940 Washington St

Lincoln, NE 68502

$187,000D-

2 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,316 sqft · Built 1900 · SingleFamily · Active · 35 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,181/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$981
• Tax + insurance: −$254
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$248
• Net cashflow: $-302/mo
• Annual: $-3,622/yr
• Cap rate: 4.36%
• Cash-on-cash: -6.92%
• DSCR: 0.69
• 1% rule: 0.63%
• Cash to close: $52,360

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $187k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-302 ($-4k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $134k (28.5% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $118k (36.9% below list).
• It's been on market 35 days — a 3% lower offer ($181k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $118k (36.9% 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 $6k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 85/100 on livability (#5 in NE, #545 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime D+.
• Lincoln Public Schools (urban): math 50% / reading 53% proficiency, ranked #59 of 111 in NE (top 53%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Everett Elementary School (math 22% / reading 37%, grade F, #427 of 502 statewide, top 87%, 384 students, 0% FRL); Park Middle School (math 37% / reading 37%, grade F, #99 of 128 statewide, top 79%, 834 students, 68% FRL); Lincoln High School (math 38% / reading 41%, grade F, #184 of 261 statewide, top 76%, 2,196 students, 59% FRL).
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 35% at this address vs 52% district-wide (-16 pts) — the specific schools serving this property underperform the Lincoln Public Schools average; the district grade overstates school quality for this exact location.
• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+2.4%/yr); 137 active listings in the ZIP; 34 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 22d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 1,940 units permitted in Lancaster County in 2024 (895 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Lancaster County population projected at +37% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 11 sale attempts since 16y ago with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.
• Cap rate 4.4% vs local median 3.0% in Lincoln — 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

• What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
• It's been on market 35 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 37% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1900 — 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 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?
• 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?
• 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.