214 S Railroad Ave · Buckley, IL 60918

$117,500

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,406 sqft · SingleFamily · 55 Days on market

Built 1950 8,250 sqft lot $84/sqft · at area comps Est $122k · at est.

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Why this score? — see what drove the C- 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 +15.9/30.0
• ARV discount +9.2/15.0
• Appreciation +5.7/10.0
• DSCR +4.9/10.0
• 1% rule +4.3/10.0
• Livability +3.1/5.0
• Schools +2.7/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0

Listing remarks MLS

What a great house, in a wonderful, small town, with PBL Schools! Move in ready and check out the completely new kitchen with a rolling barrel island. New farm sink, cabinets, countertops, ceiling and more. The formal fining room has a custom built farm table that stays too. New light fixtures through out the home. Bedrooms have brand new carpeting and fresh paint through out. Completely updated bathroom features a new tub and a new surround, vanity, sink and toilet. The roof is 3 years old on the main house and brand new over the kitchen area. The property is now available with a double lot and has a separate tax ID. The garage is a great place to park or to be used as a Man-Cave or a She-Shed since it has electric out there and it also has a $3000 full spray insulation added to it, , oh and its heated too! The seller kept it at 70 degrees in there all winter. Also the laundry room has a corrugated metal ceiling, and there is a sliding farm house door in the kitchen the separates the two rooms. Across the street is a large park and a fishing pond. Come see this home before its sold. Square footage is deemed accurate but not warranted.

Key facts

• One-car garage
• Separate dining area
• Spacious living room

Tags

• RECENTLY INSTALLED ROOF
• SEPARATE DINING AREA
• ONE-CAR GARAGE
• SPACIOUS LIVING ROOM

Property features AI

Finance

• Other: Possession at closing
• HOA & community: No master association fees required

Exterior

• Parking: Detached owned garage (1 garage space, 1 total parking space)
• Utilities: Public water; Septic tank sewer
• Home design: Detached single-family home; Two stories; Fee simple ownership; Estimated living area
• Construction: Built approximately 71–80 years ago; Contains materials with potential pre-1978 construction; Vinyl siding
• Exterior features: Lot approximately 50 x 165; Lot smaller than 0.25 acre; Vinyl siding

Interior

• Kitchen: Kitchen with eating area/table space
• Bedrooms: Three bedrooms (master and two additional bedrooms on the second floor)
• Bathrooms: One full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Baseboard heating; Radiator heating; Window air conditioning units
• Interior features: Six total rooms
• Laundry & utility: Main-level laundry room; Main-level utility room

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $118k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $57 ($678/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 $110k (6.7% below list).
• Recommended offer: $110k (6.7% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 62/100 on livability (#823 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: schools D+, crime D+, amenities F.
• Paxton-Buckley-Loda CUD 10 (town): math 33% / reading 29% proficiency, ranked #232 of 620 in IL (top 37%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Market conditions: 3 active listings in the ZIP; 14 units permitted in Iroquois County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $2k of equity ($812 loan paydown + $2k appreciation (1.4% local appreciation)).
• Iroquois County population projected at -20% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (1.4% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $33k cash investment doubles in ~8 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 55 days — a 3% lower offer ($114k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 6 sale attempts since 29y 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.
• Current owner paid $95k; 24% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1950 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: major flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $109,645 (6.7% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 55 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 7% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Built in 1950 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. 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?
5. 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?
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: 0.93% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.87%
• Cash-on-cash: 2.06%
• DSCR: 1.09
• GRM: 8.9

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $122,140
• List price: $117,500
• Delta: -3.80%
• Verdict: FAIR
• Comps: 20 within 1.0 mi

Show comp detail 4 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
403 E Elm St	0.26mi	3/1.0	1,300 (-8%)	7mo	$168,400	$130	70
302 E Lincoln St	0.19mi	3/2.5	1,460 (+4%)	12mo	$165,000	$113	68
207 N Third St	0.27mi	3/1.5	1,400 (-0%)	24mo	$152,000	$109	65
104 S Pine St	0.27mi	4/1.0 (+1)	1,200 (-15%)	11mo	$172,000	$143	49

Match score weights: distance 35% · size 25% · config 20% · recency 20%. Top-matched comps best support the ARV.

