521 Pearl St

Kalamazoo, MI 49007

$475,000B

40 bd · 56.0 ba · 3,526 sqft · Built 1924 · MultiFamily · Active · 76 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $11,704/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$2,491
• Tax + insurance: −$981
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$2,458
• Net cashflow: $5,774/mo
• Annual: $69,288/yr
• Cap rate: 20.88%
• Cash-on-cash: 52.10%
• DSCR: 3.32
• 1% rule: 2.46%
• Cash to close: $133,000

Investor read

• This is a 8 × 5-bed/7.0-bath units multifamily listed at $475k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $6k ($69k/yr) — positive. Per door: $722/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($12k rent vs $475k).
• It's been on market 76 days — a 6% lower offer ($446k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $446k (6.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $3k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $14k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 76/100 on livability (#141 in MI, #3,492 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime F, employment D-.
• Kalamazoo Public Schools (urban): math 43% / reading 72% proficiency, ranked #71 of 540 in MI (top 13%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease; 66% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Woods Lake Elementarya Magnet Center For The Arts (566 students, 86% FRL); Maple Street Magnet School For The Arts (math 75% / reading 75%, grade A, #8 of 493 statewide, top 3%, 860 students, 59% FRL); Loy Norrix High School (math 47% / reading 82%, grade B-, #46 of 713 statewide, top 7%, 1,771 students, 68% FRL).
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 70% at this address vs 58% district-wide (+12 pts) — the actual schools serving this property are materially stronger than the Kalamazoo Public Schools average implies; a family-tenant draw the district grade alone would hide.
• Watch-outs: built in 1924 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents soft (-0.8%/yr); 77 active listings in the ZIP; lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 339 units permitted in Kalamazoo County in 2024 (22 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Kalamazoo County population projected at +18% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 14 sale attempts since 37y 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.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 0.0% rent growth), your $133k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 20.9% vs local median 3.4% in Kalamazoo — 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 $11,704/mo this rent would consume 357% of the median local household income ($39k/yr) (locally 816% 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 76 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 6% 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 1924 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• 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.
• 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?
• 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.