1535 Sycamore St

Quincy, IL 62301

$99,900B-

1 bd · 2.0 ba · 2,060 sqft · Built — · SingleFamily · Under Contract · 120 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,096/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$524
• Tax + insurance: −$74
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$230
• Net cashflow: $268/mo
• Annual: $3,214/yr
• Cap rate: 9.51%
• Cash-on-cash: 11.49%
• DSCR: 1.51
• 1% rule: 1.10%
• Cash to close: $27,972

Investor read

• This is a 1-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $100k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $268 ($3k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $100k).
• It's been on market 120 days — a 9% lower offer ($91k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $91k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $691 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 67/100 on livability (#506 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime D, employment D, amenities D-.
• Quincy SD 172 (town): math 24% / reading 27% proficiency, ranked #328 of 620 in IL (top 53%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Colonel George Iles Elem Sch (math 29% / reading 29%, grade F, #727 of 2,056 statewide, top 36%, 519 students, 0% FRL); Quincy Jr High School (math 25% / reading 30%, grade F, #295 of 665 statewide, top 45%, 1,348 students, 0% FRL); Quincy Sr High School (math 21% / reading 28%, grade F, #256 of 693 statewide, top 44%, 1,924 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 48% district-wide (48 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+10.8%/yr); 184 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 68 units permitted in Adams County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Adams County population projected at -14% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 8.0% rent growth), your $28k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 9.5% vs local median 4.3% in Quincy — 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.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 120 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• 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 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?
• Crime grade is D in this area — have there been break-ins, vandalism, or insurance claims at this property in the last 3 years? What carrier currently insures it and at what premium?
• 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.