1118 S 2nd St

Lafayette, IN 47905

$165,000C+

6 bd · 2.5 ba · 1,184 sqft · Built 1935 · MultiFamily · Active · 49 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,273/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$865
• Tax + insurance: −$190
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$477
• Net cashflow: $741/mo
• Annual: $8,886/yr
• Cap rate: 11.68%
• Cash-on-cash: 19.23%
• DSCR: 1.86
• 1% rule: 1.38%
• Cash to close: $46,200

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 3-bed/2.0-bath units multifamily listed at $165k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $741 ($9k/yr) — positive. Per door: $370/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $165k).
• It's been on market 49 days — a 3% lower offer ($160k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $160k (3.0% 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 $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 74/100 on livability (#68 in IN, #4,374 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: amenities D+, employment D+, crime F.
• Lafayette School Corporation (urban): math 29% / reading 34% proficiency, ranked #235 of 301 in IN (top 78%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases; 63% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Thomas Miller Elementary School (math 27% / reading 22%, grade F, #762 of 994 statewide, top 78%, 343 students, 85% FRL); Jefferson High School (math 23% / reading 55%, grade F, #235 of 369 statewide, top 65%, 2,118 students, 69% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1935 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.1%/yr); 219 active listings in the ZIP; 1,341 units permitted in Tippecanoe County in 2024 (869 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Tippecanoe County population projected at +41% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 8 sale attempts since 3y ago with the ask held roughly flat each time — persistent listings suggest the price (not the market) is what's stuck; bring a comps-based counter.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 5.1% rent growth), your $46k cash investment doubles in ~6 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 11.7% vs local median 4.2% in Lafayette — 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.
• This rent runs 41% of the median local income ($66k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 49 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% 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 1935 — 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 D-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?
• 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.