426 S Locust St · Flora, IL 62839

$82,900

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,040 sqft · Other · 40 Days on market

Built 1949 $80/sqft · 25% above area Est $66k · 25% over

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Why this score? — see what drove the C- 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 +26.5/30.0
• DSCR +9.1/10.0
• 1% rule +6.7/10.0
• Livability +3.2/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.3/10.0
• ARV discount +0.0/15.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Charming 3-bedroom, 1-bath home in a great location near the high school! Offering approximately 1,040 square feet plus a basement, this home combines classic character with practical living space. Inside, you'll find spacious rooms, original woodwork and built-ins, and plenty of natural light throughout. The inviting sunroom provides the perfect spot for morning coffee, a reading nook, or extra living space. The kitchen offers ample cabinet space and flows nicely into the main living areas, while the basement provides additional storage and utility space. A newer roof adds peace of mind, and the home sits on a nicely sized lot with plenty of yard space to enjoy. Conveniently located close

Key facts

• Inviting sunroom
• Newer roof
• Nicely sized lot

Tags

• ORIGINAL WOODWORK
• BUILT-INS
• INVITING SUNROOM
• AMPLE CABINET SPACE
• NEWER ROOF
• NICELY SIZED LOT

Property features AI

Finance

• Other: School bus and commuter bus service available; Unincorporated location; Directions: From North Avenue, head south onto Locust; proceed south on Locust to 426 — home is on the west side of the road
• HOA & community: No master association fee required

Exterior

• Parking: 2 parking spaces
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; Cable available
• Home design: Detached single-family home; Single-story; Fee simple ownership; Built before 1978
• Construction: Vinyl siding; Asphalt roof; House age about 71–80 years; Basement unfinished (approximately 504 sq ft)
• Exterior features: Level lot; Lot dimensions approximately 60 x 130 x 90 x 145

Interior

• Kitchen: Kitchen on main level with vinyl flooring (14 x 10)
• Bedrooms: 3 bedrooms (all on main level); Master bedroom on main level with hardwood flooring (14 x 11); Second bedroom on main level with carpet (10 x 11); Third bedroom on main level with carpet (10 x 10)
• Flooring: Hardwood in master bedroom; Carpet in living room and two bedrooms and sun room; Vinyl in kitchen, foyer, and laundry
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Natural gas forced air heating
• Interior features: Screens on windows; Five total rooms; Unfinished partial basement
• Laundry & utility: Main-level laundry room with vinyl flooring (11 x 8)

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath other listed at $83k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $220 ($3k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($966 rent vs $83k).
• Recommended offer: $80k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 65/100 on livability (#624 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, crime A-; Watch: employment D+, schools F, amenities F.
• Flora CUSD 35 (town): math 17% / reading 37% proficiency, ranked #299 of 620 in IL (top 48%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Market conditions: 22 active listings in the ZIP; 2 units permitted in Clay County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $573 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Clay County population projected at -23% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $23k cash investment doubles in ~10 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 40 days — a 3% lower offer ($80k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1949 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $80,413 (3.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 40 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Built in 1949 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. 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?
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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: 1.17% ✓
• Cap rate: 9.47%
• Cash-on-cash: 11.35%
• DSCR: 1.51
• GRM: 7.2

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $66,353
• List price: $82,900
• Delta: 24.94%
• Verdict: OVERPRICED
• Comps: 20 within 1.0 mi

Projected returns pro-forma

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

5-year hold

• IRR: 0.6%
• Equity multiple: 1.02×
• Total profit: $548
• Equity at exit: $12,361

10-year hold

• IRR: 10.3%
• Equity multiple: 1.80×
• Total profit: $18,471
• Equity at exit: $7,168

Cash invested: $23,212 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 43 Moderately Tenant-Leaning
• State Illinois: 43 Moderately Tenant-Leaning · D+7
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Chicago RTLO is among the strongest tenant ordinances in the Midwest; downstate is more landlord-friendly.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 62839

• Home prices YoY: -11.7%
• Active inventory: 22
• Price-to-rent: 7.2×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $966 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$435
• Tax from tax record: −$74 /mo · $892/yr
• Insurance: −$35
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$203
• Net cashflow: $220

Break-even live

Break-even rent $688

Max offer price $82,900

Occupancy floor 72%

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: $20,725
• Closing costs: $2,487
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 16 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $82,900 Active 40 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   days on market $82,900 Active 39 DOM
3. 2026-06-16
   days on market $82,900 Active 38 DOM
4. 2026-06-15
   days on market $82,900 Active 37 DOM
5. 2026-06-13
   days on market $82,900 Active 35 DOM
6. 2026-06-12
   days on market $82,900 Active 34 DOM
7. 2026-06-09
   days on market $82,900 Active 31 DOM
8. 2026-06-08
   days on market $82,900 Active 30 DOM
9. 2026-06-07
   days on market $82,900 Active 29 DOM
10. 2026-06-05
    days on market $82,900 Active 27 DOM
11. 2026-06-04
    days on market $82,900 Active 25 DOM
12. 2026-06-02
    days on market $82,900 Active 24 DOM
13. 2026-06-01
    days on market $82,900 Active 23 DOM
14. 2026-05-31
    days on market $82,900 Active 22 DOM
15. 2026-05-31
    days on market $82,900 Active 21 DOM
16. 2026-05-08
    listed $82,900 Active 922-char remark

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

Tax reassessment forecast IL · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $892 · $74/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,387 · $116/mo
• Expected delta: +$495/yr (+$41/mo · 55.5%)

ⓘ 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 · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 4/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥106°F today · 20 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low 100% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 2 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $11,592
• − Mortgage interest: −$4,644
• − Property taxes: −$892
• − Insurance: −$414
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$927
• − Management: −$927
• − Depreciation: −$2,412
• Taxable income: $1,376
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$330
• After-tax cash flow: $2,305/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: Flora CUSD 35
• NCES district ID: 1715400
• Math proficiency: 17% ▼ -4.00%
• Reading proficiency: 37% ▼ -3.00%
• Median HH income: $41,463
• Composite: 22.82/100
• National rank: #8018
• State rank: #299 of 620 in IL

Livability — Flora

• Score: 65/100
• State rank: #624
• US rank: #12754

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Flora, IL
• City population: 6,215
• Population (ZIP): 6,215

Population outlook (Clay County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 12,388 people
• By 2030: 11,808 · -4.7%
• By 2040: 10,644 · -14.1%
• By 2050: 9,500 · -23.3%
• By 2075: 6,985 · -43.6%
• By 2100: 4,811 · -61.2%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (94%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 94% Two or more races 5%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 4% Slovak 4% Portuguese 1%
• Foreign-born: 0%

Political lean MEDSL · Clay

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+67.3) · D 15.6% · R 82.9% · Other 1.5%
• 2008→2024 swing: -44.1pp toward R · 2008: -23.3pp · 2024: -67.3pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+67.3 2020: R+65.2 2016: R+63.6 2012: R+44.1 2008: R+23.3

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -22.09%
• Current HPI: 166.9939
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 1.59%
• F500 in state: 60

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in IL)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Insurance	4	$201B
▸Consumer Goods	4	$87B
▸Industrial Machinery	3	$64B
▸Healthcare	2	$55B
▸Retail / Pharmacy	1	$148B
▸Agriculture / Food	1	$86B

Price history

1 event — show timeline

• 2026-05-08 Listed $82,900 MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid

Property tax history

+2.4%/yr

Latest (2024): $892 · +3.9% YoY. Source: county tax records.