704 4th St

Columbus, NE 68601

$218,500D+

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,305 sqft · Built 2026 · Townhouse · Active · 151 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,135/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,146
• Tax + insurance: −$364
• HOA: −$195
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$448
• Net cashflow: $-18/mo
• Annual: $-220/yr
• Cap rate: 6.19%
• Cash-on-cash: -0.36%
• DSCR: 0.98
• 1% rule: 0.98%
• Cash to close: $61,180

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath townhouse listed at $218k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-18 ($-220/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $216k (1.2% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $214k (2.3% below list).
• It's been on market 151 days — a 12% lower offer ($192k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $192k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $7k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 80/100 on livability (#20 in NE, #1,633 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities D-, commute F.
• Columbus Public Schools (town): math 39% / reading 43% proficiency, ranked #93 of 111 in NE (top 84%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Centennial Elementary School (math 52% / reading 47%, grade D, #233 of 502 statewide, top 52%, 413 students, 53% FRL); Columbus Middle School (math 39% / reading 42%, grade F, #82 of 128 statewide, top 65%, 1,174 students, 55% FRL); Columbus High School (math 38% / reading 39%, grade F, #199 of 261 statewide, top 77%, 1,273 students, 46% FRL).
• Market conditions: 377 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 98 units permitted in Platte County in 2024 (17 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Platte County population projected at +13% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 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 6.2% vs local median 3.5% in Columbus — 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 runs 36% of the median local income ($71k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

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 151 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% 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.
• 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.