163 W Bell St · Macon, IL 62544

$89,000

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 960 sqft · Other public records · 2 Days on market

Built 1920 10,500 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 +23.5/30.0
• 1% rule +8.0/10.0
• DSCR +7.6/10.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• Livability +3.5/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +2.1/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Handyman Special with Endless Potential! Bring your toolbox, creativity, and vision to transform this spacious two-story house into the home you've always wanted. The main level features a large living room with a cozy gas fireplace, a formal dining room, and a kitchen with adjacent laundry facilities and full bath for added convenience. Upstairs, you'll find four generously sized bedrooms and a full bath, offering plenty of room for family, guests, or a home office. Enjoy small-town living from the large covered front porch—the perfect place to relax with a morning coffee or unwind at the end of the day. Outside, the property also includes a one-car covered carport and a spacious bac

Key facts

• Cozy gas fireplace
• Kitchen with laundry
• Formal dining room

Tags

• LARGE LIVING ROOM
• COZY GAS FIREPLACE
• FORMAL DINING ROOM
• KITCHEN WITH LAUNDRY
• LARGE COVERED FRONT PORCH
• ONE CAR COVERED CARPORT

Property features AI

Exterior

• Parking: Carport (1 space)
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer
• Home design: Single-family residence; Two stories
• Construction: Vinyl siding; Asphalt shingle roof
• Exterior features: Front porch; Road surface: concrete and gravel

Interior

• Kitchen: Microwave; Oven; Range; Refrigerator; Gas water heater
• Bedrooms: Total rooms: 7
• Bathrooms: 2 full bathrooms
• Heating & cooling: Central air conditioning; Natural gas forced-air heating
• Interior features: Gas fireplace (1); Unfinished full basement
• Laundry & utility: Washer and Dryer (laundry on main level)

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 4-bed/2.0-bath other listed at $89k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $166 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $89k).

Location & tenants

• Location reads 69/100 on livability (#421 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: schools D-, amenities F, commute F.
• Meridian CUSD 15 (rural): math 21% / reading 25% proficiency, ranked #353 of 620 in IL (top 57%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Market conditions: 31 active listings in the ZIP; 63 units permitted in Macon County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $615 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $3k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Macon County population projected at -24% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.

Negotiation context

• Only 2 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: property tax is 3.3% of price; built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $89,000

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1920 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. 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?
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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: 1.30% ✓
• Cap rate: 8.53%
• Cash-on-cash: 8.01%
• DSCR: 1.36
• GRM: 6.4

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: -4.0%
• Equity multiple: 0.85×
• Total profit: $-3,734
• Equity at exit: $13,270

10-year hold

• IRR: 5.8%
• Equity multiple: 1.43×
• Total profit: $10,785
• Equity at exit: $7,695

Cash invested: $24,920 (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 62544

• Home prices YoY: -13.5%
• Active inventory: 31
• Price-to-rent: 6.4×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,157 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$467
• Tax from tax record: −$244 /mo · $2,932/yr
• Insurance: −$37
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$243
• Net cashflow: $166

Break-even live

Break-even rent $947

Max offer price $89,000

Occupancy floor 81%

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: $22,250
• Closing costs: $2,670
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 3 events

1. 2026-06-19
   days on market $89,000 Active 2 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   remarks 693-char remark
3. 2026-06-17
   listed $89,000 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 IL · Partial reset (capped growth)

• Current annual tax: $2,932 · $244/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $2,932 · $244/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 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: $13,889
• − Mortgage interest: −$4,985
• − Property taxes: −$2,932
• − Insurance: −$445
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,111
• − Management: −$1,111
• − Depreciation: −$2,589
• Taxable income: $716
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$172
• After-tax cash flow: $1,823/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: Meridian CUSD 15
• NCES district ID: 1700123
• Math proficiency: 21% ▼ -6.00%
• Reading proficiency: 25% ▼ -8.00%
• Median HH income: $57,708
• Composite: 21.13/100
• National rank: #8434
• State rank: #353 of 620 in IL

Livability — Macon

• Score: 69/100
• State rank: #421
• US rank: #8609

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Macon, IL
• Population (ZIP): 1,719

Population outlook (Macon County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 99,568 people
• By 2030: 94,973 · -4.6%
• By 2040: 85,250 · -14.4%
• By 2050: 75,920 · -23.8%
• By 2075: 55,962 · -43.8%
• By 2100: 36,468 · -63.4%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (96%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 96% Two or more races 2% Black 1%
• Common ancestry: Slovak 5% Serbian 4% Romanian 3%
• Foreign-born: 0% · Canada

Political lean MEDSL · Macon

• 2024 margin: R (+18.9) · D 39.8% · R 58.7% · Other 1.4%
• 2008→2024 swing: -20.0pp toward R · 2008: 1.1pp · 2024: -18.9pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+18.9 2020: R+17.7 2016: R+18.1 2012: R+5.2 2008: D+1.1

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -23.24%
• Current HPI: 149.0724
• 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

• 2026-06-17 Listed $89,000 CIBR

Property tax history

+3.8%/yr

Latest (2024): $2,932 · +6.1% YoY. Source: county tax records.