2 bd · 2.0 ba ·
1,288 sqft ·
Built 1992
· Townhouse
· Active
· 27 DOM
Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)
Estimated rent
$2,994/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
−$1,573
Tax + insurance
−$500
HOA
−$324
Vac / Maint / Mgmt
−$629
Net cashflow
$-32/mo
Annual
$-383/yr
Cap rate
6.17%
Cash-on-cash
-0.46%
DSCR
0.98
1% rule
1.00%
Cash to close
$84,000
Investor read
This is a 2-bed/2.0-bath townhouse listed at $300k. Condition is rated good.
At list price, monthly cash flow is $-32 ($-383/yr) — negative.
To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $295k (1.5% below list).
To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $299k (0.2% below list).
It's been on market 27 days — a 2% lower offer ($296k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
Recommended offer: $295k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.
Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $9k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
Location reads 84/100 on livability (#26 in MN, #828 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: commute A+, employment A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, cost of living F.
West St. Paul-Mendota Hts.-Eagan (suburban): math 42% / reading 54% proficiency, ranked #125 of 301 in MN (top 42%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
Zoned schools: Mendota Elementary (math 87% / reading 72%, grade A, #12 of 857 statewide, top 2%, 392 students, 21% FRL); Friendly Hills Middle (math 38% / reading 52%, grade D, #113 of 258 statewide, top 45%, 735 students, 44% FRL); Two Rivers High School (math 52% / reading 57%, grade C-, #87 of 471 statewide, top 22%, 1,479 students, 47% FRL) — zoned schools at 37% FRL track the district average.
Market conditions: 17 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 1d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 2,134 units permitted in Dakota County in 2024 (898 in 5+ unit buildings).
Dakota County population projected at +11% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
Cap rate 6.2% vs local median 1.3% in Mendota Heights — 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
What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
What does the HOA fee cover, when was the last increase, and are there any pending special assessments or reserve-fund shortfalls?
Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
Schools are A-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?
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.
CashFlowRE · CFR-4W20FV93PR69J4
· Data 1 day agocashflowre.app · 2026-05-29