105 E Howard St · Creston, IA 50801

$82,500

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 768 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 6 Days on market

Built 1949 3,485 sqft lot

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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 +24.0/30.0
• DSCR +7.7/10.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• 1% rule +5.8/10.0
• Schools +5.5/10.0
• Livability +4.0/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Conveniently located close to downtown Creston, this well-maintained 2-bedroom, 1-bath ranch home offers comfortable living with plenty of potential. Features include an oak kitchen with ample cabinet space, a full basement providing excellent storage, and an attached one-car garage for added convenience. Whether you're a first-time buyer, looking to downsize, or seeking an investment opportunity, this home offers a great location and practical layout. Don't miss your chance to make it yours!

Key facts

• Oak kitchen
• Attached garage
• Great location

Tags

• OAK KITCHEN
• FULL BASEMENT
• ATTACHED GARAGE
• GREAT LOCATION

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Attached 1-car garage
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; Electric service with circuit breakers
• Home design: Single-family residential property
• Construction: Other construction materials
• Exterior features: Shingle roof; Public maintained road access; City street frontage; Lot roughly 0.08 acres (60 x 60)

Interior

• Flooring: Carpet; Linoleum
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Central air conditioning; Forced air heating
• Interior features: Blinds; Window screens; Basement

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $82k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $161 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($894 rent vs $82k).
• Cap rate 8.6% vs local median 4.6% in Creston — 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.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 81/100 on livability (#76 in IA, #1,607 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: employment C-, amenities F.
• Creston Community School District (town): math 63% / reading 69% proficiency, ranked #195 of 289 in IA (top 68%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Zoned schools: Creston Elementary School (math 60% / reading 49%, grade C, #462 of 616 statewide, top 79%, 410 students, 55% FRL); Creston Middle School (math 65% / reading 74%, grade A, #113 of 246 statewide, top 49%, 291 students, 60% FRL); Creston High School (math 63% / reading 78%, grade B+, #140 of 336 statewide, top 43%, 532 students, 46% FRL).
• Market conditions: 78 active listings in the ZIP; 5 units permitted in Union County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $570 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.

Negotiation context

• Only 6 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1949 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $82,500

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1949 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
3. 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?
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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: 1.08% ✓
• Cap rate: 8.63%
• Cash-on-cash: 8.36%
• DSCR: 1.37
• GRM: 7.7

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $49,920
• Comps found: 12

Show comp detail 12 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
509 N Elm St	0.20mi	2/1.0	762 (-1%)	15mo	$35,000	$46	77
713 N Elm St	0.33mi	2/1.0	768 (0%)	11mo	$50,000	$65	76
307 N Birch St	0.12mi	2/1.0	688 (-10%)	3mo	$65,950	$96	75
304 N Birch St	0.10mi	2/1.0	880 (+15%)	2mo	$20,000	$23	69
405 S Vine St	0.56mi	2/1.0	826 (+8%)	3mo	$86,000	$104	59
409 S Vine St	0.58mi	2/1.0	812 (+6%)	9mo	$53,000	$65	56
408 S Elm St	0.59mi	2/1.0	852 (+11%)	2mo	$68,000	$80	52
711 N Elm St	0.32mi	2/1.0	882 (+15%)	11mo	$48,000	$54	52
903 W Montgomery St	0.67mi	2/1.0	824 (+7%)	11mo	$18,500	$22	48
800 N Sycamore St	0.47mi	2/1.5	864 (+12%)	9mo	$35,000	$41	47
901 W Adair St	0.67mi	3/1.0 (+1)	864 (+12%)	2mo	$30,000	$35	41
103 S Spruce St	0.55mi	2/1.0	880 (+15%)	12mo	$115,000	$131	40

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

Projected returns pro-forma

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

5-year hold

• IRR: -3.6%
• Equity multiple: 0.87×
• Total profit: $-3,117
• Equity at exit: $12,301

10-year hold

• IRR: 6.1%
• Equity multiple: 1.45×
• Total profit: $10,482
• Equity at exit: $7,133

Cash invested: $23,100 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
• State Iowa: 83 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+6
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

3-day pay-or-quit; mostly landlord-friendly statewide.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 50801

• Home prices YoY: -5.9%
• Active inventory: 78
• Price-to-rent: 7.7×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $894 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$433
• Tax from tax record: −$78 /mo · $942/yr
• Insurance: −$34
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$188
• Net cashflow: $161

Break-even live

Break-even rent $691

Max offer price $82,500

Occupancy floor 77%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $208	-5% $184	+0% $161	+5% $138	+10% $114
Rent	-10% $90	-5% $126	+0% $161	+5% $196	+10% $232
Rate	-1.0pp $203	-0.5pp $182	base $161	+0.5pp $140	+1.0pp $118

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: $20,625
• Closing costs: $2,475
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 6 events

1. 2026-06-22
   days on market $82,500 Active 6 DOM
2. 2026-06-21
   days on market $82,500 Active 5 DOM
3. 2026-06-21
   days on market $82,500 Active 4 DOM
4. 2026-06-18
   days on market $82,500 Active 2 DOM
5. 2026-06-17
   remarks 497-char remark
6. 2026-06-17
   listed $82,500 Active 1 DOM

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

Tax reassessment forecast IA · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $942 · $78/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,119 · $93/mo
• Expected delta: +$177/yr (+$15/mo · 18.8%)

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

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 3/10 Moderate
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥103°F today · 15 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $10,732
• − Mortgage interest: −$4,621
• − Property taxes: −$942
• − Insurance: −$412
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$859
• − Management: −$859
• − Depreciation: −$2,400
• Taxable income: $639
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$153
• After-tax cash flow: $1,778/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: Creston Community School District
• NCES district ID: 1908310
• Math proficiency: 63% ▬ 0.00%
• Reading proficiency: 69% ▲ 4.00%
• Median HH income: $42,292
• Composite: 55.29/100
• National rank: #1263
• State rank: #195 of 289 in IA

Livability — Creston

• Score: 81/100
• State rank: #76
• US rank: #1607

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Creston, IA
• Population (ZIP): 9,027

Population outlook (Union County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 12,536 people
• By 2030: 12,561 · +0.2%
• By 2040: 12,583 · +0.4%
• By 2050: 12,543 · +0.1%
• By 2075: 12,816 · +2.2%
• By 2100: 12,754 · +1.7%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (94%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 94% Two or more races 3% Hispanic / Latino 2%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 3% Slovak 2% Portuguese 2%
• Foreign-born: 0%
• Languages at home: 98% English-only · Spanish 1% German/W. Germanic 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Union

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+36.2) · D 31.2% · R 67.4% · Other 1.3%
• 2008→2024 swing: -39.9pp toward R · 2008: 3.7pp · 2024: -36.2pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+36.2 2020: R+31.5 2016: R+27.8 2012: D+3.9 2008: D+3.7

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -13.71%
• Current HPI: 217.2057
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.48%
• F500 in state: 4

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in IA)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Financial Services	1	$16B
▸Retail / Convenience	1	$15B

Price history

1 event — show timeline

• 2026-06-16 Listed $82,500 IAR

Property tax history

+1.0%/yr

Latest (2025): $942 · -13.1% YoY. Source: county tax records.