103 W 4th St

Bode, IA 50519

$17,500C-

4 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,358 sqft · Built 1918 · SingleFamily · Active · 185 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,239/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$92
• Tax + insurance: −$29
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$260
• Net cashflow: $858/mo
• Annual: $10,296/yr
• Cap rate: 65.12%
• Cash-on-cash: 210.11%
• DSCR: 10.35
• 1% rule: 7.08%
• Cash to close: $4,900

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $18k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $858 ($10k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $18k).
• It's been on market 185 days — a 12% lower offer ($15k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $15k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• In year one you build about $531 of equity ($121 loan paydown + $410 appreciation (2.3% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 66/100 on livability (#513 in IA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: health & safety C-, amenities F, commute F.
• Twin Rivers Community School District (rural): math 60% / reading 40% proficiency, ranked #323 of 330 in IA (top 98%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Watch-outs: built in 1918 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 4 active listings in the ZIP; 13 units permitted in Humboldt County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Humboldt County population projected to shrink 9% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• At projected returns (2.3% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $5k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 185 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1918 — 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.
• 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.