2 bd · 2.0 ba ·
1,020 sqft ·
Built 2005
· Condo
· Active
· 3 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$1,536/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$943
Tax + insurance
−$284
HOA
−$140
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$322
Net cashflow
$-154/mo
Annual
$-1,849/yr
Cap rate
5.27%
Cash-on-cash
-3.67%
DSCR
0.84
1% rule
0.85%
Cash to close
$50,372
Investor read
This is a 2-bed/2.0-bath condo listed at $180k.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $-154 ($-2k/yr) — negative.
To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $153k (15.1% below list).
To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $154k (14.6% below list).
Only 3 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
Recommended offer: $153k (15.1% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.
Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
Location reads 85/100 on livability (#18 in IA, #596 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: crime A+, employment A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
Iowa City Community School District (urban): math 65% / reading 70% proficiency, ranked #174 of 289 in IA (top 60%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
Zoned schools: Buford Garner Elementary (math 65% / reading 66%, grade B+, #315 of 616 statewide, top 51%, 453 students, 40% FRL); Northwest Junior High School (math 64% / reading 71%, grade A-, #133 of 246 statewide, top 56%, 730 students, 43% FRL); Liberty High School (math 71% / reading 80%, grade A-, #79 of 336 statewide, top 25%, 1,167 students, 25% FRL).
Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+7.6%/yr); 343 active listings in the ZIP; 4 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 45d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 50% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; solid renter incomes; 714 units permitted in Johnson County in 2024 (158 in 5+ unit buildings).
Johnson County population projected at +60% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
Cap rate 5.3% vs local median 3.1% in North Liberty — 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 17% of the median local income ($105k/yr) — well below the 30% rent-burden line; pricing power to push rent on renewal without tenant pushback.
Questions for listing agent
What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
Any open or pending special assessments — roof, HVAC, plumbing, elevator, façade? What's the per-unit balance and payoff schedule, and is the seller paying it off at close or rolling it to the buyer?
Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
Schools are A-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?
The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
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.
CashFlowRE · CFR-BKQQX57VGQ2MTV
· Data 6 days agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29