1208 W Church St

Urbana, IL 61801

$99,000B-

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,425 sqft · Built 1899 · Other · Pending · 21 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,530/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$519
• Tax + insurance: −$157
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$321
• Net cashflow: $532/mo
• Annual: $6,384/yr
• Cap rate: 12.74%
• Cash-on-cash: 23.03%
• DSCR: 2.02
• 1% rule: 1.55%
• Cash to close: $27,720

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath other listed at $99k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $532 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $99k).
• It's been on market 21 days — a 2% lower offer ($98k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $98k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $684 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 80/100 on livability (#110 in IL, #1,793 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: employment D, crime F.
• Urbana SD 116 (urban): math 11% / reading 13% proficiency, ranked #568 of 620 in IL (top 92%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 64% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Wiley Elementary School (math 5% / reading 5%, grade F, #1,741 of 2,056 statewide, top 93%, 234 students, 0% FRL); Urbana Middle School (math 6% / reading 6%, grade F, #634 of 665 statewide, top 95%, 903 students, 0% FRL); Urbana High School (math 21% / reading 29%, grade F, #247 of 693 statewide, top 36%, 1,220 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 64% district-wide (64 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1899 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+4.4%/yr); 63 active listings in the ZIP; 9 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 23d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 573 units permitted in Champaign County in 2024 (359 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Champaign County population projected at +15% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 4.4% rent growth), your $28k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 12.7% vs local median 3.6% in Urbana — 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.
• At $1,530/mo this rent would consume 51% of the median local household income ($36k/yr) (locally 2719% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1899 — 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 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?
• 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?
• 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.