523 Center St · Clinton, MN 56225

$18,000

1 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,196 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 21 Days on market

Built 1900 1,306 sqft lot

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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 +15.0/30.0
• Appreciation +8.4/10.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• Schools +5.5/10.0
• 1% rule +5.0/10.0
• DSCR +5.0/10.0
• Livability +3.5/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0

Listing remarks

Welcome to 523 Center St, a charming home in Clinton, MN. This delightful property features spacious living areas with abundant natural light and thoughtful design. The kitchen is equipped with appliances and ample cabinetry. Enjoy the comfort of well-appointed bedrooms and bathrooms. Located in a tranquil neighborhood, this home provides a serene escape with convenient access to local amenities.

Key facts

• 1,306 sq ft lot
• Garage
• Built 1900

Property features AI

Finance

• Other: Total living area reported as 2,392 sq ft (1,196 sq ft main level and 1,196 sq ft below grade); Above- and below-grade finished areas reported equally; Accessibility features noted: No internal stairs and Other
• Financial info: Tax year 2025; annual taxes reported (see listing for details)

Exterior

• Parking: Attached garage
• Utilities: City water; Sewer: Other; Fuel: Other
• Home design: Residential property; One story
• Construction: Foundation: Other
• Exterior features: Wood exterior; Lot about 0.03 acres (approximately 50 x 100)

Interior

• Bedrooms: 3 bedrooms
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Forced air heating; No built-in cooling
• Interior features: Main-level living room; No basement

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 1-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $18k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $679 ($8k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $18k).
• Recommended offer: $18k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 69/100 on livability (#366 in MN) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, employment B+; Watch: health & safety C-, crime D+, amenities F.
• Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley (rural): math 50% / reading 75% proficiency, ranked #116 of 467 in MN (top 25%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Market conditions: 5 active listings in the ZIP; 3 units permitted in Big Stone County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• In year one you build about $1k of equity ($124 loan paydown + $1k appreciation (6.7% local appreciation)).
• Big Stone County population projected at -23% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (6.7% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $5k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 21 days — a 2% lower offer ($18k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: property tax is 2.5% of price; built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $17,730 (1.5% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1900 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. 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?
5. 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?
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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: 5.76% ✓
• Cap rate: 51.59%
• Cash-on-cash: 161.76%
• DSCR: 8.20
• GRM: 1.4

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

6.72% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: —
• Equity multiple: 10.78×
• Total profit: $49,276
• Equity at exit: $12,150

10-year hold

• IRR: —
• Equity multiple: 23.01×
• Total profit: $110,941
• Equity at exit: $22,791

Cash invested: $5,040 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 46 Balanced
• State Minnesota: 46 Balanced · D+2
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

2024 reforms strengthened tenant protections; ramsey/hennepin courts paced moderate to slow.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 56225

• Home prices YoY: 6.0%
• Active inventory: 5
• Price-to-rent: 1.4×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,037 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$94
• Tax from tax record: −$38 /mo · $452/yr
• Insurance: −$8
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$218
• Net cashflow: $679

Break-even live

Break-even rent $177

Max offer price $18,000

Occupancy floor 29%

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: $4,500
• Closing costs: $540
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 18 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $18,000 Active 21 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   days on market $18,000 Active 20 DOM
3. 2026-06-17
   price $18,000 Active 19 DOM
4. 2026-06-16
   days on market $19,000 Active 19 DOM
5. 2026-06-15
   days on market $19,000 Active 18 DOM
6. 2026-06-13
   days on market $19,000 Active 16 DOM
7. 2026-06-12
   pricedays on market $19,000 Active 15 DOM
8. 2026-06-09
   days on market $26,984 Active 12 DOM
9. 2026-06-08
   days on market $26,984 Active 11 DOM
10. 2026-06-07
    days on market $26,984 Active 10 DOM
11. 2026-06-07
    days on market $26,984 Active 9 DOM
12. 2026-06-04
    pricedays on market $26,984 Active 6 DOM
13. 2026-06-02
    days on market $28,405 Active 5 DOM
14. 2026-06-01
    price $28,405 Active 4 DOM
15. 2026-06-01
    days on market $29,900 Active 4 DOM
16. 2026-05-31
    days on market $29,900 Active 3 DOM
17. 2026-05-31
    days on market $29,900 Active 2 DOM
18. 2026-05-28
    listed $29,900 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 MN · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $452 · $38/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $452 · $38/mo
• Expected delta: $0/yr ($0/mo · 0.0%)

ⓘ 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 2/10 Low 7 d/yr ≥98°F today · 13 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 3/10 Moderate 3 unhealthy d/yr today · 3 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $12,440
• − Mortgage interest: −$1,008
• − Property taxes: −$452
• − Insurance: −$90
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$995
• − Management: −$995
• − Depreciation: −$524
• Taxable income: $8,375
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$2,010
• After-tax cash flow: $6,143/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: Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley
• NCES district ID: 2700150
• Math proficiency: 50% ▲ 10.00%
• Reading proficiency: 75% ▲ 10.00%
• Median HH income: $48,940
• Composite: 54.51/100
• National rank: #2891
• State rank: #116 of 467 in MN

Livability — Clinton

• Score: 69/100
• State rank: #366
• US rank: #8612

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Clinton, MN
• Population (ZIP): 733

Population outlook (Big Stone County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 4,608 people
• By 2030: 4,380 · -4.9%
• By 2040: 3,941 · -14.5%
• By 2050: 3,551 · -22.9%
• By 2075: 2,917 · -36.7%
• By 2100: 2,284 · -50.4%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (92%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 92% Two or more races 6% Hispanic / Latino 2% Asian 1%
• Common ancestry: Portuguese 16% Iranian 4% Scottish 4%
• Foreign-born: 1%
• Languages at home: 88% English-only · German/W. Germanic 11% Tagalog/Filipino 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Big Stone

• 2024 margin: Strong R (+29.6) · D 34.2% · R 63.8% · Other 2.0%
• 2008→2024 swing: -35.9pp toward R · 2008: 6.4pp · 2024: -29.6pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+29.6 2020: R+27.2 2016: R+25.1 2012: R+1.4 2008: D+6.4

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▲ 6.72%
• Current HPI: 119.835
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.41%
• F500 in state: 34

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in MN)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Healthcare	2	$407B
▸Retail	2	$150B
▸Consumer Goods	2	$32B
▸Industrial Machinery	2	$6B
▸Agriculture	1	$40B
▸Healthcare / Medical Devices	1	$32B

Price history

1 event — show timeline

• 2026-05-28 Listed $29,900 NORTHSTARMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid

Property tax history

+4.3%/yr

Latest (2026): $452 · -68.8% YoY. Source: county tax records.