109 Union St

Council Bluffs, IA 51503

$95,000C-

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 448 sqft · Built 1900 · SingleFamily · Active · 19 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $904/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$498
• Tax + insurance: −$90
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$190
• Net cashflow: $126/mo
• Annual: $1,513/yr
• Cap rate: 7.89%
• Cash-on-cash: 5.69%
• DSCR: 1.25
• 1% rule: 0.95%
• Cash to close: $26,600

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $95k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $126 ($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 $90k (4.9% below list).
• It's been on market 19 days — a 2% lower offer ($94k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $90k (4.9% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $657 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 70/100 on livability (#368 in IA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety B+; Watch: employment C-, amenities D, crime D-.
• Council Bluffs Community School District (urban): math 52% / reading 55% proficiency, ranked #272 of 289 in IA (top 94%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Hoover Elementary School (math 67% / reading 62%, grade B, #317 of 616 statewide, top 58%, 429 students, 48% FRL); Gerald W Kirn Middle School (math 50% / reading 61%, grade B-, #199 of 246 statewide, top 81%, 956 students, 54% FRL); Abraham Lincoln High School (math 52% / reading 62%, grade C, #279 of 336 statewide, top 85%, 1,399 students, 52% FRL) — zoned schools at 52% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+1.7%/yr); 193 active listings in the ZIP; solid renter incomes; 679 units permitted in Pottawattamie County in 2024 (566 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Pottawattamie County population projected to shrink 7% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• Cap rate 7.9% vs local median 3.3% in Council Bluffs — 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.
• This rent is only 14% of the median local income ($79k/yr) — well below the 30% rent-burden line; pricing power to push rent on renewal without tenant pushback.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1900 — 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.
• Crime grade is D in this area — have there been break-ins, vandalism, or insurance claims at this property in the last 3 years? What carrier currently insures it and at what premium?
• 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.