1334 S Blackhawk Ave

Freeport, IL 61032

$165,000D

4 bd · 2.5 ba · 2,483 sqft · Built 1944 · SingleFamily · Pending · 5 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,586/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$865
• Tax + insurance: −$278
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$333
• Net cashflow: $110/mo
• Annual: $1,319/yr
• Cap rate: 7.09%
• Cash-on-cash: 2.86%
• DSCR: 1.13
• 1% rule: 0.96%
• Cash to close: $46,200

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/2.5-bath single-family listed at $165k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $110 ($1k/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 $159k (3.9% below list).
• Only 5 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $159k (3.9% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• 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.
• Location reads 72/100 on livability (#302 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, health & safety A+, housing A-; Watch: commute F, employment F.
• Freeport SD 145 (town): math 11% / reading 12% proficiency, ranked #565 of 620 in IL (top 91%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 65% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Blackhawk Elem School (math 12% / reading 12%, grade F, #1,403 of 2,056 statewide, top 71%, 307 students, 0% FRL); Freeport Middle School (math 6% / reading 7%, grade F, #632 of 665 statewide, top 95%, 485 students, 0% FRL); Freeport High School (math 11% / reading 18%, grade F, #479 of 693 statewide, top 71%, 1,080 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 65% district-wide (65 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1944 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 206 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 46d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 67% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 7 units permitted in Stephenson County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Stephenson County population projected at -29% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• Cap rate 7.1% vs local median 5.8% in Freeport — meaningfully above typical; check what's discounted (condition, days-on-market, listing class) to confirm the premium yield is real.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1944 — 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 F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
• The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
• 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.