1250 SW Magazine Rd #205

Ankeny, IA 50023

$135,000D+

2 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,106 sqft · Built 2017 · Condo · Active · 263 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,452/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$708
• Tax + insurance: −$225
• HOA: −$1,659
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$305
• Net cashflow: $-1,445/mo
• Annual: $-17,339/yr
• Cap rate: -6.55%
• Cash-on-cash: -45.87%
• DSCR: -1.04
• 1% rule: 1.08%
• Cash to close: $37,800

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/2.0-bath condo listed at $135k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-1k ($-17k/yr) — negative.
• Rent doesn't cover operating costs at any purchase price — skip.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $135k).
• It's been on market 263 days — a 12% lower offer ($119k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $119k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $933 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 92/100 on livability (#3 in IA, #29 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, employment A+, housing A+; Watch: commute C-.
• Ankeny Community School District (suburban): math 80% / reading 82% proficiency, ranked #15 of 289 in IA (top 5%) — strong family-tenant draw, lease renewals of 3-5y typical; only 10% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: Parkview Middle School (math 76% / reading 83%, grade A+, #35 of 246 statewide, top 16%, 867 students, 23% FRL); Ankeny High School (math 77% / reading 84%, grade A, #30 of 336 statewide, top 9%, 1,347 students, 20% FRL).
• Watch-outs: HOA is 114% of rent.
• Market conditions: Rents flat; 671 active listings in the ZIP; 36 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 16d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 44% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; high-income renter base; 2,953 units permitted in Polk County in 2024 (540 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Polk County population projected at +37% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 2 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 -6.6% vs local median 2.9% in Ankeny — below-typical yield; the buyer is paying a premium for something (appreciation thesis, condition, location) that the cap rate doesn't capture.
• This rent is only 15% of the median local income ($118k/yr) — well below the 30% rent-burden line; pricing power to push rent on renewal without tenant pushback.

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 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 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?
• 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?