Projected returns pro-forma

1.42% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 4.8%
• Equity multiple: 1.25×
• Total profit: $8,224
• Equity at exit: $42,679

10-year hold

• IRR: 8.8%
• Equity multiple: 2.12×
• Total profit: $36,946
• Equity at exit: $58,758

Cash invested: $32,900 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 43 Moderately Tenant-Leaning
• State Illinois: 43 Moderately Tenant-Leaning · D+7
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Chicago RTLO is among the strongest tenant ordinances in the Midwest; downstate is more landlord-friendly.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 60918

• Home prices YoY: 1.1%
• Active inventory: 3
• Price-to-rent: 8.9×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,096 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$616
• Tax from tax record: −$145 /mo · $1,735/yr
• Insurance: −$49
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$230
• Net cashflow: $57

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,025

Max offer price $117,500

Occupancy floor 90%

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: $29,375
• Closing costs: $3,525
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 34 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $117,500 Active 55 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   days on market $117,500 Active 54 DOM
3. 2026-06-16
   days on market $117,500 Active 53 DOM
4. 2026-06-15
   days on market $117,500 Active 52 DOM
5. 2026-06-14
   days on market $117,500 Active 50 DOM
6. 2026-06-13
   days on market $117,500 Active 49 DOM
7. 2026-06-10
   days on market $117,500 Active 47 DOM
8. 2026-06-09
   days on market $117,500 Active 46 DOM
9. 2026-06-08
   days on market $117,500 Active 45 DOM
10. 2026-06-07
    days on market $117,500 Active 44 DOM
11. 2026-06-05
    days on market $117,500 Active 41 DOM
12. 2026-06-02
    days on market $117,500 Active 39 DOM
13. 2026-06-01
    days on market $117,500 Active 38 DOM
14. 2026-05-31
    days on market $117,500 Active 37 DOM
15. 2026-05-30
    days on market $117,500 Active 36 DOM
16. 2026-05-14
    price $117,500 469-char remark
17. 2026-04-24
    listed $119,900 Active 469-char remark
18. 2026-04-24
    historical
19. 2026-03-04
    price
20. 2026-01-16
    price
21. 2025-12-09
    listed Active
22. 2023-07-31
    soldstatus $95,000 Closed

    Show marketing remark (1160 chars)

    What a great house, in a wonderful, small town, with PBL Schools! Move in ready and check out the completely new kitchen with a rolling barrel island. New farm sink, cabinets, countertops, ceiling and more. The formal fining room has a custom built farm table that stays too. New light fixtures through out the home. Bedrooms have brand new carpeting and fresh paint through out. Completely updated bathroom features a new tub and a new surround, vanity, sink and toilet. The roof is 3 years old on the main house and brand new over the kitchen area. The property is now available with a double lot and has a separate tax ID. The garage is a great place to park or to be used as a Man-Cave or a She-Shed since it has electric out there and it also has a $3000 full spray insulation added to it, , oh and its heated too! The seller kept it at 70 degrees in there all winter. Also the laundry room has a corrugated metal ceiling, and there is a sliding farm house door in the kitchen the separates the two rooms. Across the street is a large park and a fishing pond. Come see this home before its sold. Square footage is deemed accurate but not warranted.

23. 2023-07-15
    soldstatus $95,000
24. 2023-05-31
    status Pending

    Show marketing remark (1160 chars)

    What a great house, in a wonderful, small town, with PBL Schools! Move in ready and check out the completely new kitchen with a rolling barrel island. New farm sink, cabinets, countertops, ceiling and more. The formal fining room has a custom built farm table that stays too. New light fixtures through out the home. Bedrooms have brand new carpeting and fresh paint through out. Completely updated bathroom features a new tub and a new surround, vanity, sink and toilet. The roof is 3 years old on the main house and brand new over the kitchen area. The property is now available with a double lot and has a separate tax ID. The garage is a great place to park or to be used as a Man-Cave or a She-Shed since it has electric out there and it also has a $3000 full spray insulation added to it, , oh and its heated too! The seller kept it at 70 degrees in there all winter. Also the laundry room has a corrugated metal ceiling, and there is a sliding farm house door in the kitchen the separates the two rooms. Across the street is a large park and a fishing pond. Come see this home before its sold. Square footage is deemed accurate but not warranted.

