400 1st St SE #410

Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

$91,900B

2 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,189 sqft · Built 1990 · Condo · Pending · 263 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,342/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$482
• Tax + insurance: −$207
• HOA: −$150
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$282
• Net cashflow: $222/mo
• Annual: $2,662/yr
• Cap rate: 9.19%
• Cash-on-cash: 10.34%
• DSCR: 1.46
• 1% rule: 1.46%
• Cash to close: $25,732

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.5-bath condo listed at $92k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $222 ($3k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $92k).
• It's been on market 263 days — a 12% lower offer ($81k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $81k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• In year one you build about $4k of equity ($635 loan paydown + $4k appreciation (4.1% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 78/100 on livability (#134 in IA, #2,474 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime C-, commute F.
• Cedar Rapids Community School District (urban): math 50% / reading 59% proficiency, ranked #265 of 289 in IA (top 92%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Grant Wood Elementary School (math 47% / reading 52%, grade D, #514 of 616 statewide, top 85%, 361 students, 64% FRL); Mckinley Steam Academy (math 45% / reading 55%, grade C, #216 of 246 statewide, top 88%, 448 students, 52% FRL); George Washington High School (math 44% / reading 62%, grade C-, #296 of 336 statewide, top 88%, 1,291 students, 49% FRL).
• Market conditions: 13 active listings in the ZIP; 6 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 22d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 1,023 units permitted in Linn County in 2024 (456 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Linn County population projected at +16% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 3 sale attempts since 8y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $7k (7%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• At projected returns (4.1% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $26k cash investment doubles in ~4 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 8, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$33k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Cap rate 9.2% vs local median 3.5% in Cedar Rapids — 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 $1,342/mo this rent would consume 46% of the median local household income ($35k/yr) (locally 324% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 263 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?
• Any open or pending special assessments — roof, HVAC, plumbing, elevator, façade? What's the per-unit balance and payoff schedule, and is the seller paying it off at close or rolling it to the buyer?
• 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?
• 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.