3523 18th St · Columbus, NE 68601

$180,000

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,464 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 6 Days on market

Built 1930 5,368 sqft lot $123/sqft · 5% above area Est $193k · 7% under

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Why this score? — see what drove the C- 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).

• Cash flow +17.8/30.0
• ARV discount +10.5/15.0
• DSCR +5.6/10.0
• 1% rule +4.6/10.0
• Livability +4.0/5.0
• Schools +3.5/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Nice little bungalow ready to be updated to the style you wish. This home features 3 bedrooms 1 bath on a corner lot. It also has an attached 2 car garage and an additional 1 car garage. This home is being sold "AS IS" but it will be cleaned out of the personal belongings.

Key facts

• 5,368 sq ft lot
• 3 garage spots
• Built 1930

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Attached garage with alley access; 3 garage spaces
• Security: Smoke detector(s)
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; Electricity available; Natural gas available; Cable available; Phone available
• Home design: Single-family residence; Residential property; R1 zoning
• Construction: Frame construction with vinyl siding; Composition roof; Has basement
• Exterior features: Porch; Paved road access; Publicly maintained road

Interior

• Kitchen: Electric range; Refrigerator; Electric water heater
• Bedrooms: 2 bedrooms on the main level
• Heating & cooling: Forced air heating; Natural gas heating
• Interior features: Storm windows; Window coverings; Partial, partially finished basement; Smoke detector(s)
• Laundry & utility: Laundry in basement

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $180k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $149 ($2k/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 $172k (4.3% below list).
• Recommended offer: $172k (4.3% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Cap rate 7.3% vs local median 3.3% in Columbus — 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.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 80/100 on livability (#20 in NE, #1,633 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities D-, commute F.
• Columbus Public Schools (town): math 39% / reading 43% proficiency, ranked #93 of 111 in NE (top 84%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: West Park Elementary (math 27% / reading 42%, grade F, #390 of 502 statewide, top 80%, 262 students, 50% FRL).
• Market conditions: 301 active listings in the ZIP; 7 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 44d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 100% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 98 units permitted in Platte County in 2024 (17 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• 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.
• Platte County population projected at +13% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.

Negotiation context

• Only 6 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1930 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $172,323 (4.3% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1930 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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: 0.96% ✗
• Cap rate: 7.29%
• Cash-on-cash: 3.56%
• DSCR: 1.16
• GRM: 8.7

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $192,929
• List price: $180,000
• Delta: -6.70%
• Verdict: FAIR
• Comps: 20 within 1.0 mi

Show comp detail 12 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
4110 16th St	0.36mi	2/1.0	1,500 (+2%)	1mo	$160,000	$107	79
4008 15th St	0.32mi	2/1.0	1,536 (+5%)	1mo	$125,000	$81	76
3714 14 St	0.24mi	3/1.5 (+1)	1,489 (+2%)	4mo	$245,000	$165	76
3523 18th St	0.00mi	3/1.0 (+1)	1,652 (+13%)	0mo	$183,000	$111	73
2154 36th Ave	0.21mi	2/1.0	1,632 (+12%)	2mo	$193,000	$118	70
1772 45th Ave	0.55mi	2/2.0	1,440 (-2%)	4mo	$184,800	$128	64
1665 40th Ave	0.25mi	3/1.0 (+1)	1,297 (-11%)	3mo	$193,000	$149	62
1855 45th Ave	0.53mi	2/2.0	1,600 (+9%)	2mo	$209,000	$131	54
1360 35th Ave	0.27mi	3/2.0 (+1)	1,632 (+12%)	16mo	$170,000	$104	46
3912 22nd St	0.37mi	3/2.0 (+1)	1,260 (-14%)	7mo	$275,000	$218	45
4416 17th St	0.52mi	3/2.0 (+1)	1,680 (+15%)	12mo	$230,000	$137	32
1871 25th Ave	0.73mi	3/1.0 (+1)	1,680 (+15%)	6mo	$140,000	$83	32

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

Projected returns pro-forma

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

5-year hold

• IRR: -10.7%
• Equity multiple: 0.61×
• Total profit: $-19,642
• Equity at exit: $26,839

