2915 Whewell Ave

Quincy, IL 62301

$175,000D

5 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,849 sqft · Built 1959 · SingleFamily · Under Contract · 28 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,458/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$918
• Tax + insurance: −$252
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$306
• Net cashflow: $-18/mo
• Annual: $-222/yr
• Cap rate: 6.17%
• Cash-on-cash: -0.45%
• DSCR: 0.98
• 1% rule: 0.83%
• Cash to close: $49,000

Investor read

• This is a 5-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $175k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-18 ($-222/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $172k (1.9% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $146k (16.7% below list).
• It's been on market 28 days — a 2% lower offer ($172k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $146k (16.7% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 67/100 on livability (#506 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime D, employment D, amenities D-.
• Quincy SD 172 (town): math 24% / reading 27% proficiency, ranked #328 of 620 in IL (top 53%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Thomas S Baldwin Elem Sch (math 21% / reading 21%, grade F, #1,024 of 2,056 statewide, top 50%, 563 students, 0% FRL); Quincy Sr High School (math 21% / reading 28%, grade F, #256 of 693 statewide, top 44%, 1,924 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 48% district-wide (48 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1959 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+10.8%/yr); 180 active listings in the ZIP; 68 units permitted in Adams County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Adams County population projected at -14% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 4 sale attempts since 23y 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 $90k; list at $175k implies a 94% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Cap rate 6.2% vs local median 4.3% in Quincy — 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.
• This rent runs 34% of the median local income ($52k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
• Built in 1959 — 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 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?
• 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?
• The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
• 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.