1211 Sampson St · Des Moines, IA 50316

$135,000

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,092 sqft · Townhouse public records · 113 Days on market

Built 1980 2,240 sqft lot $124/sqft · 21% below area Est $170k · 21% under

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Why this score? — see what drove the C 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 +19.0/30.0
• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• DSCR +6.0/10.0
• 1% rule +5.1/10.0
• Livability +4.0/5.0
• Schools +3.8/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks MLS

Two-story home featuring an attached 1-car garage, 3 bedrooms, and 1 bathroom. Located on Sampson Street, this property offers strong potential for investors or buyers looking to build equity. Ask about a package purchase opportunity — 1211, 1213, 1215, and 1251 Sampson can be purchased together for a multi-property investment bundle. Don’t miss this opportunity for a great investment!

Key facts

• 2,240 sq ft lot
• Garage
• Built 1980

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath townhouse listed at $135k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $141 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $135k).
• Recommended offer: $123k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 7.5% vs local median 3.1% in Des Moines — 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.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 81/100 on livability (#63 in IA, #1,432 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: employment C-, schools D+, crime F.
• Des Moines Independent Community School District (urban): math 43% / reading 46% proficiency, ranked #289 of 289 in IA (top 100%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 63% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Market conditions: 106 active listings in the ZIP; 22 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 25d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 2,953 units permitted in Polk County in 2024 (540 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $933 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Polk County population projected at +37% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 113 days — a 9% lower offer ($123k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 2 sale attempts since 13y 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.

Recommended offer $122,850 (9.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 113 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. Schools are D-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
5. 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?
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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: 1.01% ✓
• Cap rate: 7.54%
• Cash-on-cash: 4.47%
• DSCR: 1.20
• GRM: 8.2

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $170,086
• List price: $135,000
• Delta: -20.63%
• Verdict: UNDERPRICED
• Comps: 20 within 1.0 mi

Projected returns pro-forma

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

5-year hold

• IRR: -9.3%
• Equity multiple: 0.66×
• Total profit: $-12,888
• Equity at exit: $20,129

10-year hold

• IRR: 0.2%
• Equity multiple: 1.01×
• Total profit: $418
• Equity at exit: $11,672

Cash invested: $37,800 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Iowa: 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+6
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

3-day pay-or-quit; mostly landlord-friendly statewide.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 50316

• Home prices YoY: -29.5%
• Active inventory: 106
• Price-to-rent: 8.2×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,366 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$708
• Tax from tax record: −$174 /mo · $2,092/yr
• Insurance: −$56
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$287
• Net cashflow: $141

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,188

Max offer price $135,000

Occupancy floor 85%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $217	-5% $179	+0% $141	+5% $103	+10% $64
Rent	-10% $33	-5% $87	+0% $141	+5% $195	+10% $249
Rate	-1.0pp $209	-0.5pp $175	base $141	+0.5pp $106	+1.0pp $70

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: $33,750
• Closing costs: $4,050
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 22 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
1713 Lyon St Des Moines, IA	3.0	1.0	834	$1,045	$1.25	22d	1	0.29mi
1525 Des Moines St Des Moines, IA	3.0	1.0	928	$1,195	$1.29	45d	1	0.43mi
1513 Des Moines St Des Moines, IA	3.0	1.0	900	$995	$1.11	24d	1	0.44mi
410 E 17th St Des Moines, IA	3.0	1.0	1000	$1,695	$1.70	45d	1	0.47mi
1364 Idaho St Des Moines, IA	2.0	1.0	804	$1,195	$1.49	24d	1	0.47mi
1530 E 14th St Des Moines, IA	3.0	2.0	1428	$1,900	$1.33	15d	1	0.64mi
1301 E 12th St Unit 2 Des Moines, IA	2.0	1.0	995	$795	$0.80	24d	1	0.65mi
1513 Dean Ave Des Moines, IA	4.0	1.0	1472	$1,795	$1.22	45d	1	0.68mi
1354 E 12th St Des Moines, IA	2.0	1.0	1300	$925	$0.71	45d	1	0.72mi
922 Walker St Des Moines, IA	3.0	1.0	864	$1,295	$1.50	24d	1	0.76mi
2120 Capitol Ave Des Moines, IA	3.0	1.0	973	$1,395	$1.43	45d	1	0.80mi
915 E Washington Ave Des Moines, IA	3.0	1.0	1457	$1,450	$1.00	24d	1	0.82mi
1726 E 24th St Des Moines, IA	3.0	1.0	850	$1,295	$1.52	45d	1	1.11mi
700 E 5th St Des Moines, IA	4.0	1.0–1.5	686	$1,092	$1.59	15d	25	1.22mi
2121 E 23rd St Des Moines, IA	3.0	1.0	972	$1,395	$1.44	45d	1	1.25mi
220 Maple St Des Moines, IA	1.0–3.0	1.0–3.0	1158	$2,673	$2.31	15d	9	1.27mi
601 E Vine St Des Moines, IA	2.0	1.0–2.0	730	$1,595	$2.18	20d	19	1.32mi
300 E Grand Ave Des Moines, IA	2.0	1.0–2.0	734	$1,500	$2.04	15d	4	1.32mi
333 E Grand Ave Des Moines, IA	2.0	1.0–2.0	668	$1,450	$2.17	24d	4	1.35mi
201 SE 6th St Des Moines, IA	2.0	1.0–2.0	835	$1,660	$1.99	15d	11	1.38mi
401 SE 6th St Des Moines, IA	1.0–2.0	1.0	764	$1,397	$1.83	15d	6	1.43mi
2726 Des Moines St Des Moines, IA	2.0	1.0	975	$1,295	$1.33	45d	1	1.46mi

Listing history 6 events

1. 2026-05-15
   status Pending 400-char remark

   Show marketing remark (400 chars)

   Two-story home featuring an attached 1-car garage, 3 bedrooms, and 1 bathroom. Located on Sampson Street, this property offers strong potential for investors or buyers looking to build equity. Ask about a package purchase opportunity — 1211, 1213, 1215, and 1251 Sampson can be purchased together for a multi-property investment bundle. Don’t miss this opportunity for a great investment!

