3401 Ardsley Ln SW

Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

$169,500C+

4 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,494 sqft · Built 1972 · SingleFamily · Pending · 2 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,750/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$889
• Tax + insurance: −$302
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$367
• Net cashflow: $191/mo
• Annual: $2,298/yr
• Cap rate: 7.65%
• Cash-on-cash: 4.84%
• DSCR: 1.22
• 1% rule: 1.03%
• Cash to close: $47,460

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $170k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $191 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $170k).
• Only 2 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 78/100 on livability (#134 in IA, #2,474 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime C-, commute F.
• College Community School District (urban): math 62% / reading 70% proficiency, ranked #173 of 289 in IA (top 60%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Prairie Hill Elementary School (math 62% / reading 52%, grade C+, #436 of 616 statewide, top 74%, 467 students, 34% FRL); Prairie Point (math 62% / reading 74%, grade A-, #131 of 246 statewide, top 53%, 1,324 students, 34% FRL); Prairie High School (math 62% / reading 78%, grade B+, #146 of 336 statewide, top 45%, 1,298 students, 31% FRL).
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+8.8%/yr); 419 active listings in the ZIP; 1,023 units permitted in Linn County in 2024 (456 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Linn County population projected at +16% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 8.0% rent growth), your $47k cash investment doubles in ~9 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 7.6% vs local median 3.5% in Cedar Rapids — 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 runs 34% of the median local income ($62k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1972 — 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 B-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?
• 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.