603 Iowa St

Cedar Falls, IA 50613

$223,000B+

3 bd · 2.5 ba · 2,817 sqft · Built 1917 · MultiFamily · Active · 365 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,861/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,169
• Tax + insurance: −$366
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$601
• Net cashflow: $725/mo
• Annual: $8,702/yr
• Cap rate: 10.20%
• Cash-on-cash: 13.94%
• DSCR: 1.62
• 1% rule: 1.28%
• Cash to close: $62,440

Investor read

• This is a 1×2bd/1ba + 1×3bd/1ba units multifamily listed at $223k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $725 ($9k/yr) — positive. Per door: $363/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $223k).
• It's been on market 365 days — a 12% lower offer ($196k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $196k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $7k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 81/100 on livability (#60 in IA, #1,357 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: amenities D, commute F.
• Cedar Falls Community School District (urban): math 76% / reading 79% proficiency, ranked #45 of 289 in IA (top 16%) — strong family-tenant draw, lease renewals of 3-5y typical; only 18% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: Lincoln Elementary School (math 66% / reading 71%, grade B+, #266 of 616 statewide, top 43%, 453 students, 45% FRL); Holmes Junior High School (math 79% / reading 78%, grade A+, #44 of 246 statewide, top 19%, 639 students, 28% FRL); Cedar Falls High School (math 74% / reading 78%, grade A-, #75 of 336 statewide, top 23%, 1,302 students, 24% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1917 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+2.0%/yr); 389 active listings in the ZIP; solid renter incomes; 287 units permitted in Black Hawk County in 2024 (67 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Black Hawk County population projected at +10% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 4 sale attempts since 3y ago; this cycle's ask is 24678% above the opening price — seller raised mid-cycle; expect resistance to lowballs.
• Current owner paid $173k; 29% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 2.0% rent growth), your $62k cash investment doubles in ~10 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 10.2% vs local median 3.1% in Cedar Falls — 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 44% of the median local income ($79k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 365 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
• What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
• Built in 1917 — 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.
• 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?
• 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.