1221 4th St

Gilbertville, IA 50634

$49,900B+

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,456 sqft · Built 1910 · SingleFamily · Pending · 25 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,310/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$262
• Tax + insurance: −$197
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$275
• Net cashflow: $576/mo
• Annual: $6,909/yr
• Cap rate: 20.14%
• Cash-on-cash: 49.45%
• DSCR: 3.20
• 1% rule: 2.62%
• Cash to close: $13,972

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $50k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $576 ($7k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $50k).
• It's been on market 25 days — a 2% lower offer ($49k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $49k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• In year one you build about $920 of equity ($345 loan paydown + $575 appreciation (1.1% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 75/100 on livability (#218 in IA, #4,054 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• Waterloo Community School District (urban): math 50% / reading 54% proficiency, ranked #276 of 289 in IA (top 96%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Orange Elementary School (math 69% / reading 67%, grade B+, #267 of 616 statewide, top 44%, 521 students, 53% FRL); Bunger Middle School (math 48% / reading 47%, grade C-, #226 of 246 statewide, top 92%, 431 students, 75% FRL); East High School (math 39% / reading 58%, grade D, #317 of 336 statewide, top 94%, 1,022 students, 73% FRL).
• Watch-outs: property tax is 4.2% of price; built in 1910 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 4 active listings in the ZIP; 287 units permitted in Black Hawk County in 2024 (67 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Black Hawk County population projected at +10% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 2 sale attempts since 11y 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.
• At projected returns (1.1% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $14k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1910 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
• 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.