303 Gamble St · Columbus Junction, IA 52738

$165,000

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,524 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 20 Days on market

Built 1900 0.28 ac lot Est $177k · 7% under

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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).

• ARV discount +10.5/15.0
• Appreciation +8.5/10.0
• Cash flow +7.1/30.0
• Schools +4.8/10.0
• Livability +3.6/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• 1% rule +1.8/10.0
• DSCR +1.3/10.0

Listing remarks

Don't miss this 4-bedroom, 1.5 bath home full of opportunity in Columbus Junction, Iowa. Enjoy a charming front patio perfect for your morning coffee, enjoy a spacious back yard that includes a privacy fence along the front of them home, and a covered deck ideal for entertaining. Whether you're looking to put your personal touch on a property or simply enjoy the space, this could be the one for you. Priced at $165,000 - schedule your showing today. * Some photographs in this listing have been digitally/AI enhanced to better showcase the property's features and potential. All interior photo's AI enhanced for lighting/color purposes only. No Structural alterations.

Key facts

• Covered deck
• Front patio
• Spacious back yard

Tags

• FRONT PATIO
• SPACIOUS BACK YARD
• PRIVACY FENCE
• COVERED DECK

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Gravel parking
• Utilities: Public sewer
• Home design: Two levels; Single-family residence; Residential property
• Construction: Vinyl siding
• Exterior features: Lot approximately 0.28 acres (120 x 100)

Interior

• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom; 1 half bathroom
• Interior features: Basement present; Central air conditioning; Forced air heating

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $165k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-231 ($-3k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $124k (24.7% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $112k (32.0% below list).
• Recommended offer: $112k (32.0% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 72/100 on livability (#302 in IA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: schools D+, amenities F, commute F.
• Columbus Community School District (rural): math 53% / reading 60% proficiency, ranked #258 of 289 in IA (top 89%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease; 61% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Market conditions: 16 active listings in the ZIP; 9 units permitted in Louisa County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $13k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $12k appreciation (7.1% local appreciation)).
• Louisa County population projected at -11% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• By year 3, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$32k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 20 days — a 2% lower offer ($163k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 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.
• Current owner paid $142k; 16% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $112,265 (32.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
2. Built in 1900 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. 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?
5. 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?
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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: 0.68% ✗
• Cap rate: 4.61%
• Cash-on-cash: -6.00%
• DSCR: 0.73
• GRM: 12.2

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $176,784
• Comps found: 4

Show comp detail 4 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
314 Springer Ave	0.05mi	2/2.0 (-1)	1,332 (-13%)	2mo	$155,000	$116	66
1230 Ridge Rd	0.24mi	3/2.0	1,612 (+6%)	16mo	$191,000	$118	62
725 Walnut St	0.65mi	2/1.0 (-1)	1,545 (+1%)	20mo	$141,700	$92	46
403 Flat Iron Dr	0.48mi	3/2.0	1,316 (-14%)	8mo	$145,000	$110	44

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

Projected returns pro-forma

7.07% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 13.2%
• Equity multiple: 1.94×
• Total profit: $43,621
• Equity at exit: $115,098

10-year hold

• IRR: 13.5%
• Equity multiple: 3.98×
• Total profit: $137,734
• Equity at exit: $219,322

Cash invested: $46,200 (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 52738

• Home prices YoY: 3.6%
• Active inventory: 16
• Price-to-rent: 12.2×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,123 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$865
• Tax from tax record: −$184 /mo · $2,206/yr
• Insurance: −$69
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$236
• Net cashflow: $-231

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,415

Max offer price $124,199

Occupancy floor —

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: $41,250
• Closing costs: $4,950
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 22 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $165,000 Active 20 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   days on market $165,000 Active 19 DOM
3. 2026-06-16
   days on market $165,000 Active 18 DOM
4. 2026-06-15
   days on market $165,000 Active 17 DOM
5. 2026-06-13
   days on market $165,000 Active 15 DOM
6. 2026-06-12
   days on market $165,000 Active 14 DOM
7. 2026-06-09
   days on market $165,000 Active 11 DOM
8. 2026-06-08
   days on market $165,000 Active 10 DOM
9. 2026-06-07
   days on market $165,000 Active 9 DOM
10. 2026-06-07
    days on market $165,000 Active 8 DOM
11. 2026-06-04
    days on market $165,000 Active 5 DOM
12. 2026-06-02
    days on market $165,000 Active 4 DOM
13. 2026-06-01
    days on market $165,000 Active 3 DOM
14. 2026-05-31
    days on market $165,000 Active 2 DOM
15. 2026-05-28
    listed $165,000 Active
16. 2025-12-02
    listed $165,000 Active
17. 2025-10-28
    price $165,000
18. 2025-08-27
    listed $170,000 Active
19. 2022-08-23
    soldstatus $142,000
20. 2019-05-20
    soldstatus $56,750
21. 2014-07-16
    soldstatus $51,000
22. 2007-09-24
    soldstatus $30,000

ⓘ 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: $2,206 · $184/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $2,398 · $200/mo
• Expected delta: +$192/yr (+$16/mo · 8.7%)

ⓘ 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 3/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥105°F today · 16 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: $13,472
• − Mortgage interest: −$9,243
• − Property taxes: −$2,206
• − Insurance: −$825
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,078
• − Management: −$1,078
• − Depreciation: −$4,800
• Taxable loss: −$5,757
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$1,382
• After-tax cash flow: $-1,390/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: Columbus Community School District
• NCES district ID: 1907980
• Math proficiency: 53% ▼ -3.00%
• Reading proficiency: 60% ▲ 5.00%
• Median HH income: $47,844
• Composite: 47.95/100
• National rank: #2204
• State rank: #258 of 289 in IA

Livability — Columbus Junction

• Score: 72/100
• State rank: #302
• US rank: #5861

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Columbus Junction, IA
• Population (ZIP): 3,389

Population outlook (Louisa County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 11,061 people
• By 2030: 10,869 · -1.7%
• By 2040: 10,400 · -6.0%
• By 2050: 9,878 · -10.7%
• By 2075: 9,425 · -14.8%
• By 2100: 9,584 · -13.4%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Diverse neighborhood (Simpson 0.57)
• Race & ethnicity: White 55% Hispanic / Latino 36% Two or more races 8% Asian 6%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 34%
• Common ancestry: Slovak 2% Iranian 1% Portuguese 1%
• Foreign-born: 20% · Canada, Philippines
• Languages at home: 65% English-only · Spanish 30% Other Asian/Pacific 4% Other Indo-European 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Louisa

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+41.0) · D 28.8% · R 69.8% · Other 1.4%
• 2008→2024 swing: -45.2pp toward R · 2008: 4.2pp · 2024: -41.0pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+41.0 2020: R+33.3 2016: R+28.7 2012: D+0.7 2008: D+4.2

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 7.07%
• Current HPI: 202.0796
• 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

+450.0% since first listed

8 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-28 Listed $165,000 IAR
• 2025-12-02 Listed $165,000 ICAARMLS
• 2025-10-28 Price Changed $165,000 ICAARMLS
• 2025-08-27 Listed $170,000 ICAARMLS
• 2022-08-23 Sold (Public Records) $142,000 Public Records
• 2019-05-20 Sold (Public Records) $56,750 Public Records
• 2014-07-16 Sold (Public Records) $51,000 Public Records
• 2007-09-24 Sold (Public Records) $30,000 Public Records

Property tax history

+7.5%/yr

Latest (2025): $2,206 · +1.7% YoY. Source: county tax records.