900 Sarah St

Jerseyville, IL 62052

$65,000B+

4 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,300 sqft · Built 1962 · SingleFamily · Pending · 108 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,351/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$341
• Tax + insurance: −$204
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$284
• Net cashflow: $522/mo
• Annual: $6,263/yr
• Cap rate: 15.93%
• Cash-on-cash: 34.41%
• DSCR: 2.53
• 1% rule: 2.08%
• Cash to close: $18,200

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $65k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $522 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $65k).
• It's been on market 108 days — a 9% lower offer ($59k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $59k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• In year one you build about $7k of equity ($449 loan paydown + $6k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 72/100 on livability (#327 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, crime A; Watch: health & safety C-, amenities D+, commute F.
• Jersey CUSD 100 (town): math 25% / reading 32% proficiency, ranked #260 of 620 in IL (top 42%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Jerseyville East Elem School (math 35% / reading 25%, grade F, #648 of 2,056 statewide, top 32%, 384 students, 0% FRL); Jersey Community Middle School (math 22% / reading 38%, grade F, #246 of 665 statewide, top 38%, 499 students, 0% FRL); Jersey Comm High School (math 23% / reading 30%, grade F, #241 of 693 statewide, top 35%, 1,006 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 41% district-wide (41 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: property tax is 3.3% of price.
• Market conditions: 91 active listings in the ZIP; 101 units permitted in Jersey County in 2024 (68 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Jersey County population projected at -24% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 2 sale attempts; this cycle's ask has dropped $15k (19%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• Current owner paid $40k; list at $65k implies a 62% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (10.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $18k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 5, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$32k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Cap rate 15.9% vs local median 4.6% in Jerseyville — 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 108 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1962 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
• 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.
• 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.