2. 2026-01-22
   listed $135,000 Active 400-char remark

   Show marketing remark (400 chars)

   Two-story home featuring an attached 1-car garage, 3 bedrooms, and 1 bathroom. Located on Sampson Street, this property offers strong potential for investors or buyers looking to build equity. Ask about a package purchase opportunity — 1211, 1213, 1215, and 1251 Sampson can be purchased together for a multi-property investment bundle. Don’t miss this opportunity for a great investment!

3. 2022-03-14
   soldstatus $407,500
4. 2013-05-10
   soldstatus $29,000 746-char remark

   Show marketing remark (746 chars)

   See this pristine, spacious home in a quiet, secluded neighborhood. It is walking distance to a park and the elementary school. The 3 bedroom home has updated baths, a beautiful family room with a newer gas fireplace and a striking kitchen with a breakfast bar and pantry. The lower level features a newer three- fourths bath, the fifth bedroom, an office and a great workshop. Enjoy outdoor living with a spacious screened porch, a brick patio and a garden shed. A home for family living at its best!This is a Fannie Mae HomePath property. Purchase this home for as little as 3% down! Eligibility restrictions apply. This property is approved for HomePath Mortgage Financing. This property is approved for HomePath Renovation Mortgage Financing.

5. 2013-03-11
   listed $33,900 746-char remark

   Show marketing remark (746 chars)

   See this pristine, spacious home in a quiet, secluded neighborhood. It is walking distance to a park and the elementary school. The 3 bedroom home has updated baths, a beautiful family room with a newer gas fireplace and a striking kitchen with a breakfast bar and pantry. The lower level features a newer three- fourths bath, the fifth bedroom, an office and a great workshop. Enjoy outdoor living with a spacious screened porch, a brick patio and a garden shed. A home for family living at its best!This is a Fannie Mae HomePath property. Purchase this home for as little as 3% down! Eligibility restrictions apply. This property is approved for HomePath Mortgage Financing. This property is approved for HomePath Renovation Mortgage Financing.

6. 2005-08-10
   soldstatus $70,000

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

Tax reassessment forecast IA · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $2,092 · $174/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $2,106 · $175/mo
• Expected delta: +$14/yr (+$1/mo · 0.7%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥103°F today · 15 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 2 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $16,394
• − Mortgage interest: −$7,562
• − Property taxes: −$2,092
• − Insurance: −$675
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,312
• − Management: −$1,312
• − Depreciation: −$3,927
• Taxable loss: −$485
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$116
• After-tax cash flow: $1,805/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: Des Moines Independent Community School District
• NCES district ID: 1908970
• Math proficiency: 43% ▼ -6.00%
• Reading proficiency: 46% ▼ -1.00%
• Median HH income: $45,905
• Composite: 37.83/100
• National rank: #4331
• State rank: #289 of 289 in IA

Livability — Des Moines

• Score: 81/100
• State rank: #63
• US rank: #1432

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Des Moines, IA
• City population: 203,612
• Population (ZIP): 16,188

Population outlook (Polk County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 548,042 people
• By 2030: 588,557 · +7.4%
• By 2040: 670,629 · +22.4%
• By 2050: 752,830 · +37.4%
• By 2075: 955,069 · +74.3%
• By 2100: 1,115,436 · +103.5%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Diverse neighborhood (Simpson 0.68)
• Race & ethnicity: White 48% Hispanic / Latino 27% Black 12% Two or more races 12% Asian 7% Native American 1%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 21% Puerto Rican 1%
• Common ancestry: Portuguese 2% Slovak 1% Iranian 1%
• Foreign-born: 16% · Canada, Vietnam, Philippines
• Languages at home: 69% English-only · Spanish 20% Other Asian/Pacific 3% Vietnamese 2%

Political lean MEDSL · Polk

• 2024 margin: D (+10.9) · D 54.8% · R 43.9% · Other 1.3%
• 2008→2024 swing: -3.7pp toward R · 2008: 14.6pp · 2024: 10.9pp
• All cycles: 2024: D+10.9 2020: D+15.2 2016: D+11.5 2012: D+14.2 2008: D+14.6

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -121.34%
• Current HPI: 290.3838
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.48%
• F500 in state: 4

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in IA)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Financial Services	1	$16B
▸Retail / Convenience	1	$15B

Price history

+92.9% since first listed

6 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-15 Pending — DMMLS
• 2026-01-22 Listed $135,000 DMMLS
• 2022-03-14 Sold (Public Records) $407,500 Public Records
• 2013-05-10 Sold (MLS) $29,000 DMMLS
• 2013-03-11 Listed $33,900 DMMLS
• 2005-08-10 Sold (Public Records) $70,000 Public Records

Property tax history

+3.6%/yr

Latest (2025): $2,092 · +2.0% YoY. Source: county tax records.