211 S Sterling St St

Streator, IL 61364

$29,000B-

1 bd · 1.0 ba · 636 sqft · Built 1900 · SingleFamily · Active · 13 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $933/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$152
• Tax + insurance: −$101
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$196
• Net cashflow: $484/mo
• Annual: $5,813/yr
• Cap rate: 26.34%
• Cash-on-cash: 71.59%
• DSCR: 4.19
• 1% rule: 3.22%
• Cash to close: $8,120

Investor read

• This is a 1-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $29k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $484 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($933 rent vs $29k).
• Only 13 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $200 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $870 of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 63/100 on livability (#752 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, health & safety A+, housing B+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, employment F.
• Streator Twp Hsd 40 (town): math 11% / reading 19% proficiency, ranked #513 of 620 in IL (top 83%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Kimes Elem School (454 students, 0% FRL); Northlawn Jr High School (math 7% / reading 14%, grade F, #580 of 665 statewide, top 88%, 617 students, 0% FRL); Streator Twp High School (math 11% / reading 19%, grade F, #462 of 693 statewide, top 68%, 809 students, 0% FRL).
• Watch-outs: property tax is 3.7% of price; built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 85 active listings in the ZIP; 82 units permitted in LaSalle County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• LaSalle County population projected at -16% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 2 sale attempts 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 $10k; list at $29k implies a 190% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $8k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 26.3% vs local median 7.8% in Streator — 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 1900 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
• 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.