3902/3912 Ontario St

Ames, IA 50014

$579,500C

None bd · None ba · 852 sqft · Built 1976 · MultiFamily · Active · 300 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $6,214/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$3,039
• Tax + insurance: −$966
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$1,305
• Net cashflow: $904/mo
• Annual: $10,851/yr
• Cap rate: 8.17%
• Cash-on-cash: 6.69%
• DSCR: 1.30
• 1% rule: 1.07%
• Cash to close: $162,260

Investor read

• This is a 6 × 2-bed/1-bath units multifamily listed at $580k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $904 ($11k/yr) — positive. Per door: $151/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($6k rent vs $580k).
• It's been on market 300 days — a 12% lower offer ($510k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $510k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $4k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $17k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 93/100 on livability (#2 in IA, #21 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: employment C-.
• Ames Community School District (urban): math 70% / reading 72% proficiency, ranked #147 of 289 in IA (top 51%) — strong family-tenant draw, lease renewals of 3-5y typical.
• Zoned schools: Sawyer Elementary School (math 62% / reading 62%, grade B, #363 of 616 statewide, top 62%, 367 students, 31% FRL); Ames Middle School (math 71% / reading 70%, grade A, #111 of 246 statewide, top 45%, 1,002 students, 31% FRL); Ames High School (math 69% / reading 77%, grade B+, #114 of 336 statewide, top 34%, 1,403 students, 30% FRL) — zoned schools at 31% FRL track the district average.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.7%/yr); 199 active listings in the ZIP; 18 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 46d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 100% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 196 units permitted in Story County in 2024 (34 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Story County population projected at +54% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• Cap rate 8.2% vs local median 2.2% in Ames — 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.
• At $6,214/mo this rent would consume 123% of the median local household income ($61k/yr) (locally 2646% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 300 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
• What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
• Built in 1976 — 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.