515 E State St

Centerville, IA 52544

$54,500B+

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,302 sqft · Built 1914 · Other · Pending · 89 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,052/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$286
• Tax + insurance: −$58
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$221
• Net cashflow: $488/mo
• Annual: $5,851/yr
• Cap rate: 17.03%
• Cash-on-cash: 38.34%
• DSCR: 2.71
• 1% rule: 1.93%
• Cash to close: $15,260

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath other listed at $54k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $488 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $54k).
• It's been on market 89 days — a 6% lower offer ($51k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $51k (6.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• In year one you build about $966 of equity ($377 loan paydown + $589 appreciation (1.1% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 73/100 on livability (#277 in IA) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, employment F.
• Centerville Community School District (town): math 57% / reading 65% proficiency, ranked #251 of 289 in IA (top 87%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Watch-outs: built in 1914 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 82 active listings in the ZIP; 6 units permitted in Appanoose County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Appanoose County population projected at -24% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (1.1% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $15k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 17.0% vs local median 4.0% in Centerville — 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 89 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 6% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1914 — 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.
• 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?
• 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.