Council Bluffs Rentals

[Anthony Gayden]

I have been researching the Omaha area for a while now searching for an area where I can buy decent homes for inexpensive that are not located in a war zone. I was so focused on Omaha that I never even considered investing just across the state line in Council Bluffs.

What do area investors think of Council Bluffs? Keep in mind that I am looking for cash flow and not appreciation at this point.

[Owen Dashner]

I have about a dozen rentals in CB and have flipped several properties there.  It is very different from Omaha.  The city inspects rental properties every three years, you have to file rental licenses every year on every unit, and the building permit enforcement is a lot more diligent there.  They really are cracking down on poorly managed rentals with deferred maintenance and safety issues, which is a good thing, but you have to be very aware of the condition of your properties there.  There are definitely good and bad parts of town, parts of town that require flood insurance, and school district dividing lines to be aware of.  The upside is, the worst parts of CB are nowhere near as bad as the worst parts of Omaha, and the rental rates really aren't all that different, depending on the parts of town.

If anyone wants more info, feel free to PM or email/call me, I'd be happy to share.