509 W Attica St

Marathon, IA 50565

$44,500A-

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,424 sqft · Built 1904 · SingleFamily · Pending · 7 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,203/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$233
• Tax + insurance: −$28
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$253
• Net cashflow: $689/mo
• Annual: $8,265/yr
• Cap rate: 24.87%
• Cash-on-cash: 66.33%
• DSCR: 3.95
• 1% rule: 2.70%
• Cash to close: $12,460

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $44k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $689 ($8k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $44k).
• Only 7 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• In year one you build about $5k of equity ($308 loan paydown + $4k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 60/100 on livability (#817 in IA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: health & safety D, amenities F, commute F.
• Laurens-Marathon Community School District (rural): math 55% / reading 55% proficiency, ranked #311 of 330 in IA (top 94%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Laurens-Marathon Elementary School (math 74% / reading 54%, grade B, #317 of 616 statewide, top 58%, 140 students, 51% FRL) — zoned schools at 51% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1904 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 3 active listings in the ZIP; 164 units permitted in Buena Vista County in 2024 (71 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Buena Vista County population projected at +12% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• At projected returns (10.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $12k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 7, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$34k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1904 — 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?
• 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.