418 S Jackson St

Charles City, IA 50616

$51,000B+

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 968 sqft · Built 1930 · SingleFamily · Active · 206 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,088/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$267
• Tax + insurance: −$68
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$228
• Net cashflow: $524/mo
• Annual: $6,291/yr
• Cap rate: 18.63%
• Cash-on-cash: 44.05%
• DSCR: 2.96
• 1% rule: 2.13%
• Cash to close: $14,280

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $51k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $524 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $51k).
• It's been on market 206 days — a 12% lower offer ($45k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $45k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $353 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 77/100 on livability (#161 in IA, #2,944 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, health & safety A+, housing A; Watch: amenities F, commute F, employment F.
• Charles City Community School District (town): math 52% / reading 61% proficiency, ranked #262 of 289 in IA (top 91%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Watch-outs: built in 1930 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 70 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 38 units permitted in Floyd County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Floyd County population projected to shrink 6% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• Current owner paid $13k; list at $51k implies a 292% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $14k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 18.6% vs local median 6.5% in Charles City — 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 206 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1930 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• 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.