1248 Ottawa Ave

Ottawa, IL 61350

$179,000D+

6 bd · 3.0 ba · 2,545 sqft · Built 1906 · SingleFamily · Pending · 2 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,026/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$939
• Tax + insurance: −$489
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$426
• Net cashflow: $173/mo
• Annual: $2,080/yr
• Cap rate: 7.46%
• Cash-on-cash: 4.15%
• DSCR: 1.18
• 1% rule: 1.13%
• Cash to close: $50,120

Investor read

• This is a 6-bed/3.0-bath single-family listed at $179k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $173 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $179k).
• 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 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: property tax is 2.8% of price; built in 1906 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 208 active listings in the ZIP; 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 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.
• Cap rate 7.5% 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.
• This rent runs 31% of the median local income ($78k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1906 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
• 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?
• 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.