494 Crea St · Decatur, IL 62522

$58,500

2 bd · 2.0 ba · 784 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 3 Days on market

Built 1900 3,302 sqft lot Est $41k · 43% over

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Why this score? — see what drove the C grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• Cash flow +30.0/30.0
• 1% rule +10.0/10.0
• DSCR +10.0/10.0
• Livability +3.0/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +0.4/10.0
• ARV discount +0.0/15.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

This well-maintained two-story home features 2 bedrooms and 1.5 baths, conveniently located near downtown Decatur. Owned by the same owner since 1992, the property has been thoughtfully cared for over the years with several major updates, including central air installed in 2023, a roof approximately 6 years old, leaf guard gutters, and a furnace less than 10 years old. The home also includes a Generac generator that has been professionally serviced every 3 months for added peace of mind.

Key facts

• Generac generator
• Roof
• Central air

Tags

• CENTRAL AIR
• ROOF
• LEAF GUARD GUTTERS
• FURNACE
• GENERAC GENERATOR

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Attached garage (1 car)
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer
• Home design: Single-family residence; Two levels / 2 stories
• Construction: Aluminum siding; Asphalt shingle roof
• Exterior features: Front porch; Concrete road surface

Interior

• Kitchen: Cooktop; Microwave; Oven; Refrigerator; Electric water heater
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom; 1 half bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Electric heating; Central air conditioning
• Interior features: Unfinished full basement; 5 total rooms
• Laundry & utility: Washer; Dryer; Main-level laundry

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $58k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $369 ($4k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($930 rent vs $58k).
• Cap rate 13.9% vs local median 7.0% in Decatur — 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.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 59/100 on livability (#1,076 in IL) — a working-class tenant base; expect higher turnover. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: schools F, crime F, amenities F.
• Decatur SD 61 (urban): math 3% / reading 6% proficiency, ranked #605 of 620 in IL (top 98%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 73% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Market conditions: 75 active listings in the ZIP; 11 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 45d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 91% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 63 units permitted in Macon County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $404 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Macon County population projected at -24% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $16k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• Only 3 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $58,500

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1900 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
3. 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?
4. 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?
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 1.59% ✓
• Cap rate: 13.87%
• Cash-on-cash: 27.05%
• DSCR: 2.20
• GRM: 5.2

CMA / ARV

• ARV (on-the-fly): $40,768
• Comps found: 5

Show comp detail 5 sales within ~0.75 mi

Address	Dist	Beds/Ba	Sqft	Sold	Price	$/sf	Match
705 S Oakland Ct	0.48mi	2/2.0	780 (-0%)	10mo	$100	—	68
1087 W Tuttle St	0.37mi	3/1.0 (+1)	768 (-2%)	3mo	$38,500	$50	68
1061 W Decatur St	0.28mi	3/2.0 (+1)	828 (+6%)	9mo	$25,000	$30	65
1048 Tuttle St	0.30mi	2/1.0	882 (+12%)	19mo	$46,000	$52	45
775 S Sycamore St	0.54mi	2/1.0	724 (-8%)	17mo	$197,000	$272	44

Match score weights: distance 35% · size 25% · config 20% · recency 20%. Top-matched comps best support the ARV.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 21.0%
• Equity multiple: 1.86×
• Total profit: $14,028
• Equity at exit: $8,723

10-year hold

• IRR: 29.1%
• Equity multiple: 3.59×
• Total profit: $42,457
• Equity at exit: $5,058

Cash invested: $16,380 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 43 Moderately Tenant-Leaning
• State Illinois: 43 Moderately Tenant-Leaning · D+7
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Chicago RTLO is among the strongest tenant ordinances in the Midwest; downstate is more landlord-friendly.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 62522

• Home prices YoY: -16.9%
• Active inventory: 75
• Price-to-rent: 5.2×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $930 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$307
• Tax from tax record: −$34 /mo · $408/yr
• Insurance: −$24
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$195
• Net cashflow: $369

Break-even live

Break-even rent $462

Max offer price $58,500

Occupancy floor 55%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $402	-5% $386	+0% $369	+5% $353	+10% $336
Rent	-10% $296	-5% $333	+0% $369	+5% $406	+10% $443
Rate	-1.0pp $399	-0.5pp $384	base $369	+0.5pp $354	+1.0pp $339

