4324 Benton St NE

Cedar Rapids, IA 52402

$119,950B-

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 960 sqft · Built 1956 · SingleFamily · Pending · 4 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,317/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$629
• Tax + insurance: −$220
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$276
• Net cashflow: $191/mo
• Annual: $2,297/yr
• Cap rate: 8.21%
• Cash-on-cash: 6.84%
• DSCR: 1.30
• 1% rule: 1.10%
• Cash to close: $33,586

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $120k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $191 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $120k).
• Only 4 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $830 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 78/100 on livability (#134 in IA, #2,474 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime C-, commute F.
• Cedar Rapids Community School District (urban): math 50% / reading 59% proficiency, ranked #265 of 289 in IA (top 92%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Wright Elementary School (math 47% / reading 47%, grade D-, #530 of 616 statewide, top 88%, 295 students, 76% FRL); Harding Middle School (math 61% / reading 69%, grade A-, #154 of 246 statewide, top 63%, 713 students, 43% FRL); George Washington High School (math 44% / reading 62%, grade C-, #296 of 336 statewide, top 88%, 1,291 students, 49% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1956 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+11.0%/yr); 291 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 1,023 units permitted in Linn County in 2024 (456 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Linn County population projected at +16% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 2 sale attempts since 8y ago 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.
• Current owner paid $88k; 37% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 8.0% rent growth), your $34k cash investment doubles in ~9 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 8.2% vs local median 3.5% in Cedar Rapids — 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

• Built in 1956 — 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.
• 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.