525 School Ave

Oshkosh, WI 54901

$150,000D

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,052 sqft · Built 1920 · Other · Active · 149 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,404/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$787
• Tax + insurance: −$298
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$295
• Net cashflow: $25/mo
• Annual: $300/yr
• Cap rate: 6.49%
• Cash-on-cash: 0.71%
• DSCR: 1.03
• 1% rule: 0.94%
• Cash to close: $42,000

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath other listed at $150k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $25 ($300/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 $140k (6.4% below list).
• It's been on market 149 days — a 12% lower offer ($132k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $132k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• 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.
• Location reads 85/100 on livability (#29 in WI, #574 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+.
• Oshkosh Area School District (urban): math 33% / reading 34% proficiency, ranked #246 of 342 in WI (top 72%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Washington Elementary (math 22% / reading 17%, grade F, #864 of 1,041 statewide, top 85%, 174 students, 62% FRL); Webster Stanley Middle (math 15% / reading 21%, grade F, #360 of 383 statewide, top 94%, 335 students, 57% FRL); North High (math 24% / reading 39%, grade F, #199 of 483 statewide, top 42%, 1,265 students, 52% FRL) — zoned schools average 57% FRL vs 34% district-wide (23 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.0%/yr); 83 active listings in the ZIP; 34 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 23d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 41% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 652 units permitted in Winnebago County in 2024 (333 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Winnebago County population projected at +3% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 3 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $10k (6%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $80k; list at $150k implies a 88% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Cap rate 6.5% vs local median 3.7% in Oshkosh — 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 149 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1920 — 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.
• 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.
• 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.