219 S Prairie St

Jacksonville, IL 62650

$35,000B-

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,856 sqft · Built 1935 · Other · Pending · 68 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,312/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$184
• Tax + insurance: −$127
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$275
• Net cashflow: $725/mo
• Annual: $8,704/yr
• Cap rate: 31.16%
• Cash-on-cash: 88.82%
• DSCR: 4.95
• 1% rule: 3.75%
• Cash to close: $9,800

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath other listed at $35k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $725 ($9k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $35k).
• It's been on market 68 days — a 6% lower offer ($33k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $33k (6.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $242 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $1k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 76/100 on livability (#187 in IL, #3,543 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime C-, amenities C-, commute F.
• Jacksonville SD 117 (town): math 20% / reading 23% proficiency, ranked #407 of 620 in IL (top 66%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Washington Elem School (math 17% / reading 22%, grade F, #1,054 of 2,056 statewide, top 54%, 231 students, 0% FRL); Jacksonville Middle School (math 17% / reading 19%, grade F, #444 of 665 statewide, top 67%, 718 students, 0% FRL); Jacksonville High School (math 21% / reading 25%, grade F, #312 of 693 statewide, top 46%, 893 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 51% district-wide (51 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: property tax is 3.9% of price; built in 1935 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 143 active listings in the ZIP; 3 units permitted in Morgan County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Morgan County population projected at -20% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 3 sale attempts since 2y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $25k (42%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $15k; list at $35k implies a 133% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $10k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 31.2% vs local median 5.4% in Jacksonville — 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

• It's been on market 68 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 6% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1935 — 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?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• 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?
• 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.