16004 Isabella St

Bennington, NE 68007

$279,000D-

3 bd · 3.5 ba · 1,777 sqft · Built 2026 · Townhouse · Active · 93 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,393/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,503
• Tax + insurance: −$478
• HOA: −$200
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$503
• Net cashflow: $-290/mo
• Annual: $-3,483/yr
• Cap rate: 5.08%
• Cash-on-cash: -4.34%
• DSCR: 0.81
• 1% rule: 0.83%
• Cash to close: $80,248

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/3.5-bath townhouse listed at $279k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-290 ($-3k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $245k (12.3% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $239k (14.2% below list).
• It's been on market 93 days — a 9% lower offer ($254k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $239k (14.2% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $9k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 79/100 on livability (#38 in NE, #2,075 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, employment A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• Bennington Public Schools (rural): math 67% / reading 67% proficiency, ranked #3 of 111 in NE (top 3%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease; only 6% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: Bennington Elementary School (math 77% / reading 72%, grade A, #20 of 502 statewide, top 5%, 403 students, 17% FRL); Bennington Middle School (math 64% / reading 63%, grade B+, #13 of 128 statewide, top 10%, 410 students, 19% FRL); Bennington High School (math 66% / reading 70%, grade B, #21 of 261 statewide, top 8%, 1,002 students, 14% FRL).
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.9%/yr); 692 active listings in the ZIP; 7 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 38d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 57% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; high-income renter base; 4,539 units permitted in Douglas County in 2024 (2,583 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Douglas County population projected at +28% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 3 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.
• Cap rate 5.1% vs local median 3.6% in Bennington — 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

• 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?
• It's been on market 93 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 14% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• 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.