5301 West Ln · McCullom Lake, IL 60050

$145,000

1 bd · 1.0 ba · 440 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 34 Days on market

Built 1937 5,568 sqft lot

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Why this score? — see what drove the D 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 +14.6/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• 1% rule +4.5/10.0
• DSCR +4.4/10.0
• Livability +3.5/5.0
• Schools +2.7/10.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Beautifully updated ranch home in the heart of McCullom Lake offering affordable living with modern updates throughout. This move-in-ready 1-bedroom, 1-bath home features a remodeled kitchen completed in 2026 with stainless steel appliances, updated bathroom remodel in 2026, and brand-new flooring installed in 2026. Major exterior improvement includes a newer roof completed in 2023. The home also offers a full basement with washer and dryer, mechanicals, abundant storage space, and a convenient walk-out entrance. Situated on a spacious lot in a quiet lake community near McHenry shopping, restaurants, parks, and commuter routes. Ideal opportunity for owner-occupants, downsizers, or investors

Key facts

• Newer roof
• Remodeled kitchen
• Full basement

Tags

• REMODELED KITCHEN
• UPDATED BATHROOM REMODEL
• NEWER ROOF
• FULL BASEMENT
• SPACIOUS LOT
• QUIET LAKE COMMUNITY

Property features AI

Finance

• Other: Possession at closing
• HOA & community: No master association fee required

Exterior

• Parking: 2 owned parking spaces
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer
• Home design: Detached single-family home; One-story; Fee simple ownership; Rehab scheduled/completed in 2026; Built 81–90 years ago; Built before 1978
• Construction: Aluminum siding construction; Unfinished basement (440 sq ft total finished/unfin area reported)
• Exterior features: Lot dimensions about 48 x 116; Lot approximately 0.25–0.49 acre; Aluminum siding

Interior

• Kitchen: Kitchen on main level (approx. 16 x 9)
• Bedrooms: 1 bedroom (master on main); Additional bedroom spaces noted
• Flooring: Laminate flooring in master bedroom
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Natural gas heating
• Interior features: 3 total rooms; Unfinished full basement; Disability access
• Laundry & utility: Laundry room in basement (approx. 15 x 15)

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 1-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $145k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $33 ($399/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $138k (4.6% below list).
• Recommended offer: $138k (4.6% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 70/100 on livability (#369 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• Mchenry Chsd 156 (suburban): math 27% / reading 30% proficiency, ranked #244 of 620 in IL (top 39%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Valley View Elem School (math 21% / reading 31%, grade F, #824 of 2,056 statewide, top 40%, 539 students, 0% FRL); Parkland School (math 17% / reading 18%, grade F, #450 of 665 statewide, top 69%, 680 students, 0% FRL); Mchenry Community High School (2,222 students, 0% FRL).
• Market conditions: 105 active listings in the ZIP; solid renter incomes; 1,595 units permitted in McHenry County in 2024 (485 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• McHenry County population projected at -12% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 34 days — a 3% lower offer ($141k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Current owner paid $56k; list at $145k implies a 157% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1937 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $138,370 (4.6% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 34 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 5% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Built in 1937 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. 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?
5. The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
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: 0.95% ✗
• Cap rate: 6.57%
• Cash-on-cash: 0.98%
• DSCR: 1.04
• GRM: 8.7

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

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

5-year hold

• IRR: -14.7%
• Equity multiple: 0.47×
• Total profit: $-21,320
• Equity at exit: $21,620

10-year hold

• IRR: -5.9%
• Equity multiple: 0.62×
• Total profit: $-15,607
• Equity at exit: $12,537

Cash invested: $40,600 (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 60050

• Active inventory: 105
• Price-to-rent: 8.7×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,384 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$760
• Tax from tax record: −$239 /mo · $2,868/yr
• Insurance: −$60
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$291
• Net cashflow: $33

Break-even live

Break-even rent $1,342

Max offer price $145,000

Occupancy floor 93%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $115	-5% $74	+0% $33	+5% $-8	+10% $-49
Rent	-10% $-76	-5% $-21	+0% $33	+5% $88	+10% $143
Rate	-1.0pp $106	-0.5pp $70	base $33	+0.5pp $-4	+1.0pp $-43

