2 bd · 1.0 ba ·
855 sqft ·
Built 1913
· SingleFamily
· Active
· 33 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$949/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$577
Tax + insurance
−$178
HOA
−$0
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$199
Net cashflow
$-5/mo
Annual
$-58/yr
Cap rate
6.24%
Cash-on-cash
-0.19%
DSCR
0.99
1% rule
0.86%
Cash to close
$30,800
Investor read
This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $110k.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $-5 ($-58/yr) — negative.
To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $109k (0.8% below list).
To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $95k (13.8% below list).
It's been on market 33 days — a 3% lower offer ($107k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
Recommended offer: $95k (13.8% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $761 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
Location reads 81/100 on livability (#63 in IA, #1,432 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: employment C-, crime F.
Des Moines Independent Community School District (urban): math 43% / reading 46% proficiency, ranked #289 of 289 in IA (top 100%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 63% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
Zoned schools: Monroe Elementary School (math 30% / reading 27%, grade F, #606 of 616 statewide, top 98%, 423 students, 95% FRL); Meredith Middle School (math 40% / reading 40%, grade F, #239 of 246 statewide, top 97%, 664 students, 84% FRL); Hoover High School (math 46% / reading 55%, grade D+, #311 of 336 statewide, top 93%, 991 students, 78% FRL) — zoned schools average 86% FRL vs 63% district-wide (23 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
Watch-outs: built in 1913 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.7%/yr); 261 active listings in the ZIP; 40 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 46d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 50% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; solid renter incomes; 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.
4 sale attempts since 21y 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.
Cap rate 6.2% vs local median 3.1% in Des Moines — 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.
This rent is only 15% of the median local income ($76k/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 33 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 14% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
Built in 1913 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
Schools are D-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
Crime grade is F 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?
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.
CashFlowRE · CFR-HKQ8WDDY4Q21RC
· Data 27 min agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29