898 Western Ave N · St. Paul, MN 55117

$259,900

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 1,419 sqft · SingleFamily public records · 5 Days on market

Built 1912 4,356 sqft lot

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Why this score? — see what drove the D 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 +16.7/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• DSCR +5.2/10.0
• 1% rule +4.5/10.0
• Rent growth +3.4/5.0
• Livability +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.4/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks MLS

Clean 3 bedroom.Hardwood floors up and down. Front and back porch.French doors between living room and sun room. Kitchen has loads of cabinets and counter space. Roof-2013. Garage 20x18.

Key facts

• Formal dining room
• Cozy sun room
• Bright living room

Tags

• CORNER LOT
• BRIGHT LIVING ROOM
• FORMAL DINING ROOM
• EAT-IN KITCHEN
• COZY SUN ROOM
• HARDWOOD FLOORS

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Detached or attached garage not specified, 1 garage space (20 x 18)
• Utilities: City water connected; City sewer connected; Natural gas; Circuit breaker electrical
• Home design: Residential property; One and one-half story; Above-grade finished living area approximately 1,405 sq ft; Main level finished area approximately 705 sq ft
• Construction: Block construction; Block foundation; Foundation area approximately 705
• Exterior features: Porch; Metal exterior; Chain-link fencing; Corner lot; Tree coverage (medium); Public transit within six blocks; City street frontage with curbs, paved streets and sidewalks

Interior

• Kitchen: Eat-in kitchen; Range; Refrigerator; Kitchen window
• Bedrooms: Three bedrooms total; Bedrooms located on the upper level
• Flooring: Hardwood floors
• Bathrooms: One full bathroom on the upper level
• Heating & cooling: Hot water heating; Wall cooling unit(s)
• Interior features: Ceiling fans; Hardwood floors; Natural woodwork; Porch; Sun room; Walk-in closet
• Laundry & utility: Washer/dryer hookup; Full basement

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $260k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $161 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $246k (5.2% below list).
• Recommended offer: $246k (5.2% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.

Location & tenants

• Location reads: area grade D — affects rentability + tenant quality, not the cash-flow math above.
• St. Paul Public School District (urban): math 21% / reading 33% proficiency, ranked #270 of 301 in MN (top 90%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 64% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Paul & Sheila Wellstone Elementary (math 8% / reading 17%, grade F, #800 of 857 statewide, top 95%, 507 students, 85% FRL); Murray Middle School (math 19% / reading 40%, grade F, #204 of 258 statewide, top 80%, 538 students, 64% FRL); Como Park Senior High (math 8% / reading 42%, grade F, #375 of 471 statewide, top 81%, 1,078 students, 75% FRL).
• Market conditions: Rents rising (+3.6%/yr); 175 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 1,202 units permitted in Ramsey County in 2024 (880 in 5+ unit buildings).
• This rent runs 42% of the median local income ($71k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $8k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Ramsey County population projected at +27% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.

Negotiation context

• Only 5 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• 2 sale attempts since 8y 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.
• Current owner paid $185k; 40% above their basis — modest negotiation headroom, anchor on the comps not their cost.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1912 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $246,364 (5.2% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1912 — 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. 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?
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: 0.95% ✗
• Cap rate: 7.04%
• Cash-on-cash: 2.66%
• DSCR: 1.12
• GRM: 8.8

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

-3.0% appreciation · 3.6% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: -11.4%
• Equity multiple: 0.58×
• Total profit: $-30,321
• Equity at exit: $38,752

10-year hold

• IRR: -1.3%
• Equity multiple: 0.91×
• Total profit: $-6,844
• Equity at exit: $22,471

Cash invested: $72,772 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.

Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology

• Overall (STATE): 46 Balanced
• State Minnesota: 46 Balanced · D+2
• County: — inherits STATE
• City: — inherits STATE

2024 reforms strengthened tenant protections; ramsey/hennepin courts paced moderate to slow.

