401 N 8th St

Columbia, MO 65201

$200,000B

8 bd · 3.0 ba · 2,570 sqft · Built 1910 · MultiFamily · Active · 22 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,801/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,049
• Tax + insurance: −$225
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$798
• Net cashflow: $1,729/mo
• Annual: $20,752/yr
• Cap rate: 16.67%
• Cash-on-cash: 37.06%
• DSCR: 2.65
• 1% rule: 1.90%
• Cash to close: $56,000

Investor read

• This is a 1×2bd/1ba + 1×3bd/1ba units multifamily listed at $200k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $2k ($21k/yr) — positive. Per door: $865/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($4k rent vs $200k).
• It's been on market 22 days — a 2% lower offer ($197k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $197k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $6k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 83/100 on livability (#9 in MO, #862 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: crime D+.
• Columbia 93 (urban): math 30% / reading 43% proficiency, ranked #194 of 324 in MO (top 60%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Thomas Benton Elem. (math 12% / reading 27%, grade F, #941 of 1,115 statewide, top 86%, 216 students, 99% FRL); Jefferson Middle School (math 45% / reading 54%, grade C, #74 of 391 statewide, top 20%, 625 students, 32% FRL); David H. Hickman High (math 27% / reading 55%, grade F, #236 of 521 statewide, top 45%, 2,044 students, 33% FRL) — zoned schools average 55% FRL vs 35% district-wide (19 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1910 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+10.3%/yr); 355 active listings in the ZIP; 1,303 units permitted in Boone County in 2024 (549 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Boone County population projected at +36% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 8.0% rent growth), your $56k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 16.7% vs local median 2.9% in Columbia — 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 $3,801/mo this rent would consume 95% of the median local household income ($48k/yr) (locally 4323% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• 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 1910 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• Schools are B-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?
• Crime grade is D 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?
• 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.