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: $36,250
• Closing costs: $4,350
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 20 events

1. 2026-06-21
   days on market $145,000 Active 34 DOM
2. 2026-06-18
   price $145,000 Active 31 DOM
3. 2026-06-18
   days on market $150,000 Active 31 DOM
4. 2026-06-17
   days on market $150,000 Active 30 DOM
5. 2026-06-16
   days on market $150,000 Active 29 DOM
6. 2026-06-15
   days on market $150,000 Active 28 DOM
7. 2026-06-13
   days on market $150,000 Active 26 DOM
8. 2026-06-13
   days on market $150,000 Active 25 DOM
9. 2026-06-09
   days on market $150,000 Active 22 DOM
10. 2026-06-08
    days on market $150,000 Active 21 DOM
11. 2026-06-07
    days on market $150,000 Active 20 DOM
12. 2026-06-04
    days on market $150,000 Active 17 DOM
13. 2026-06-03
    days on market $150,000 Active 16 DOM
14. 2026-06-02
    days on market $150,000 Active 15 DOM
15. 2026-06-01
    days on market $150,000 Active 14 DOM
16. 2026-05-31
    days on market $150,000 Active 13 DOM
17. 2026-05-22
    historical Contingent - Continue to Show
18. 2002-01-10
    soldstatus $56,500
19. 1993-02-01
    soldstatus $50,500
20. 1989-12-11
    soldstatus $36,000

ⓘ 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: $2,868 · $239/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $3,080 · $257/mo
• Expected delta: +$212/yr (+$18/mo · 7.4%)

ⓘ 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 ≥100°F today · 14 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $16,604
• − Mortgage interest: −$8,122
• − Property taxes: −$2,868
• − Insurance: −$725
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,328
• − Management: −$1,328
• − Depreciation: −$4,218
• Taxable loss: −$1,986
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$477
• After-tax cash flow: $876/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: Mchenry Chsd 156
• NCES district ID: 1725320
• Math proficiency: 27% ▼ -7.00%
• Reading proficiency: 30% ▼ -7.00%
• Median HH income: $66,681
• Composite: 26.55/100
• National rank: #7188
• State rank: #244 of 620 in IL

Livability — McCullom Lake

• Score: 70/100
• State rank: #369
• US rank: #7652

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: McCullom Lake, IL
• County: McHenry County · 204,279 people
• Metro: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
• Population (ZIP): 31,781
• Household income: $88,812
• Rent vs Own: 24.7% rent · 75.3% own
• Severe rent burden: 570.0

Population outlook (McHenry County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 305,342 people
• By 2030: 301,491 · -1.3%
• By 2040: 288,211 · -5.6%
• By 2050: 268,430 · -12.1%
• By 2075: 226,209 · -25.9%
• By 2100: 181,247 · -40.6%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (79%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 79% Hispanic / Latino 16% Two or more races 9% Asian 2%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 14%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 12% Portuguese 2% Lithuanian 2%
• Foreign-born: 8% · Canada, Vietnam
• Languages at home: 85% English-only · Spanish 10% Russian/Polish/Slavic 2% German/W. Germanic 1%

Political lean MEDSL · McHenry

• 2024 margin: Lean R (+5.3) · D 46.6% · R 51.9% · Other 1.5%
• 2008→2024 swing: -10.6pp toward R · 2008: 5.3pp · 2024: -5.3pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+5.3 2020: R+2.5 2016: R+8.1 2012: R+8.8 2008: D+5.3

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -198.11%
• Current HPI: 207.8921
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
• 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

+56.9% since first listed

4 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-22 Contingent — MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2002-01-10 Sold (Public Records) $56,500 Public Records
• 1993-02-01 Sold (Public Records) $50,500 Public Records
• 1989-12-11 Sold (Public Records) $36,000 Public Records

Property tax history

+2.5%/yr

Latest (2024): $2,868 · +2.4% YoY. Source: county tax records.