541 Carola St

Creve Coeur, IL 61610

$55,000B-

1 bd · 1.0 ba · 480 sqft · Built 1946 · SingleFamily · Active · 46 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $789/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$288
• Tax + insurance: −$122
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$166
• Net cashflow: $212/mo
• Annual: $2,545/yr
• Cap rate: 10.92%
• Cash-on-cash: 16.53%
• DSCR: 1.74
• 1% rule: 1.43%
• Cash to close: $15,400

Investor read

• This is a 1-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $55k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $212 ($3k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($789 rent vs $55k).
• It's been on market 46 days — a 3% lower offer ($53k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $53k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $380 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 63/100 on livability (#755 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A-; Watch: employment D, amenities F, commute F.
• East Peoria Chsd 309 (suburban): math 17% / reading 15% proficiency, ranked #482 of 620 in IL (top 78%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: East Peoria High School (math 17% / reading 15%, grade F, #457 of 693 statewide, top 66%, 947 students, 0% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1946 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 23 active listings in the ZIP; 77 units permitted in Tazewell County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Tazewell County population projected at -15% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 2 sale attempts since 2y 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 + 3.0% rent growth), your $15k cash investment doubles in ~8 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 46 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1946 — 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 F-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
• 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.