1403 Des Moines St

Webster City, IA 50595

$148,000B+

4 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,988 sqft · Built 1888 · SingleFamily · Active · 59 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,500/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$776
• Tax + insurance: −$217
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$525
• Net cashflow: $982/mo
• Annual: $11,784/yr
• Cap rate: 14.26%
• Cash-on-cash: 28.44%
• DSCR: 2.27
• 1% rule: 1.69%
• Cash to close: $41,440

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $148k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $982 ($12k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $148k).
• It's been on market 59 days — a 3% lower offer ($144k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $144k (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 $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 78/100 on livability (#137 in IA, #2,493 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• Webster City Community School District (town): math 60% / reading 60% proficiency, ranked #250 of 289 in IA (top 86%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Watch-outs: built in 1888 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 83 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 29 units permitted in Hamilton County in 2024 (5 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Hamilton County population projected at -15% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 3 sale attempts since 5y 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.
• Current owner paid $95k; list at $148k implies a 56% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $41k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 14.3% vs local median 4.3% in Webster City — 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 59 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1888 — 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 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 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.