901 5th St S

Moorhead, MN 56560

$164,500C

3 bd · 3.0 ba · 1,632 sqft · Built 1926 · SingleFamily · Active · 4 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,702/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$863
• Tax + insurance: −$278
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$357
• Net cashflow: $204/mo
• Annual: $2,453/yr
• Cap rate: 7.78%
• Cash-on-cash: 5.32%
• DSCR: 1.24
• 1% rule: 1.03%
• Cash to close: $46,060

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/3.0-bath single-family listed at $164k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $204 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $164k).
• Only 4 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 77/100 on livability (#143 in MN, #3,111 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: housing A+, health & safety A+, cost of living A-; Watch: crime C-, amenities F, commute F.
• Moorhead Public School District (suburban): math 39% / reading 46% proficiency, ranked #202 of 301 in MN (top 67%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Ellen Hopkins Elementary (math 50% / reading 42%, grade D-, #526 of 857 statewide, top 62%, 643 students, 46% FRL); Horizon Middle School (math 35% / reading 46%, grade F, #144 of 258 statewide, top 56%, 2,158 students, 48% FRL); Moorhead High School (math 44% / reading 59%, grade D+, #124 of 471 statewide, top 27%, 1,937 students, 40% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1926 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+1.4%/yr); 394 active listings in the ZIP; 18 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 15d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); solid renter incomes; 269 units permitted in Clay County in 2024 (153 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Clay County population projected at +23% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 3 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 $120k; 37% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.
• Cap rate 7.8% vs local median 3.7% in Moorhead — 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 1926 — 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?
• 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.