514 3rd Ave

Ackley, IA 50601

$84,000C-

2 bd · 1.5 ba · 950 sqft · Built 1923 · SingleFamily · Active · 35 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $720/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$441
• Tax + insurance: −$74
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$151
• Net cashflow: $54/mo
• Annual: $647/yr
• Cap rate: 7.06%
• Cash-on-cash: 2.75%
• DSCR: 1.12
• 1% rule: 0.86%
• Cash to close: $23,520

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $84k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $54 ($647/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 $72k (14.3% below list).
• It's been on market 35 days — a 3% lower offer ($81k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $72k (14.3% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• In year one you build about $3k of equity ($581 loan paydown + $2k appreciation (2.8% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 70/100 on livability (#377 in IA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, health & safety F.
• Agwsr Community School District (rural): math 60% / reading 69% proficiency, ranked #198 of 289 in IA (top 68%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Watch-outs: built in 1923 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 29 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 6 units permitted in Hardin County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Hardin County population projected to shrink 6% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• At projected returns (2.8% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $24k cash investment doubles in ~6 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 35 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 14% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1923 — 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 B-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?
• 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.