540 NE 2nd St NE

Britt, IA 50423

$113,000C+

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,644 sqft · Built 1890 · SingleFamily · Active · 23 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,113/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$593
• Tax + insurance: −$137
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$234
• Net cashflow: $150/mo
• Annual: $1,797/yr
• Cap rate: 7.88%
• Cash-on-cash: 5.68%
• DSCR: 1.25
• 1% rule: 0.98%
• Cash to close: $31,640

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $113k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $150 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $111k (1.5% below list).
• It's been on market 23 days — a 2% lower offer ($111k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $111k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $12k of equity ($781 loan paydown + $11k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 79/100 on livability (#121 in IA, #2,262 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• West Hancock Community School District (rural): math 76% / reading 74% proficiency, ranked #77 of 289 in IA (top 27%) — strong family-tenant draw, lease renewals of 3-5y typical.
• Watch-outs: built in 1890 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 21 active listings in the ZIP; 11 units permitted in Hancock County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Hancock County population projected at -14% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (10.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $32k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 3, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$31k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1890 — 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 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.