3 bd · 1.0 ba ·
805 sqft ·
Built 1981
· SingleFamily
· Pending
· 14 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$1,155/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$944
Tax + insurance
−$240
HOA
−$0
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$243
Net cashflow
$-272/mo
Annual
$-3,260/yr
Cap rate
4.48%
Cash-on-cash
-6.47%
DSCR
0.71
1% rule
0.64%
Cash to close
$50,400
Investor read
This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $180k.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $-272 ($-3k/yr) — negative.
To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $132k (26.7% below list).
To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $116k (35.8% below list).
Only 14 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
Recommended offer: $116k (35.8% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
In year one you build about $19k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $18k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
Location reads 81/100 on livability (#63 in IA, #1,432 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: employment C-, schools D+, crime F.
Des Moines Independent Community School District (urban): math 43% / reading 46% proficiency, ranked #289 of 289 in IA (top 100%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 63% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+8.2%/yr); 64 active listings in the ZIP; 40 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 24d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 2,953 units permitted in Polk County in 2024 (540 in 5+ unit buildings).
Polk County population projected at +37% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
2 sale attempts since 5y 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.
Current owner paid $90k; list at $180k implies a 100% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
By year 2, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$31k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
Cap rate 4.5% vs local median 3.1% in Des Moines — 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.
This rent runs 35% of the median local income ($40k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.
Questions for listing agent
What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
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?
The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
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.
CashFlowRE · CFR-7VZ635EC2D9X85
· Data 1 week agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29