204-206 E Elm St

Iowa Falls, IA 50126

$160,000C+

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,936 sqft · Built 1980 · MultiFamily · Active · 35 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,935/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$839
• Tax + insurance: −$267
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$406
• Net cashflow: $423/mo
• Annual: $5,075/yr
• Cap rate: 9.46%
• Cash-on-cash: 11.33%
• DSCR: 1.50
• 1% rule: 1.21%
• Cash to close: $44,800

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 2-bed/1.0-bath units multifamily listed at $160k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $423 ($5k/yr) — positive. Per door: $211/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $160k).
• It's been on market 35 days — a 3% lower offer ($155k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $155k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 77/100 on livability (#172 in IA, #3,097 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: employment D, amenities F, commute F.
• Iowa Falls Community School District (town): math 62% / reading 71% proficiency, ranked #184 of 289 in IA (top 64%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Iowa Falls - Alden High School (math 60% / reading 78%, grade B, #176 of 336 statewide, top 53%, 412 students, 35% FRL) — zoned schools at 35% FRL track the district average.
• Market conditions: 90 active listings in the ZIP; 6 units permitted in Hardin County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Hardin County population projected to shrink 6% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 2 sale attempts since 4y ago with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $45k cash investment doubles in ~10 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 9.5% vs local median 3.8% in Iowa 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 35 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
• What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
• 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 apartment / multifamily construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply (>2% of stock underway) typically softens rents 12–24 months out; light construction supports rent growth.