231 W Jefferson St

Osceola, IA 50213

$122,500A-

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,850 sqft · Built 1920 · SingleFamily · Pending · 10 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,426/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$642
• Tax + insurance: −$123
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$299
• Net cashflow: $361/mo
• Annual: $4,330/yr
• Cap rate: 9.83%
• Cash-on-cash: 12.63%
• DSCR: 1.56
• 1% rule: 1.16%
• Cash to close: $34,300

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $122k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $361 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $122k).
• Only 10 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• In year one you build about $13k of equity ($847 loan paydown + $12k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 74/100 on livability (#253 in IA, #4,874 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A-; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• Clarke Community School District (town): math 47% / reading 58% proficiency, ranked #275 of 289 in IA (top 95%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Watch-outs: built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 52 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 125 units permitted in Clarke County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• 4 sale attempts since 5y 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 $64k; list at $122k implies a 90% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (10.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $34k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 3, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$33k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Cap rate 9.8% vs local median 4.2% in Osceola — 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 1920 — 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.
• 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.