693 statewide, top 35%, 566 students, 0% FRL).
• Market conditions: 43 active listings in the ZIP; 19 units permitted in Whiteside County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Whiteside County population projected at -21% 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 $8k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 41.3% vs local median 4.9% in Rock Falls — 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 58 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1977 — 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 F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
• Crime grade is F 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?
• The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
• 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.