208 W Dow St

Greene, IA 50636

$94,500C

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 900 sqft · Built 1900 · Other · Pending · 297 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $855/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$496
• Tax + insurance: −$105
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$180
• Net cashflow: $75/mo
• Annual: $899/yr
• Cap rate: 7.24%
• Cash-on-cash: 3.40%
• DSCR: 1.15
• 1% rule: 0.90%
• Cash to close: $26,460

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath other listed at $94k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $75 ($899/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 $86k (9.5% below list).
• It's been on market 297 days — a 12% lower offer ($83k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $83k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• In year one you build about $7k of equity ($653 loan paydown + $6k appreciation (6.2% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 78/100 on livability (#150 in IA, #2,761 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: employment C-, amenities F, commute F.
• North Butler Community School District (rural): math 68% / reading 71% proficiency, ranked #152 of 289 in IA (top 53%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: North Butler Elementary (math 77% / reading 72%, grade A, #131 of 616 statewide, top 27%, 296 students, 30% FRL); North Butler Jr/Sr High School (math 64% / reading 72%, grade B, #184 of 336 statewide, top 55%, 271 students, 25% FRL) — zoned schools at 27% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 19 active listings in the ZIP; 32 units permitted in Butler County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Butler County population projected to shrink 5% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• Current owner paid $41k; list at $94k implies a 130% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (6.2% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $26k cash investment doubles in ~4 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 6, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$36k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 297 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1900 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• 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 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.