10-year hold

• IRR: -1.4%
• Equity multiple: 0.90×
• Total profit: $-4,820
• Equity at exit: $15,563

Cash invested: $50,400 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Nebraska: 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+13
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

3-day pay-or-quit; preempted; moderate court pace.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 68601

• Home prices YoY: -22.4%
• Active inventory: 301
• Price-to-rent: 8.7×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,723 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$944
• Tax from tax record: −$193 /mo · $2,315/yr
• Insurance: −$75
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$362
• Net cashflow: $149

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,534

Max offer price $180,000

Occupancy floor 86%

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: $45,000
• Closing costs: $5,400
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 7 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
1281 37th Ave Columbus, NE	2.0	2.0	1250	$1,850	$1.48	44d	1	0.34mi
3539 43rd Ave Unit 304 Columbus, NE	2.0	2.0	1051	$1,595	$1.52	44d	1	1.11mi
3539 43rd Ave Unit 208 Columbus, NE	2.0	2.0	1053	$1,650	$1.57	44d	1	1.11mi
3539 43rd Ave Unit 202 Columbus, NE	2.0	2.0	973	$1,525	$1.57	44d	1	1.11mi
3539 43rd Ave Unit 106 Columbus, NE	2.0	2.0	1053	$1,750	$1.66	44d	1	1.11mi
3539 43rd Ave Unit 307 Columbus, NE	2.0	1.0	903	$1,425	$1.58	44d	1	1.11mi
3539 43rd Ave Unit 102 Columbus, NE	2.0	2.0	1051	$1,850	$1.76	44d	1	1.11mi

Listing history 2 events

1. 2026-05-18
   status Pending 283-char remark
2. 2026-05-12
   listed $180,000 Active 283-char remark

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast NE · Resets to sale price

• Current annual tax: $2,315 · $193/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $3,114 · $260/mo
• Expected delta: +$799/yr (+$67/mo · 34.5%)

ⓘ 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 · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥103°F today · 16 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 1/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 0 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $20,679
• − Mortgage interest: −$10,083
• − Property taxes: −$2,315
• − Insurance: −$900
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,654
• − Management: −$1,654
• − Depreciation: −$5,236
• Taxable loss: −$1,164
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$279
• After-tax cash flow: $2,073/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 Public Schools
• NCES district ID: 3105340
• Math proficiency: 39% ▼ -10.00%
• Reading proficiency: 43% ▼ -3.00%
• Median HH income: $51,074
• Composite: 35.41/100
• National rank: #4942
• State rank: #93 of 111 in NE

Livability — Columbus

• Score: 80/100
• State rank: #20
• US rank: #1633

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Columbus, NE
• City population: 30,619
• Population (ZIP): 30,619

Population outlook (Platte County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 34,130 people
• By 2030: 34,778 · +1.9%
• By 2040: 36,436 · +6.8%
• By 2050: 38,648 · +13.2%
• By 2075: 47,293 · +38.6%
• By 2100: 57,020 · +67.1%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (71%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 71% Hispanic / Latino 25% Two or more races 14%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 14% Cuban 2%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 7% Portuguese 2% Lithuanian 1%
• Foreign-born: 14% · Canada
• Languages at home: 79% English-only · Spanish 20%

Political lean MEDSL · Platte

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+58.3) · D 20.4% · R 78.7%
• 2008→2024 swing: -16.8pp toward R · 2008: -41.5pp · 2024: -58.3pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+58.3 2020: R+56.8 2016: R+58.8 2012: R+51.8 2008: R+41.5

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -100.37%
• Current HPI: 347.5063
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 0.68%
• F500 in state: 2

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in NE)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Conglomerate	1	$371B

Price history

+4.8% since first listed

4 events — show timeline

• 2026-06-05 Sold (Public Records) $188,693 Public Records
• 2026-06-04 Sold (MLS) $183,000 CBOR
• 2026-05-18 Pending — CBOR
• 2026-05-12 Listed $180,000 CBOR

Property tax history

+4.0%/yr

Latest (2025): $2,315 · +16.5% YoY. Source: county tax records.