4221 N Grand River Ave

Lansing, MI 48906

$1,000,000B

276 bd · 144.0 ba · 7,760 sqft · Built 1965 · MultiFamily · Active · 185 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $13,278/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$5,244
• Tax + insurance: −$1,667
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$2,788
• Net cashflow: $3,579/mo
• Annual: $42,946/yr
• Cap rate: 10.59%
• Cash-on-cash: 15.34%
• DSCR: 1.68
• 1% rule: 1.33%
• Cash to close: $280,000

Investor read

• This is a 11×2bd/1ba + 1×1bd/1ba units multifamily listed at $1.00M. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $4k ($43k/yr) — positive. Per door: $298/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($13k rent vs $1.00M).
• It's been on market 185 days — a 12% lower offer ($880k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $880k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $7k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $30k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 79/100 on livability (#94 in MI, #2,182 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: employment D, schools F, crime F.
• Lansing Public School District (urban): math 14% / reading 23% proficiency, ranked #650 of 760 in MI (top 86%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 68% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+10.5%/yr); 138 active listings in the ZIP; 350 units permitted in Ingham County in 2024 (186 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Ingham County population projected at +11% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 9 sale attempts since 3y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $100k (9%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 8.0% rent growth), your $280k cash investment doubles in ~6 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 10.6% vs local median 6.0% in Lansing — 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 $13,278/mo this rent would consume 248% of the median local household income ($64k/yr) (locally 851% 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 185 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 1965 — 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 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?
• Crime grade is F 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?