1034 9th St

Charleston, IL 61920

$55,000C+

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 672 sqft · Built 1948 · SingleFamily · Active · 58 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $770/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$288
• Tax + insurance: −$143
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$162
• Net cashflow: $177/mo
• Annual: $2,127/yr
• Cap rate: 10.16%
• Cash-on-cash: 13.81%
• DSCR: 1.61
• 1% rule: 1.40%
• Cash to close: $15,400

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $55k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $177 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($770 rent vs $55k).
• It's been on market 58 days — a 3% lower offer ($53k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $53k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $380 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 73/100 on livability (#293 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime C-, amenities C-, commute F.
• Charleston CUSD 1 (town): math 14% / reading 21% proficiency, ranked #489 of 620 in IL (top 79%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Carl Sandburg Elem School (math 27% / reading 22%, grade F, #850 of 2,056 statewide, top 45%, 551 students, 0% FRL); Jefferson Elem School (math 10% / reading 23%, grade F, #482 of 665 statewide, top 73%, 635 students, 0% FRL); Charleston High School (math 20% / reading 24%, grade F, #319 of 693 statewide, top 50%, 766 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 37% district-wide (37 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: property tax is 2.6% of price; built in 1948 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 125 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 46d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 100% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 34 units permitted in Coles County in 2024 (30 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Coles County population projected to shrink 7% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 2 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.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $15k cash investment doubles in ~9 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: moderate flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 10.2% vs local median 4.0% in Charleston — 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 18% of the median local income ($52k/yr) — well below the 30% rent-burden line; pricing power to push rent on renewal without tenant pushback.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 58 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1948 — 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?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are F-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.
• 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.