1006 5th Ave N

Humboldt, IA 50548

$150,000D

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,290 sqft · Built 1903 · SingleFamily · Pending · 67 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,203/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$787
• Tax + insurance: −$179
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$253
• Net cashflow: $-15/mo
• Annual: $-184/yr
• Cap rate: 6.17%
• Cash-on-cash: -0.44%
• DSCR: 0.98
• 1% rule: 0.80%
• Cash to close: $42,000

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $150k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-15 ($-184/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $147k (1.8% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $120k (19.8% below list).
• It's been on market 67 days — a 6% lower offer ($141k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $120k (19.8% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 83/100 on livability (#34 in IA, #1,000 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• Humboldt Community School District (town): math 75% / reading 72% proficiency, ranked #92 of 289 in IA (top 32%) — strong family-tenant draw, lease renewals of 3-5y typical.
• Zoned schools: Taft Elementary School (math 82% / reading 67%, grade A, #131 of 616 statewide, top 27%, 396 students, 42% FRL); Humboldt Middle School (math 74% / reading 71%, grade A, #90 of 246 statewide, top 38%, 440 students, 40% FRL); Humboldt High School (math 72% / reading 75%, grade B+, #108 of 336 statewide, top 33%, 496 students, 36% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1903 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 63 active listings in the ZIP; 13 units permitted in Humboldt County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Humboldt County population projected to shrink 9% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 4 sale attempts since 14y ago 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.
• Current owner paid $74k; list at $150k implies a 103% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Cap rate 6.2% vs local median 3.4% in Humboldt — 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.

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 67 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 20% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1903 — 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 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?
• 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.