907 Ross Ave · Stratford, IA 50249

$69,900

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 974 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 2 Days on market

Built 1880 0.40 ac lot

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Why this score? — see what drove the B grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• Cash flow +27.1/30.0
• DSCR +9.4/10.0
• Appreciation +7.9/10.0
• 1% rule +7.8/10.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• Schools +5.2/10.0
• Livability +3.5/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0

Listing remarks MLS

Investor Special! Bring this home back to life and unlock its incredible potential. Situated on a spacious 0.40-acre lot in Stratford, this property offers plenty of room for renovation, expansion, or outdoor living improvements. Whether you're looking for your next investment project, a flip opportunity, or a property to customize to your vision, this home is ready for a fresh start. With its generous lot size and endless possibilities, this is a chance to create something special. Property is being sold as-is.

Key facts

• Investment project
• 0.40-acre lot
• Flip opportunity

Tags

• 0.40-ACRE LOT
• OUTDOOR LIVING IMPROVEMENTS
• INVESTMENT PROJECT
• FLIP OPPORTUNITY
• PROPERTY TO CUSTOMIZE

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Detached one-car garage
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer
• Home design: Residential zoning (R)
• Construction: Vinyl siding; Stone foundation
• Exterior features: Rectangular lot; Asphalt road frontage; Lot dimensions approximately 132 x 132

Interior

• Bedrooms: One main-level bedroom
• Flooring: Carpet; Laminate
• Bathrooms: One three-quarter bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Forced air gas heating; Central air conditioning
• Interior features: Dining area; Carpet and laminate flooring
• Laundry & utility: Laundry on the main level

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $70k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $199 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($898 rent vs $70k).

Location & tenants

• Location reads 69/100 on livability (#393 in IA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: employment D+, amenities F, commute F.
• Stratford Community School District (rural): math 60% / reading 60% proficiency, ranked #283 of 330 in IA (top 86%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Market conditions: 7 active listings in the ZIP; 29 units permitted in Hamilton County in 2024 (5 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $5k of equity ($483 loan paydown + $4k appreciation (5.8% local appreciation)).
• Hamilton County population projected at -15% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (5.8% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $20k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 8, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$35k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Negotiation context

• Only 2 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• 3 sale attempts 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.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1880 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $69,900

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1880 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
3. 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?
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 1.28% ✓
• Cap rate: 9.71%
• Cash-on-cash: 12.19%
• DSCR: 1.54
• GRM: 6.5

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

5.78% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 25.0%
• Equity multiple: 2.63×
• Total profit: $31,959
• Equity at exit: $42,964

10-year hold

• IRR: 23.7%
• Equity multiple: 5.31×
• Total profit: $84,402
• Equity at exit: $77,082

Cash invested: $19,572 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Iowa: 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+6
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

3-day pay-or-quit; mostly landlord-friendly statewide.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 50249

• Home prices YoY: 3.2%
• Active inventory: 7
• Price-to-rent: 6.5×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $898 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$367
• Tax from tax record: −$115 /mo · $1,378/yr
• Insurance: −$29
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$189
• Net cashflow: $199

Break-even live

Break-even rent $646

Max offer price $69,900

Occupancy floor 73%

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $17,475
• Closing costs: $2,097
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 3 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $69,900 Active 2 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   remarks 517-char remark
3. 2026-06-17
   listed $69,900 Active 1 DOM

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast IA · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $1,378 · $115/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,378 · $115/mo
• Expected delta: $0/yr ($0/mo · 0.0%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 3/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 2/10 Low 7 d/yr ≥102°F today · 16 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 1/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 0 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $10,776
• − Mortgage interest: −$3,915
• − Property taxes: −$1,378
• − Insurance: −$350
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$862
• − Management: −$862
• − Depreciation: −$2,033
• Taxable income: $1,375
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$330
• After-tax cash flow: $2,056/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Stratford Community School District
• NCES district ID: 1927480
• Math proficiency: 60% ▼ -10.00%
• Reading proficiency: 60% ▼ -10.00%
• Median HH income: $47,548
• Composite: 52.45/100
• National rank: #3407
• State rank: #283 of 330 in IA

Livability — Stratford

• Score: 69/100
• State rank: #393
• US rank: #8311

Category grades

Amenities F Commute F Cost of living A+ Crime C Employment D+ Housing A+ Health & safety A+ User ratings A

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Stratford, IA
• Population (ZIP): 1,256

Population outlook (Hamilton County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 14,602 people
• By 2030: 14,210 · -2.7%
• By 2040: 13,312 · -8.8%
• By 2050: 12,469 · -14.6%
• By 2075: 11,449 · -21.6%
• By 2100: 10,806 · -26.0%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (92%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 92% Black 4% Hispanic / Latino 1% Two or more races 1%
• Common ancestry: Portuguese 3% Slovak 3% Lithuanian 2%
• Foreign-born: 1% · Canada
• Languages at home: 99% English-only · Spanish 0%

Political lean MEDSL · Hamilton

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+33.3) · D 32.8% · R 66.1% · Other 1.1%
• 2008→2024 swing: -34.6pp toward R · 2008: 1.3pp · 2024: -33.3pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+33.3 2020: R+26.6 2016: R+22.9 2012: R+2.7 2008: D+1.3

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 5.78%
• Current HPI: 187.1688
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.48%
• F500 in state: 4

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in IA)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Financial Services	1	$16B
▸Retail / Convenience	1	$15B

Price history

+0.0% since first listed

3 events — show timeline

• 2026-06-16 Listed $69,900 IAR
• 2026-06-16 Listed $69,900 CIBOR
• 2026-06-16 Listed $69,900 DMMLS

Property tax history

+24.1%/yr

Latest (2025): $1,378 · +4.2% YoY. Source: county tax records.