1225 W Randolph St · Vandalia, IL 62471

$85,000

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 912 sqft · Other public records · 20 Days on market

Built 1940 7,601 sqft lot

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Why this score? — see what drove the C- grade

The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).

• Cash flow +22.9/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• DSCR +7.4/10.0
• 1% rule +5.3/10.0
• Livability +3.6/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +1.8/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Ready to make a home your own? Come take a look at this charming 2-bedroom home with a spacious detached garage and plenty of potential! Recent exterior updates including a new roof, siding, and gutters in 2025 providing peace of mind and set the stage for years of low-maintenance ownership. Inside, you’ll find a cozy living room that flows into the kitchen, creating a comfortable and functional layout. This home also features a main floor laundry, conveniently located at the back of the home which is hard to find in 2 bedroom home of this size. Outside, the property continues to impress with a nice-sized, insulated two-car detached garage, perfect for a workshop, hobby space, extra s

Key facts

• Main floor laundry
• Detached garage
• 7,601 sq ft lot

Tags

• DETACHED GARAGE
• RECENT EXTERIOR UPDATES
• MAIN FLOOR LAUNDRY
• INSULATED TWO-CAR GARAGE

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Attached garage with 2 spaces
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; Electricity connected (single phase); Natural gas connected
• Home design: Single-family residence; One level
• Construction: Vinyl siding; Basement present
• Exterior features: Sloped lot; Lot dimensions approximately 153 x 50 feet

Interior

• Kitchen: Gas range; Refrigerator
• Bedrooms: 2 bedrooms (both on the main level)
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom (on the main level)
• Heating & cooling: Natural gas heating; No central air
• Interior features: Unfinished basement; Free-Standing Gas Range; Refrigerator; Washer; Dryer
• Laundry & utility: Washer; Dryer

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath other listed at $85k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $150 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($875 rent vs $85k).
• Recommended offer: $84k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 8.4% vs local median 4.9% in Vandalia — 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.

Location & tenants

• Location reads 71/100 on livability (#348 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A-; Watch: employment D, amenities F, commute F.
• Vandalia CUSD 203 (town): math 17% / reading 25% proficiency, ranked #414 of 620 in IL (top 67%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Vandalia Community High School (math 17% / reading 22%, grade F, #397 of 693 statewide, top 61%, 408 students, 0% FRL) — zoned schools average 0% FRL vs 51% district-wide (51 pts lower); this property's tenant base skews higher-income than the district average.
• Market conditions: 44 active listings in the ZIP.

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $588 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Fayette County population projected to shrink 9% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 20 days — a 2% lower offer ($84k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1940 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $83,725 (1.5% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1940 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
3. Schools are D-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

Investment metrics

• 1% rule: 1.03% ✓
• Cap rate: 8.41%
• Cash-on-cash: 7.57%
• DSCR: 1.34
• GRM: 8.1

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -4.8%
• Equity multiple: 0.82×
• Total profit: $-4,232
• Equity at exit: $12,674

10-year hold

• IRR: 4.9%
• Equity multiple: 1.36×
• Total profit: $8,558
• Equity at exit: $7,349

Cash invested: $23,800 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 43 Moderately Tenant-Leaning
• State Illinois: 43 Moderately Tenant-Leaning · D+7
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

Chicago RTLO is among the strongest tenant ordinances in the Midwest; downstate is more landlord-friendly.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 62471

• Active inventory: 44
• Price-to-rent: 8.1×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $875 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$446
• Tax from tax record: −$60 /mo · $721/yr
• Insurance: −$35
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$184
• Net cashflow: $150

Break-even live

Break-even rent $685

Max offer price $85,000

Occupancy floor 78%

UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt

Financing live

Cash to close

• Down payment: $21,250
• Closing costs: $2,550
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 15 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $85,000 Active 20 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   days on market $85,000 Active 19 DOM
3. 2026-06-16
   days on market $85,000 Active 18 DOM
4. 2026-06-15
   days on market $85,000 Active 17 DOM
5. 2026-06-13
   days on market $85,000 Active 15 DOM
6. 2026-06-12
   days on market $85,000 Active 14 DOM
7. 2026-06-09
   days on market $85,000 Active 11 DOM
8. 2026-06-08
   days on market $85,000 Active 10 DOM
9. 2026-06-07
   days on market $85,000 Active 9 DOM
10. 2026-06-07
    days on market $85,000 Active 8 DOM
11. 2026-06-04
    days on market $85,000 Active 5 DOM
12. 2026-06-02
    days on market $85,000 Active 4 DOM
13. 2026-06-01
    days on market $85,000 Active 3 DOM
14. 2026-05-31
    days on market $85,000 Active 2 DOM
15. 2026-05-29
    listed $85,000 Active

ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.

Tax reassessment forecast IL · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $721 · $60/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,325 · $110/mo
• Expected delta: +$604/yr (+$50/mo · 83.8%)

ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 4/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥105°F today · 19 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low 2% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 2 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $10,500
• − Mortgage interest: −$4,761
• − Property taxes: −$721
• − Insurance: −$425
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$840
• − Management: −$840
• − Depreciation: −$2,473
• Taxable income: $440
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$106
• After-tax cash flow: $1,695/yr

For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.

Schools (NCES district)

• District: Vandalia CUSD 203
• NCES district ID: 1740140
• Math proficiency: 17% ▼ -4.00%
• Reading proficiency: 25% ▼ -7.00%
• Median HH income: $45,995
• Composite: 18.33/100
• National rank: #8948
• State rank: #414 of 620 in IL

Livability — Vandalia

• Score: 71/100
• State rank: #348
• US rank: #7078

Category grades

Amenities F Commute F Cost of living A+ Crime A+ Employment D Housing A- Health & safety F User ratings A+

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Vandalia, IL
• City population: 10,309
• Population (ZIP): 10,309

Population outlook (Fayette County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 21,667 people
• By 2030: 21,362 · -1.4%
• By 2040: 20,602 · -4.9%
• By 2050: 19,669 · -9.2%
• By 2075: 16,870 · -22.1%
• By 2100: 12,861 · -40.6%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (86%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 86% Black 7% Two or more races 5% Hispanic / Latino 4%
• Common ancestry: Lithuanian 2% Slovak 1% Romanian 1%
• Foreign-born: 2% · Canada
• Languages at home: 92% English-only · Spanish 4% German/W. Germanic 3%

Political lean MEDSL · Fayette

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+64.7) · D 17.0% · R 81.7% · Other 1.3%
• 2008→2024 swing: -48.9pp toward R · 2008: -15.8pp · 2024: -64.7pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+64.7 2020: R+61.8 2016: R+58.3 2012: R+34.6 2008: R+15.8

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -73.05%
• Current HPI: 133.4945
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: —
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 1.59%
• F500 in state: 60

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in IL)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Insurance	4	$201B
▸Consumer Goods	4	$87B
▸Industrial Machinery	3	$64B
▸Healthcare	2	$55B
▸Retail / Pharmacy	1	$148B
▸Agriculture / Food	1	$86B

Price history

1 event — show timeline

• 2026-05-29 Listed $85,000 MARIS as Distributed by MLS Grid

Property tax history

-5.3%/yr

Latest (2024): $721 · -9.1% YoY. Source: county tax records.