2823-2825 Ontario St

Ames, IA 50014

$255,000C-

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 2,374 sqft · Built 1976 · MultiFamily · Active · 6 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,463/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,337
• Tax + insurance: −$426
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$517
• Net cashflow: $183/mo
• Annual: $2,195/yr
• Cap rate: 7.15%
• Cash-on-cash: 3.07%
• DSCR: 1.14
• 1% rule: 0.97%
• Cash to close: $71,400

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 2-bed/1-bath units multifamily listed at $255k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $183 ($2k/yr) — positive. Per door: $91/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $246k (3.4% below list).
• Only 6 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $246k (3.4% 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 $8k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 93/100 on livability (#2 in IA, #21 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: schools A+, amenities A+, commute A+; Watch: employment C-.
• Ames Community School District (urban): math 70% / reading 72% proficiency, ranked #147 of 289 in IA (top 51%) — strong family-tenant draw, lease renewals of 3-5y typical.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.7%/yr); 199 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 196 units permitted in Story County in 2024 (34 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Story County population projected at +54% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• Current owner paid $175k; 46% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• Cap rate 7.2% vs local median 2.2% in Ames — 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.
• At $2,463/mo this rent would consume 49% of the median local household income ($61k/yr) (locally 2646% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
• What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
• Built in 1976 — 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.
• 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?
• 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 apartment / multifamily construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply (>2% of stock underway) typically softens rents 12–24 months out; light construction supports rent growth.