918 Merritt Ave

Oshkosh, WI 54901

$165,000B-

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,732 sqft · Built 1878 · MultiFamily · Active · 171 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,252/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$865
• Tax + insurance: −$255
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$473
• Net cashflow: $658/mo
• Annual: $7,901/yr
• Cap rate: 11.08%
• Cash-on-cash: 17.10%
• DSCR: 1.76
• 1% rule: 1.36%
• Cash to close: $46,200

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 2-bed/1.0-bath units multifamily listed at $165k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $658 ($8k/yr) — positive. Per door: $329/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 171 days — a 12% lower offer ($145k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $145k (12.0% 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 85/100 on livability (#29 in WI, #574 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+.
• Oshkosh Area School District (urban): math 33% / reading 34% proficiency, ranked #246 of 342 in WI (top 72%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Webster Stanley Elementary (math 27% / reading 27%, grade F, #746 of 1,041 statewide, top 75%, 207 students, 58% FRL); Webster Stanley Middle (math 15% / reading 21%, grade F, #360 of 383 statewide, top 94%, 335 students, 57% FRL); North High (math 24% / reading 39%, grade F, #199 of 483 statewide, top 42%, 1,265 students, 52% FRL) — zoned schools average 56% FRL vs 34% district-wide (22 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1878 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+5.0%/yr); 83 active listings in the ZIP; 18 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 23d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 44% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 652 units permitted in Winnebago County in 2024 (333 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Winnebago County population projected at +3% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• Current owner paid $92k; list at $165k implies a 79% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 5.0% rent growth), your $46k cash investment doubles in ~7 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 11.1% vs local median 3.7% in Oshkosh — 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 44% of the median local income ($62k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 171 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 1878 — 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.
• 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.