3069 Bernice Rd

Lansing, IL 60438

$725,000C+

12 bd · 6.0 ba · 6,082 sqft · Built 1978 · MultiFamily · Active · 98 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $9,602/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$3,802
• Tax + insurance: −$1,915
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$2,016
• Net cashflow: $1,869/mo
• Annual: $22,425/yr
• Cap rate: 9.39%
• Cash-on-cash: 11.05%
• DSCR: 1.49
• 1% rule: 1.32%
• Cash to close: $203,000

Investor read

• This is a 6 × 3-bed/1.0-bath units multifamily listed at $725k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $2k ($22k/yr) — positive. Per door: $311/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($10k rent vs $725k).
• It's been on market 98 days — a 9% lower offer ($660k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $660k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $5k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $22k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 73/100 on livability (#296 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime D+, health & safety D+, amenities F.
• Thornton Fractional Twp Hsd 215 (suburban): math 9% / reading 13% proficiency, ranked #563 of 620 in IL (top 91%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Reavis Elem School (math 8% / reading 12%, grade F, #1,517 of 2,056 statewide, top 78%, 377 students, 0% FRL); Memorial Jr High School (math 9% / reading 20%, grade F, #517 of 665 statewide, top 79%, 860 students, 0% FRL); Thornton Fractnl So High School (math 11% / reading 14%, grade F, #504 of 693 statewide, top 73%, 1,927 students, 0% FRL).
• Watch-outs: property tax is 2.7% of price.
• Market conditions: 136 active listings in the ZIP; solid renter incomes; 6,272 units permitted in Cook County in 2024 (4,658 in 5+ unit buildings).
• 4 sale attempts since 20y 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.
• Current owner paid $395k; list at $725k implies a 84% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $203k cash investment doubles in ~10 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 9.4% vs local median 5.9% in Lansing — 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.
• At $9,602/mo this rent would consume 152% of the median local household income ($76k/yr) (locally 830% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 98 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% 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 1978 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
• 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.
• 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?