609 N Lafayette St

Macomb, IL 61455

$69,500B-

4 bd · 2.5 ba · 812 sqft · Built 1945 · SingleFamily · Active · 21 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,122/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$364
• Tax + insurance: −$113
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$236
• Net cashflow: $409/mo
• Annual: $4,904/yr
• Cap rate: 13.35%
• Cash-on-cash: 25.20%
• DSCR: 2.12
• 1% rule: 1.61%
• Cash to close: $19,460

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/2.5-bath single-family listed at $70k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $409 ($5k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $70k).
• It's been on market 21 days — a 2% lower offer ($68k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $68k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $481 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 70/100 on livability (#379 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, health & safety A+, housing B; Watch: crime D, amenities D, commute F.
• Macomb CUSD 185 (town): math 19% / reading 26% proficiency, ranked #410 of 620 in IL (top 66%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Macomb Junior High School (math 21% / reading 32%, grade F, #312 of 665 statewide, top 48%, 308 students, 0% FRL); Macomb Senior High School (math 27% / reading 37%, grade F, #157 of 693 statewide, top 25%, 622 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 40% district-wide (40 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Watch-outs: built in 1945 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 135 active listings in the ZIP.
• 4 sale attempts since 11y 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 $55k; 26% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $19k cash investment doubles in ~5 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 13.3% vs local median 6.2% in Macomb — 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.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1945 — 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 D 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.
• 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.