215 1st Ave Ave NE

Oelwein, IA 50662

$64,500C

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,384 sqft · Built 1905 · SingleFamily · Active · 148 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $650/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$338
• Tax + insurance: −$109
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$136
• Net cashflow: $67/mo
• Annual: $799/yr
• Cap rate: 7.53%
• Cash-on-cash: 4.42%
• DSCR: 1.20
• 1% rule: 1.01%
• Cash to close: $18,060

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $64k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $67 ($799/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($650 rent vs $64k).
• It's been on market 148 days — a 12% lower offer ($57k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $57k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $446 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 76/100 on livability (#186 in IA, #3,329 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.
• Oelwein Community School District (town): math 47% / reading 55% proficiency, ranked #281 of 289 in IA (top 97%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Watch-outs: built in 1905 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 60 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 8 units permitted in Fayette County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Fayette County population projected at -15% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• Cap rate 7.5% vs local median 4.5% in Oelwein — 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 148 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1905 — 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.
• 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.