1930 2nd Ave N

Fort Dodge, IA 50501

$52,900B

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,115 sqft · Built 1910 · SingleFamily · Pending · 200 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $895/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$277
• Tax + insurance: −$125
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$188
• Net cashflow: $304/mo
• Annual: $3,652/yr
• Cap rate: 13.20%
• Cash-on-cash: 24.66%
• DSCR: 2.10
• 1% rule: 1.69%
• Cash to close: $14,812

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $53k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $304 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($895 rent vs $53k).
• It's been on market 200 days — a 12% lower offer ($47k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $47k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $366 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 71/100 on livability (#348 in IA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: employment D+, crime F, amenities D-.
• Fort Dodge Community School District (town): math 44% / reading 53% proficiency, ranked #285 of 289 in IA (top 99%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Watch-outs: built in 1910 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 36 active listings in the ZIP; 6 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 44d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 100% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 25 units permitted in Webster County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Webster County population projected to shrink 7% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $15k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• This rent is only 16% of the median local income ($67k/yr) — well below the 30% rent-burden line; pricing power to push rent on renewal without tenant pushback.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 200 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1910 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• 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 B-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?
• Crime grade is F in this area — have there been break-ins, vandalism, or insurance claims at this property in the last 3 years? What carrier currently insures it and at what premium?
• 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.