Methodology + full state rankings →

ZIP-level market 55117

• Rents YoY: 3.6%
• Active inventory: 175
• Price-to-rent: 8.8×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $2,464 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,363
• Tax from tax record: −$314 /mo · $3,766/yr
• Insurance: −$108
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$517
• Net cashflow: $161

Break-even live

Break-even rent $2,260

Max offer price $259,900

Occupancy floor 88%

Sensitivity live

Price	-10% $308	-5% $235	+0% $161	+5% $88	+10% $14
Rent	-10% $-33	-5% $64	+0% $161	+5% $259	+10% $356
Rate	-1.0pp $292	-0.5pp $227	base $161	+0.5pp $94	+1.0pp $25

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: $64,975
• Closing costs: $7,797
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 2 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
255 Western Ave N Saint Paul, MN	3.0	1.0–2.0	1049	$3,700	$3.53	4d	23	1.31mi
1443 Saint Albans St N Saint Paul, MN	4.0	2.0	1500	$2,700	$1.80	20d	1	1.32mi

Listing history 4 events

1. 2026-06-21
   days on market $259,900 Active 5 DOM
2. 2026-06-18
   days on market $259,900 Active 2 DOM
3. 2026-06-17
   remarks 562-char remark
4. 2026-06-17
   listed $259,900 Active 1 DOM

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

Tax reassessment forecast MN · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $3,766 · $314/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $3,766 · $314/mo
• Expected delta: $0/yr ($0/mo · 0.0%)

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

Climate risk First Street

• 🌊 Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
• 🔥 Wildfire 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 2/10 Low 7 d/yr ≥99°F today · 14 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $29,564
• − Mortgage interest: −$14,558
• − Property taxes: −$3,766
• − Insurance: −$1,300
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$2,365
• − Management: −$2,365
• − Depreciation: −$7,561
• Taxable loss: −$2,351
• Est. tax savings @ 24.0%: +$564
• After-tax cash flow: $2,499/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: St. Paul Public School District
• NCES district ID: 2733840
• Math proficiency: 21% ▼ -11.00%
• Reading proficiency: 33% ▼ -7.00%
• Median HH income: $48,316
• Composite: 23.51/100
• National rank: #7868
• State rank: #270 of 301 in MN

Livability — St. Paul

No livability data for this city. (Only ~50 U.S. cities are tracked.)

Census & demographics

• Census place: St. Paul, MN
• County: Ramsey County · 542,837 people
• City population: 280,599
• Metro: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
• Population (ZIP): 44,697
• Household income: $70,771
• Rent vs Own: 38.7% rent · 61.3% own
• Severe rent burden: 1588.0

Population outlook (Ramsey County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 603,431 people
• By 2030: 636,459 · +5.5%
• By 2040: 700,596 · +16.1%
• By 2050: 765,819 · +26.9%
• By 2075: 929,297 · +54.0%
• By 2100: 1,053,924 · +74.7%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Highly diverse neighborhood (Simpson 0.72)
• Race & ethnicity: White 44% Asian 24% Black 15% Hispanic / Latino 10% Two or more races 10%
• Hispanic origin (detail): Mexican 7%
• Common ancestry: Portuguese 6% Romanian 3% Lithuanian 2%
• Foreign-born: 21% · Canada, Philippines, India
• Languages at home: 68% English-only · Other Asian/Pacific 15% Spanish 8% Other Indo-European 2%

Political lean MEDSL · Ramsey

• 2024 margin: Solid D (+43.3) · D 70.5% · R 27.2% · Other 2.3%
• 2008→2024 swing: +9.4pp toward D · 2008: 33.9pp · 2024: 43.3pp
• All cycles: 2024: D+43.3 2020: D+45.4 2016: D+39.4 2012: D+35.3 2008: D+33.9

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -308.56%
• Current HPI: 267.4216
• Rent YoY: ▲ 3.60%
• Metro: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
• State GDP YoY: ▲ 2.41%
• F500 in state: 34

Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in MN)

Industry	F500 HQs	Revenue
▸Healthcare	2	$407B
▸Retail	2	$150B
▸Consumer Goods	2	$32B
▸Industrial Machinery	2	$6B
▸Agriculture	1	$40B
▸Healthcare / Medical Devices	1	$32B

Price history

+70.0% since first listed

6 events — show timeline

• 2026-06-16 Listed $259,900 NORTHSTARMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2018-07-26 Sold (Public Records) $185,000 Public Records
• 2018-07-23 Sold (MLS) $185,000 NORTHSTARMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2018-06-07 Pending — NORTHSTARMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2018-05-22 Contingent — NORTHSTARMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2018-05-18 Listed $152,900 NORTHSTARMLS as Distributed by MLS Grid

Property tax history

+11.8%/yr

Latest (2025): $3,766 · +16.6% YoY. Source: county tax records.