317 S Central Ave

Burlington, IA 52601

$71,900B+

4 bd · 1.5 ba · 3,614 sqft · Built 1880 · SingleFamily · Pending · 103 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,403/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$377
• Tax + insurance: −$264
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$295
• Net cashflow: $468/mo
• Annual: $5,612/yr
• Cap rate: 14.10%
• Cash-on-cash: 27.88%
• DSCR: 2.24
• 1% rule: 1.95%
• Cash to close: $20,132

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $72k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $468 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $72k).
• It's been on market 103 days — a 9% lower offer ($65k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $65k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $497 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 73/100 on livability (#287 in IA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime D+, employment D, amenities F.
• Burlington Community School District (town): math 42% / reading 54% proficiency, ranked #286 of 289 in IA (top 99%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Black Hawk Elementary School (math 52% / reading 52%, grade C-, #494 of 616 statewide, top 83%, 316 students, 72% FRL); Edward Stone Middle School (math 34% / reading 48%, grade F, #236 of 246 statewide, top 96%, 489 students, 63% FRL); Burlington Community High School (math 45% / reading 64%, grade C-, #290 of 336 statewide, top 87%, 1,092 students, 58% FRL).
• Watch-outs: property tax is 3.9% of price; built in 1880 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 188 active listings in the ZIP; 53 units permitted in Des Moines County in 2024 (40 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Des Moines County population projected to shrink 6% 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 $20k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 14.1% vs local median 6.0% in Burlington — 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

• It's been on market 103 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1880 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
• 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.
• Crime grade is D 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.