25. 2023-05-30
    listed $92,500 Active

    Show marketing remark (1160 chars)

    What a great house, in a wonderful, small town, with PBL Schools! Move in ready and check out the completely new kitchen with a rolling barrel island. New farm sink, cabinets, countertops, ceiling and more. The formal fining room has a custom built farm table that stays too. New light fixtures through out the home. Bedrooms have brand new carpeting and fresh paint through out. Completely updated bathroom features a new tub and a new surround, vanity, sink and toilet. The roof is 3 years old on the main house and brand new over the kitchen area. The property is now available with a double lot and has a separate tax ID. The garage is a great place to park or to be used as a Man-Cave or a She-Shed since it has electric out there and it also has a $3000 full spray insulation added to it, , oh and its heated too! The seller kept it at 70 degrees in there all winter. Also the laundry room has a corrugated metal ceiling, and there is a sliding farm house door in the kitchen the separates the two rooms. Across the street is a large park and a fishing pond. Come see this home before its sold. Square footage is deemed accurate but not warranted.

26. 2022-04-25
    soldstatus $50,000
27. 2022-04-20
    soldstatus $50,000 Closed
28. 2022-03-11
    historical Contingent - Continue to Show
29. 2021-12-31
    status Active
30. 2021-12-18
    listed $50,000 Active
31. 2016-04-28
    soldstatus $18,000
32. 1998-04-06
    soldstatus $25,000
33. 1998-02-24
    historical
34. 1997-12-29
    listed $29,900

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast IL · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $1,735 · $145/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $2,201 · $183/mo
• Expected delta: +$466/yr (+$39/mo · 26.9%)

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

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 6/10 Major FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 68% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥104°F today · 17 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low 100% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $13,157
• − Mortgage interest: −$6,582
• − Property taxes: −$1,735
• − Insurance: −$588
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,053
• − Management: −$1,053
• − Depreciation: −$3,418
• Taxable loss: −$1,270
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$305
• After-tax cash flow: $983/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: Paxton-Buckley-Loda CUD 10
• NCES district ID: 1707650
• Math proficiency: 33% ▼ -5.00%
• Reading proficiency: 29% ▼ -10.00%
• Median HH income: $52,233
• Composite: 27.27/100
• National rank: #7007
• State rank: #232 of 620 in IL

Livability — Buckley

• Score: 62/100
• State rank: #823
• US rank: #16220

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Buckley, IL
• Population (ZIP): 633

Population outlook (Iroquois County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 26,826 people
• By 2030: 25,771 · -3.9%
• By 2040: 23,589 · -12.1%
• By 2050: 21,523 · -19.8%
• By 2075: 17,998 · -32.9%
• By 2100: 14,979 · -44.2%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (93%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 93% Two or more races 3% Hispanic / Latino 3% Black 1%
• Common ancestry: Lithuanian 2% Iranian 2% Romanian 2%
• Foreign-born: 2% · Canada, Dominican Republic
• Languages at home: 99% English-only · Spanish 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Iroquois

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+57.3) · D 20.6% · R 78.0% · Other 1.4%
• 2008→2024 swing: -27.5pp toward R · 2008: -29.8pp · 2024: -57.3pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+57.3 2020: R+56.7 2016: R+56.0 2012: R+44.7 2008: R+29.8

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 1.42%
• Current HPI: 134.8643
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 1.59%
• F500 in state: 60

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in IL)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Insurance	4	$201B
▸Consumer Goods	4	$87B
▸Industrial Machinery	3	$64B
▸Healthcare	2	$55B
▸Retail / Pharmacy	1	$148B
▸Agriculture / Food	1	$86B

Price history

+293.0% since first listed

19 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-14 Price Changed $117,500 MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2026-04-24 Listing Removed — MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2026-04-24 Listed $119,900 MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2026-03-04 Price Changed — MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2026-01-16 Price Changed — MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2025-12-09 Listed — MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2023-07-31 Sold (MLS) $95,000 RMLSA as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2023-07-15 Sold (Public Records) $95,000 Public Records
• 2023-05-31 Pending — RMLSA as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2023-05-30 Listed $92,500 RMLSA as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2022-04-25 Sold (Public Records) $50,000 Public Records
• 2022-04-20 Sold (MLS) $50,000 MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2022-03-11 Contingent — MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2021-12-31 Relisted — MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2021-12-18 Listed $50,000 MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2016-04-28 Sold (Public Records) $18,000 Public Records
• 1998-04-06 Sold (MLS) $25,000 MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 1998-02-24 Listing Removed — MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 1997-12-29 Listed $29,900 MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid

Property tax history

+3.8%/yr

Latest (2024): $1,735 · +266.3% YoY. Source: county tax records.