433 West Ave

Mauston, WI 53948

$85,000B-

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 820 sqft · Built — · Other · Active · 14 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,220/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$446
• Tax + insurance: −$165
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$256
• Net cashflow: $353/mo
• Annual: $4,235/yr
• Cap rate: 11.28%
• Cash-on-cash: 17.79%
• DSCR: 1.79
• 1% rule: 1.44%
• Cash to close: $23,800

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath other listed at $85k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $353 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $85k).
• Only 14 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $588 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 71/100 on livability (#258 in WI) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: employment C-, amenities F, commute F.
• Mauston School District (rural): math 36% / reading 31% proficiency, ranked #248 of 342 in WI (top 72%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Grayside Elementary (math 45% / reading 37%, grade F, #477 of 1,041 statewide, top 46%, 225 students, 57% FRL); Mauston High (math 17% / reading 17%, grade F, #400 of 483 statewide, top 85%, 381 students, 41% FRL) — zoned schools at 49% FRL track the district average.
• Market conditions: 61 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 15d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 154 units permitted in Juneau County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Juneau County population projected at -19% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• Current owner paid $36k; list at $85k implies a 136% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $24k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 11.3% vs local median 4.4% in Mauston — 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

• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
• 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.