846 W Railroad St

Jacksonville, IL 62650

$65,500B

1 bd · 0.5 ba · 828 sqft · Built 1930 · Other · Active · 52 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $866/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$343
• Tax + insurance: −$136
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$182
• Net cashflow: $204/mo
• Annual: $2,453/yr
• Cap rate: 10.04%
• Cash-on-cash: 13.37%
• DSCR: 1.60
• 1% rule: 1.32%
• Cash to close: $18,340

Investor read

• This is a 1-bed/0.5-bath other listed at $66k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $204 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($866 rent vs $66k).
• It's been on market 52 days — a 3% lower offer ($64k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $64k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $453 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 76/100 on livability (#187 in IL, #3,543 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: crime C-, amenities C-, schools D.
• Jacksonville SD 117 (town): math 20% / reading 23% proficiency, ranked #407 of 620 in IL (top 66%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Watch-outs: built in 1930 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 143 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 3 units permitted in Morgan County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Morgan County population projected at -20% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 2 sale attempts since 16y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $13k (17%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $26k; list at $66k implies a 152% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $18k cash investment doubles in ~9 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 10.0% vs local median 5.4% in Jacksonville — 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 52 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1930 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• 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?
• 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.