1520 N Highland Ave Ave

Sioux Falls, SD 57103

$119,900D

1 bd · 2.0 ba · 420 sqft · Built 1941 · Other · Active · 14 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,003/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$629
• Tax + insurance: −$160
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$211
• Net cashflow: $3/mo
• Annual: $39/yr
• Cap rate: 6.33%
• Cash-on-cash: 0.12%
• DSCR: 1.01
• 1% rule: 0.84%
• Cash to close: $33,572

Investor read

• This is a 1-bed/2.0-bath other listed at $120k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $3 ($39/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 $100k (16.4% below list).
• Only 14 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $100k (16.4% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $829 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $4k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 85/100 on livability (#3 in SD, #610 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: crime F.
• Sioux Falls School District 49-5 (urban): math 39% / reading 48% proficiency, ranked #45 of 59 in SD (top 76%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Laura B. Anderson Elementary - 10 (math 17% / reading 37%, grade F, #217 of 253 statewide, top 86%, 355 students, 73% FRL) — zoned schools average 73% FRL vs 36% district-wide (37 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 27% at this address vs 44% district-wide (-16 pts) — the specific schools serving this property underperform the Sioux Falls School District 49-5 average; the district grade overstates school quality for this exact location.
• Watch-outs: built in 1941 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.2%/yr); 161 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 2,425 units permitted in Minnehaha County in 2024 (1,367 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Minnehaha County population projected at +46% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• Current owner paid $84k; 43% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• Climate carrying-cost: moderate wildfire risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 6.3% vs local median 2.6% in Sioux Falls — 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 is only 17% of the median local income ($73k/yr) — well below the 30% rent-burden line; pricing power to push rent on renewal without tenant pushback.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1941 — 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 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?
• 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?
• 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?
• 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.
• 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.