1956 Lasalle St

Ottawa, IL 61350

$129,000C+

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,144 sqft · Built 1865 · SingleFamily · Active · 144 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,526/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$676
• Tax + insurance: −$199
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$320
• Net cashflow: $330/mo
• Annual: $3,963/yr
• Cap rate: 9.36%
• Cash-on-cash: 10.97%
• DSCR: 1.49
• 1% rule: 1.18%
• Cash to close: $36,120

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $129k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $330 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $129k).
• It's been on market 144 days — a 12% lower offer ($114k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $114k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $892 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 77/100 on livability (#172 in IL, #3,175 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, health & safety A+, housing A; Watch: employment C-, amenities D, commute F.
• Ottawa Twp Hsd 140 (town): math 25% / reading 30% proficiency, ranked #545 of 919 in IL (top 59%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Ottawa Township High School (math 17% / reading 27%, grade F, #319 of 693 statewide, top 50%, 1,261 students, 0% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1865 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 205 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; solid renter incomes; 82 units permitted in LaSalle County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• LaSalle County population projected at -16% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 3 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $28k (18%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $32k; list at $129k implies a 297% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $36k cash investment doubles in ~10 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 9.4% vs local median 3.1% in Ottawa — 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 144 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1865 — 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 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?
• 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.
• How much new for-sale + rental construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply typically softens prices + rents 12–24 months out; constrained supply supports both.