204 N Fairdale St

Royalton, IL 62983

$60,000B+

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,609 sqft · Built 1914 · Other · Active · 110 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,196/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$315
• Tax + insurance: −$77
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$251
• Net cashflow: $554/mo
• Annual: $6,644/yr
• Cap rate: 17.37%
• Cash-on-cash: 39.55%
• DSCR: 2.76
• 1% rule: 1.99%
• Cash to close: $16,800

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath other listed at $60k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $554 ($7k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $60k).
• It's been on market 110 days — a 9% lower offer ($55k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $55k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• In year one you build about $750 of equity ($415 loan paydown + $335 appreciation (0.6% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 62/100 on livability (#836 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: schools F, amenities F, commute F.
• Zeigler-Royalton CUSD 188 (rural): math 10% / reading 20% proficiency, ranked #524 of 620 in IL (top 84%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 64% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Watch-outs: built in 1914 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 10 active listings in the ZIP; 17 units permitted in Franklin County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Franklin County population projected at -16% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (0.6% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $17k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→20/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 110 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1914 — 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 F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
• 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.