3125 Willowridge Rd · Marion, IA 52302

$145,000

2 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,316 sqft · Other

Built 1993 Good condition

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Why this score? — see what drove the C grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• Cash flow +17.9/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• Schools +6.6/10.0
• DSCR +5.6/10.0
• 1% rule +4.8/10.0
• Rent growth +4.6/5.0
• Livability +4.2/5.0
• Condition / age +4.0/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

This spacious 2nd level condo with vaulted ceilings is located in a great neighborhood close to banks and grocery stores. The kitchen features laminate floors and laminate counters with stainless steel fridge and range. All appliances stay with the home. The primary bedroom extra-large walk-in closet and walk-in shower. The second bedroom can be used as a gym or office space. You& apos; ll find a three seasons porch overlooking the yard and a great view. No pets and no rentals allowed. HOA $273. To learn more about the Willowridge Condominiums: marionwillowridgecondo The HOA performs the following items (including by not limited to): Snow Removal Lawn Care Cleaning of the common area

Key facts

• Built 1993

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/2.0-bath other listed at $145k. Condition is rated good.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $122 ($1k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $142k (1.9% below list).
• Recommended offer: $142k (1.9% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Cap rate 7.3% vs local median 2.7% in Marion — 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.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 84/100 on livability (#19 in IA, #633 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: schools A+, crime A+, cost of living A+; Watch: amenities D-, commute F.
• Linn-Mar Community School District (suburban): math 75% / reading 76% proficiency, ranked #44 of 289 in IA (top 15%) — strong family-tenant draw, lease renewals of 3-5y typical; only 16% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+8.4%/yr); 455 active listings in the ZIP; 4 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 14d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); solid renter incomes; 1,023 units permitted in Linn County in 2024 (456 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• 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.
• 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 $41k cash investment doubles in ~10 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• Only 0 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.

Recommended offer $142,278 (1.9% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
2. 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?
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 0.98% ✗
• Cap rate: 7.30%
• Cash-on-cash: 3.60%
• DSCR: 1.16
• GRM: 8.5

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 8.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -5.2%
• Equity multiple: 0.80×
• Total profit: $-8,190
• Equity at exit: $21,620

10-year hold

• IRR: 9.7%
• Equity multiple: 1.92×
• Total profit: $37,178
• Equity at exit: $12,537

Cash invested: $40,600 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Iowa: 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+6
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

3-day pay-or-quit; mostly landlord-friendly statewide.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 52302

• Rents YoY: 8.4%
• Active inventory: 455
• Price-to-rent: 8.5×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,423 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$760
• Tax est. 1.5%: −$181 /mo · $2,175/yr
• Insurance: −$60
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$299
• Net cashflow: $122

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,268

Max offer price $145,000

Occupancy floor 86%

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $36,250
• Closing costs: $4,350
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 4 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
2899 5th Ave Unit 2 Marion, IA	2.0	1.0	900	$1,200	$1.33	13d	1	0.64mi
700 35th St Marion, IA	2.0	1.0–2.0	896	$1,224	$1.37	13d	1	0.67mi
3040 3rd Ave Marion, IA	3.0	2.0	1500	$1,450	$0.97	21d	1	0.69mi
1975 49th St Marion, IA	3.0	2.0	1449	$2,175	$1.50	13d	1	1.06mi

Listing history 1 events

1. 2026-05-26
   listed $145,000

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥104°F today · 15 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 2 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $17,073
• − Mortgage interest: −$8,122
• − Property taxes: −$2,175
• − Insurance: −$725
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,366
• − Management: −$1,366
• − Depreciation: −$4,218
• Taxable loss: −$899
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$216
• After-tax cash flow: $1,679/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Condition & rehab AI · 1 photo

Good 80/100 Cosmetic rehab

This spacious 2nd level condo is in good condition with minimal repairs needed. Painting the exterior and updating the kitchen can significantly increase its value.

Value-add opportunities

• Both Paint exterior walls — Enhances curb appeal and can increase both resale and rental value
• Both Replace laminate flooring with hardwood — Improves aesthetics and can increase both resale and rental value
• Both Install new kitchen backsplash — Enhances kitchen aesthetics and can increase both resale and rental value

Renovation cost estimate screening

Value-add ROI direction

• Both Paint exterior walls — Enhances curb appeal and can increase both resale and rental value ↑
• Both Replace laminate flooring with hardwood — Improves aesthetics and can increase both resale and rental value ↑
• Both Install new kitchen backsplash — Enhances kitchen aesthetics and can increase both resale and rental value ↑

ⓘ Cost ranges are severity-bucket heuristics (US national rule-of-thumb). Get contractor quotes + a written scope before underwriting a rehab budget.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Linn-Mar Community School District
• NCES district ID: 1917220
• Math proficiency: 75% ▼ -7.00%
• Reading proficiency: 76% ▼ -5.00%
• Median HH income: $72,473
• Composite: 66.08/100
• National rank: #440
• State rank: #44 of 289 in IA

Livability — Marion

• Score: 84/100
• State rank: #19
• US rank: #633

Category grades

Amenities D- Commute F Cost of living A+ Crime A+ Employment A- Housing A+ Health & safety A+ User ratings A+

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Marion, IA
• County: Linn County · 179,860 people
• City population: 42,706
• Metro: Cedar Rapids, IA
• Population (ZIP): 42,706
• Household income: $87,983
• Rent vs Own: 22.6% rent · 77.4% own
• Severe rent burden: 940.0

Population outlook (Linn County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 239,589 people
• By 2030: 248,587 · +3.8%
• By 2040: 264,817 · +10.5%
• By 2050: 278,685 · +16.3%
• By 2075: 311,754 · +30.1%
• By 2100: 336,773 · +40.6%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (89%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 89% Two or more races 4% Hispanic / Latino 3% Black 3% Asian 2%
• Common ancestry: Portuguese 6% Iranian 3% Slovak 2%
• Foreign-born: 3% · Canada
• Languages at home: 96% English-only · Spanish 1% Other Indo-European 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Linn

• 2024 margin: Lean D (+9.9) · D 54.2% · R 44.3% · Other 1.4%
• 2008→2024 swing: -11.6pp toward R · 2008: 21.5pp · 2024: 9.9pp
• All cycles: 2024: D+9.9 2020: D+13.7 2016: D+9.0 2012: D+17.6 2008: D+21.5

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -144.98%
• Current HPI: 199.2949
• Rent YoY: ▲ 8.37%
• Metro: Cedar Rapids, IA
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.48%
• F500 in state: 4

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in IA)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Financial Services	1	$16B
▸Retail / Convenience	1	$15B

Price history

1 event — show timeline

• 2026-05-26 Listed $145,000 FSBO.com