702 15th St

Spirit Lake, IA 51360

$188,800C-

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 816 sqft · Built 1915 · SingleFamily · Pending · 23 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,525/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$990
• Tax + insurance: −$190
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$320
• Net cashflow: $25/mo
• Annual: $298/yr
• Cap rate: 6.45%
• Cash-on-cash: 0.56%
• DSCR: 1.03
• 1% rule: 0.81%
• Cash to close: $52,864

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $189k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $25 ($298/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 $152k (19.2% below list).
• It's been on market 23 days — a 2% lower offer ($186k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $152k (19.2% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $6k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 81/100 on livability (#69 in IA, #1,522 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• Spirit Lake Community School District (town): math 73% / reading 78% proficiency, ranked #59 of 289 in IA (top 20%) — strong family-tenant draw, lease renewals of 3-5y typical.
• Zoned schools: Spirit Lake Elementary School (math 77% / reading 67%, grade A-, #181 of 616 statewide, top 34%, 537 students, 28% FRL); Spirit Lake Middle School (math 70% / reading 75%, grade A, #90 of 246 statewide, top 38%, 358 students, 24% FRL); Spirit Lake High School (math 77% / reading 87%, grade A, #20 of 336 statewide, top 7%, 409 students, 23% FRL) — zoned schools at 25% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1915 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 141 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 295 units permitted in Dickinson County in 2024 (16 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Dickinson County population projected at +12% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 3 sale attempts since 9y 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 $100k; list at $189k implies a 89% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Climate carrying-cost: moderate wildfire risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 6.5% vs local median 1.5% in Spirit Lake — 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

• Built in 1915 — 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 A-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.