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $14,625
• Closing costs: $1,755
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 11 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
1035 S Main St Decatur, IL	2.0	1.0	847	$880	$1.04	14d	7	0.72mi
853 N College St Decatur, IL	2.0	1.0	936	$925	$0.99	44d	1	0.87mi
1045 N Monroe St Decatur, IL	3.0	2.0	1094	$1,000	$0.91	44d	1	1.03mi
759 E Lawrence St Decatur, IL	3.0	1.0	1080	$695	$0.64	44d	1	1.04mi
803 E Whitmer St Decatur, IL	3.0	1.0	900	$935	$1.04	44d	1	1.07mi
1245 N Union St Decatur, IL	3.0	2.0	1111	$995	$0.90	44d	1	1.24mi
1311 N Walnut Grove Ave Decatur, IL	2.0	1.0	781	$1,100	$1.41	44d	1	1.26mi
1345 N Fairview Ave Decatur, IL	3.0	1.0	785	$985	$1.25	44d	1	1.40mi
1237 E Johns Ave Decatur, IL	2.0	1.0	1000	$895	$0.90	44d	1	1.41mi
1245 Sedgwick St Decatur, IL	2.0	1.0	1055	$895	$0.85	44d	1	1.42mi
1304 E Lawrence St Decatur, IL	2.0	1.0	850	$850	$1.00	44d	1	1.43mi

Listing history 2 events

1. 2026-05-14
   status Pending
2. 2026-05-11
   listed $58,500 Active

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast IL · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $408 · $34/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $868 · $72/mo
• Expected delta: +$460/yr (+$38/mo · 112.6%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥106°F today · 19 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low 2% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $11,156
• − Mortgage interest: −$3,277
• − Property taxes: −$408
• − Insurance: −$292
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$892
• − Management: −$892
• − Depreciation: −$1,702
• Taxable income: $3,691
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$886
• After-tax cash flow: $3,545/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Decatur SD 61
• NCES district ID: 1711850
• Math proficiency: 3% ▼ -4.00%
• Reading proficiency: 6% ▼ -6.00%
• Median HH income: $38,864
• Composite: 3.99/100
• National rank: #10059
• State rank: #605 of 620 in IL

Livability — Decatur

• Score: 59/100
• State rank: #1076
• US rank: #20533

Category grades

Amenities F Commute F Cost of living A+ Crime F Employment D- Housing A+ Health & safety F User ratings D-

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Decatur, IL
• County: Macon County · 78,333 people
• City population: 78,333
• Metro: Decatur, IL
• Population (ZIP): 15,185
• Household income: $50,669
• Rent vs Own: 38.5% rent · 61.5% own
• Severe rent burden: 321.0

Population outlook (Macon County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 99,568 people
• By 2030: 94,973 · -4.6%
• By 2040: 85,250 · -14.4%
• By 2050: 75,920 · -23.8%
• By 2075: 55,962 · -43.8%
• By 2100: 36,468 · -63.4%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Majority White (62%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 62% Black 28% Two or more races 7% Hispanic / Latino 2% Asian 1%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 1% Italian 1% Slovak 1%
• Foreign-born: 2% · Canada, China, Jamaica
• Languages at home: 97% English-only · Spanish 2%

Political lean MEDSL · Macon

• 2024 margin: R (+18.9) · D 39.8% · R 58.7% · Other 1.4%
• 2008→2024 swing: -20.0pp toward R · 2008: 1.1pp · 2024: -18.9pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+18.9 2020: R+17.7 2016: R+18.1 2012: R+5.2 2008: D+1.1

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -36.64%
• Current HPI: 180.7847
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: Decatur, IL
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 1.59%
• F500 in state: 60

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in IL)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Insurance	4	$201B
▸Consumer Goods	4	$87B
▸Industrial Machinery	3	$64B
▸Healthcare	2	$55B
▸Retail / Pharmacy	1	$148B
▸Agriculture / Food	1	$86B

Price history

2 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-14 Pending — CIBR
• 2026-05-11 Listed $58,500 CIBR

Property tax history

+15.1%/yr

Latest (2024): $408 · +11.5% YoY. Source: county tax records.