118 W 14th St · Spencer, IA 51301

$90,000

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 744 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 142 Days on market

Built 1900 7,500 sqft lot $121/sqft · 18% below area Est $109k · 18% under ↓ 14% since listing

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Why this score? — see what drove the B+ 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 +30.0/30.0
• ARV discount +15.0/15.0
• DSCR +10.0/10.0
• 1% rule +8.7/10.0
• Schools +6.1/10.0
• Livability +3.9/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks MLS

Charming two-bedroom ranch home located just minutes from the Clay County Fairgrounds and scenic bike trail. Enjoy the convenience of nearby recreation, events and outdoor activities while being tucked into a quiet neighborhood. A great opportunity for first-time buyers, downsizers, or investors.

Key facts

• 7,500 sq ft lot
• Garage
• Built 1900

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $90k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $379 ($5k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $90k).
• Recommended offer: $79k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 11.3% vs local median 4.6% in Spencer — 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 77/100 on livability (#168 in IA, #3,020 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: schools A+, crime A+, cost of living A+; Watch: employment D, amenities F, commute F.
• Spencer Community School District (town): math 73% / reading 72% proficiency, ranked #114 of 289 in IA (top 39%) — strong family-tenant draw, lease renewals of 3-5y typical.
• Market conditions: 108 active listings in the ZIP; 11 units permitted in Clay County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $622 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Clay County population projected to shrink 6% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $25k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 142 days — a 12% lower offer ($79k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

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

Recommended offer $79,200 (12.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 142 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Built in 1900 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
4. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
5. 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?
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: 1.37% ✓
• Cap rate: 11.34%
• Cash-on-cash: 18.03%
• DSCR: 1.80
• GRM: 6.1

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $109,435
• List price: $90,000
• Delta: -17.76%
• Verdict: UNDERPRICED
• Comps: 20 within 1.0 mi

Show comp detail 4 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
1113 3rd Ave W	0.17mi	2/1.0	744 (0%)	22mo	$140,000	$188	74
210 E 11th St	0.37mi	2/1.0	756 (+2%)	15mo	$90,000	$119	68
407 E 13th St	0.43mi	2/1.0	680 (-9%)	6mo	$85,000	$125	60
610 E 8th St	0.71mi	2/1.0	768 (+3%)	13mo	$127,500	$166	50

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: 9.6%
• Equity multiple: 1.38×
• Total profit: $9,533
• Equity at exit: $13,419

10-year hold

• IRR: 18.7%
• Equity multiple: 2.56×
• Total profit: $39,364
• Equity at exit: $7,782

Cash invested: $25,200 (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 51301

• Home prices YoY: -35.0%
• Active inventory: 108
• Price-to-rent: 6.1×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,235 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$472
• Tax from tax record: −$87 /mo · $1,048/yr
• Insurance: −$38
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$259
• Net cashflow: $379

Break-even live

Break-even rent $755

Max offer price $90,000

Occupancy floor 64%

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: $22,500
• Closing costs: $2,700
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 8 events

1. 2026-06-01
   status $90,000 Pending 142 DOM
2. 2026-05-31
   days on market $90,000 Active Under Contract 142 DOM
3. 2026-05-31
   days on market $90,000 Active Under Contract 141 DOM
4. 2026-05-05
   historical Active Under Contract 297-char remark

   Show marketing remark (297 chars)

   Charming two-bedroom ranch home located just minutes from the Clay County Fairgrounds and scenic bike trail. Enjoy the convenience of nearby recreation, events and outdoor activities while being tucked into a quiet neighborhood. A great opportunity for first-time buyers, downsizers, or investors.

5. 2026-04-30
   price $90,000 297-char remark

   Show marketing remark (297 chars)

   Charming two-bedroom ranch home located just minutes from the Clay County Fairgrounds and scenic bike trail. Enjoy the convenience of nearby recreation, events and outdoor activities while being tucked into a quiet neighborhood. A great opportunity for first-time buyers, downsizers, or investors.

6. 2026-03-26
   price $94,900 297-char remark

   Show marketing remark (297 chars)

   Charming two-bedroom ranch home located just minutes from the Clay County Fairgrounds and scenic bike trail. Enjoy the convenience of nearby recreation, events and outdoor activities while being tucked into a quiet neighborhood. A great opportunity for first-time buyers, downsizers, or investors.

7. 2026-02-04
   price $99,000 297-char remark

   Show marketing remark (297 chars)

   Charming two-bedroom ranch home located just minutes from the Clay County Fairgrounds and scenic bike trail. Enjoy the convenience of nearby recreation, events and outdoor activities while being tucked into a quiet neighborhood. A great opportunity for first-time buyers, downsizers, or investors.

8. 2026-01-09
   listed $105,000 Active 297-char remark

   Show marketing remark (297 chars)

   Charming two-bedroom ranch home located just minutes from the Clay County Fairgrounds and scenic bike trail. Enjoy the convenience of nearby recreation, events and outdoor activities while being tucked into a quiet neighborhood. A great opportunity for first-time buyers, downsizers, or investors.

ⓘ 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: $1,048 · $87/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,230 · $103/mo
• Expected delta: +$182/yr (+$15/mo · 17.4%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 3/10 Moderate FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 20% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 4/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 2/10 Low 7 d/yr ≥101°F today · 16 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $14,816
• − Mortgage interest: −$5,041
• − Property taxes: −$1,048
• − Insurance: −$450
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,185
• − Management: −$1,185
• − Depreciation: −$2,618
• Taxable income: $3,288
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$789
• After-tax cash flow: $3,754/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: Spencer Community School District
• NCES district ID: 1926910
• Math proficiency: 73% ▼ -7.00%
• Reading proficiency: 72% ▼ -6.00%
• Median HH income: $45,474
• Composite: 61.02/100
• National rank: #797
• State rank: #114 of 289 in IA

Livability — Spencer

• Score: 77/100
• State rank: #168
• US rank: #3020

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Spencer, IA
• City population: 12,402
• Population (ZIP): 12,402

Population outlook (Clay County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 16,277 people
• By 2030: 16,073 · -1.3%
• By 2040: 15,638 · -3.9%
• By 2050: 15,315 · -5.9%
• By 2075: 15,026 · -7.7%
• By 2100: 14,638 · -10.1%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (91%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 91% Hispanic / Latino 5% Two or more races 4%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 4%
• Common ancestry: Portuguese 14% Iranian 4% Lithuanian 2%
• Foreign-born: 1% · Canada, South Korea
• Languages at home: 98% English-only · Spanish 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Clay

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+43.2) · D 27.8% · R 71.0% · Other 1.2%
• 2008→2024 swing: -38.1pp toward R · 2008: -5.1pp · 2024: -43.2pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+43.2 2020: R+38.7 2016: R+42.4 2012: R+18.7 2008: R+5.1

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -103.43%
• Current HPI: 192.1741
• 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

-14.3% since first listed

5 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-05 Contingent — Iowa Great Lakes BOR
• 2026-04-30 Price Changed $90,000 Iowa Great Lakes BOR
• 2026-03-26 Price Changed $94,900 Iowa Great Lakes BOR
• 2026-02-04 Price Changed $99,000 Iowa Great Lakes BOR
• 2026-01-09 Listed $105,000 Iowa Great Lakes BOR

Property tax history

+3.4%/yr

Latest (2025): $1,048 · +3.8% YoY. Source: county tax records.