116 E 4th St

Muscatine, IA 52761

$139,500C+

3 bd · 3.0 ba · 2,398 sqft · Built 1860 · MultiFamily · Active · 122 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,663/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$732
• Tax + insurance: −$266
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$349
• Net cashflow: $316/mo
• Annual: $3,795/yr
• Cap rate: 9.01%
• Cash-on-cash: 9.72%
• DSCR: 1.43
• 1% rule: 1.19%
• Cash to close: $39,060

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 3-bed/2.0-bath units multifamily listed at $140k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $316 ($4k/yr) — positive. Per door: $158/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $140k).
• It's been on market 122 days — a 12% lower offer ($123k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $123k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $964 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 70/100 on livability (#358 in IA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, crime B; Watch: health & safety D+, amenities F, commute F.
• Muscatine Community School District (town): math 55% / reading 59% proficiency, ranked #257 of 289 in IA (top 89%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Watch-outs: built in 1860 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 188 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 65 units permitted in Muscatine County in 2024 (45 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Muscatine County population projected at +8% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• Current owner paid $42k; list at $140k implies a 232% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 122 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% 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?
• Built in 1860 — 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.
• 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.