8796 Madison Ave

Munster, IN 46321

$420,000F

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 2,539 sqft · Built 1976 · SingleFamily · Pending · 61 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,028/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$2,203
• Tax + insurance: −$574
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$636
• Net cashflow: $-385/mo
• Annual: $-4,617/yr
• Cap rate: 5.19%
• Cash-on-cash: -3.93%
• DSCR: 0.83
• 1% rule: 0.72%
• Cash to close: $117,600

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath single-family listed at $420k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-385 ($-5k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $352k (16.2% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $303k (27.9% below list).
• It's been on market 61 days — a 6% lower offer ($395k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $303k (27.9% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $3k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $13k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 81/100 on livability (#17 in IN, #1,427 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: crime A+, employment A+, cost of living A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• School Town Of Munster (suburban): math 65% / reading 64% proficiency, ranked #6 of 301 in IN (top 2%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease; only 14% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: James B Eads Elementary School (math 75% / reading 57%, grade B+, #71 of 994 statewide, top 7%, 507 students, 33% FRL); Wilbur Wright Middle School (math 51% / reading 59%, grade B-, #26 of 330 statewide, top 8%, 908 students, 24% FRL); Munster High School (math 71% / reading 91%, grade A, #4 of 369 statewide, top 1%, 1,564 students, 23% FRL).
• Market conditions: 116 active listings in the ZIP; 4 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 12d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); high-income renter base; 1,642 units permitted in Lake County in 2024 (14 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Lake County population projected to shrink 7% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• Climate carrying-cost: major flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• This rent runs 33% of the median local income ($110k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

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?
• It's been on market 61 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 28% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1976 — 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.
• 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.