1103 Scott St St · Ruthven, IA 51358

$149,900

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,860 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 7 Days on market

Built 1963 0.25 ac lot $81/sqft · 13% above area Est $133k · 13% over

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Why this score? — see what drove the D 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 +13.4/30.0
• Appreciation +5.7/10.0
• Schools +4.8/10.0
• DSCR +4.0/10.0
• Livability +3.3/5.0
• 1% rule +3.2/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• ARV discount +1.8/15.0

Listing remarks MLS

Beautiful solid brick duplex in Ruthven! Each unit Offers 2 bedrooms 1 bath and your own laundry area. Baths, roof and mechanicals have all been updated in the past with little or no work to be done. If you're looking to start investing or want to ad to your portfolio don't let this gem slip away.

Key facts

• Roof
• Gutters
• Main sewer line

Tags

• MAIN SEWER LINE
• CURB SHUT OFFS
• NEW BATH IN NORTH UNIT
• MECHANICALS
• ROOF
• GUTTERS

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 4-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $150k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $2 ($23/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 $123k (17.9% below list).
• Recommended offer: $123k (17.9% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 66/100 on livability (#534 in IA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: health & safety C-, employment D, amenities F.
• Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District (rural): math 50% / reading 60% proficiency, ranked #309 of 330 in IA (top 94%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Market conditions: 16 active listings in the ZIP; 19 units permitted in Palo Alto County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $3k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $2k appreciation (1.4% local appreciation)).
• Palo Alto County population projected to shrink 7% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• At projected returns (1.4% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $42k cash investment doubles in ~9 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 10, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$31k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Negotiation context

• Only 7 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• 2 sale attempts 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.

Recommended offer $123,093 (17.9% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1963 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
3. 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?
4. 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?
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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: 0.82% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.31%
• Cash-on-cash: 0.05%
• DSCR: 1.00
• GRM: 10.1

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $133,085
• List price: $149,900
• Delta: 12.63%
• Verdict: OVERPRICED
• Comps: 18 within 1.0 mi

Show comp detail 1 sale within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
1603 1st St	0.33mi	4/2.0	1,782 (-4%)	13mo	$183,500	$103	66

Match score weights: distance 35% · size 25% · config 20% · recency 20%. Top-matched comps best support the ARV.

Projected returns pro-forma

1.37% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 2.6%
• Equity multiple: 1.13×
• Total profit: $5,627
• Equity at exit: $54,073

10-year hold

• IRR: 6.9%
• Equity multiple: 1.87×
• Total profit: $36,524
• Equity at exit: $74,155

Cash invested: $41,972 (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 51358

• Home prices YoY: 0.5%
• Active inventory: 16
• Price-to-rent: 10.1×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,231 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$786
• Tax from tax record: −$122 /mo · $1,464/yr
• Insurance: −$62
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$258
• Net cashflow: $2

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,229

Max offer price $149,900

Occupancy floor 95%

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: $37,475
• Closing costs: $4,497
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 19 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $149,900 Active 7 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   days on market $149,900 Active 6 DOM
3. 2026-06-16
   days on market $149,900 Active 5 DOM
4. 2026-06-15
   days on market $149,900 Active 4 DOM
5. 2026-06-13
   days on market $149,900 Active 2 DOM
6. 2026-06-12
   remarks 455-char remark
7. 2026-06-12
   days on marketlisting id $149,900 Active 1 DOM
8. 2026-06-09
   days on market $149,900 Active 305 DOM
9. 2026-06-08
   days on market $149,900 Active 304 DOM
10. 2026-06-07
    days on market $149,900 Active 303 DOM
11. 2026-06-05
    days on market $149,900 Active 301 DOM
12. 2026-06-04
    days on market $149,900 Active 299 DOM
13. 2026-06-02
    days on market $149,900 Active 298 DOM
14. 2026-06-01
    days on market $149,900 Active 297 DOM
15. 2026-05-31
    days on market $149,900 Active 296 DOM
16. 2026-05-31
    days on market $149,900 Active 295 DOM
17. 2025-10-21
    status Active 298-char remark

    Show marketing remark (298 chars)

    Beautiful solid brick duplex in Ruthven! Each unit Offers 2 bedrooms 1 bath and your own laundry area. Baths, roof and mechanicals have all been updated in the past with little or no work to be done. If you're looking to start investing or want to ad to your portfolio don't let this gem slip away.

18. 2025-09-19
    historical Active Under Contract 298-char remark

    Show marketing remark (298 chars)

    Beautiful solid brick duplex in Ruthven! Each unit Offers 2 bedrooms 1 bath and your own laundry area. Baths, roof and mechanicals have all been updated in the past with little or no work to be done. If you're looking to start investing or want to ad to your portfolio don't let this gem slip away.

19. 2025-08-08
    listed $149,900 Active 298-char remark

    Show marketing remark (298 chars)

    Beautiful solid brick duplex in Ruthven! Each unit Offers 2 bedrooms 1 bath and your own laundry area. Baths, roof and mechanicals have all been updated in the past with little or no work to be done. If you're looking to start investing or want to ad to your portfolio don't let this gem slip away.

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

Tax reassessment forecast IA · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $1,464 · $122/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,909 · $159/mo
• Expected delta: +$445/yr (+$37/mo · 30.4%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 2/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 2/10 Low 7 d/yr ≥99°F today · 16 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $14,771
• − Mortgage interest: −$8,397
• − Property taxes: −$1,464
• − Insurance: −$750
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,182
• − Management: −$1,182
• − Depreciation: −$4,361
• Taxable loss: −$2,563
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$615
• After-tax cash flow: $638/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.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District
• NCES district ID: 1925050
• Math proficiency: 50% ▼ -25.00%
• Reading proficiency: 60% ▼ -5.00%
• Median HH income: $44,398
• Composite: 48.19/100
• National rank: #4727
• State rank: #309 of 330 in IA

Livability — Ruthven

• Score: 66/100
• State rank: #534
• US rank: #11944

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Ruthven, IA
• City population: 1,277
• Population (ZIP): 1,277

Population outlook (Palo Alto County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 8,816 people
• By 2030: 8,634 · -2.1%
• By 2040: 8,334 · -5.5%
• By 2050: 8,232 · -6.6%
• By 2075: 8,533 · -3.2%
• By 2100: 8,976 · +1.8%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (87%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 87% Two or more races 11% Hispanic / Latino 5% Asian 1%
• Common ancestry: Portuguese 5% Russian 3% Iranian 2%
• Foreign-born: 2% · Canada, Vietnam
• Languages at home: 97% English-only · Spanish 2% Tagalog/Filipino 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Palo Alto

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+45.0) · D 26.9% · R 71.9% · Other 1.2%
• 2008→2024 swing: -47.8pp toward R · 2008: 2.8pp · 2024: -45.0pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+45.0 2020: R+37.3 2016: R+36.0 2012: R+10.8 2008: D+2.8

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 1.37%
• Current HPI: 266.9712
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• 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

3 events — show timeline

• 2025-10-21 Relisted — Iowa Great Lakes BOR
• 2025-09-19 Contingent — Iowa Great Lakes BOR
• 2025-08-08 Listed $149,900 Iowa Great Lakes BOR

Property tax history

+1.6%/yr

Latest (2025): $1,464 · +4.1% YoY. Source: county tax records.