503 E Poplar St · West Frankfort, IL 62896

$39,900

3 bd · 1.0 ba · 2,027 sqft · Other · 181 Days on market

Built 1920 8,568 sqft lot $20/sqft · 63% below area ↓ 11% since listing

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Why this score? — see what drove the B- 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 +30.0/30.0
• 1% rule +10.0/10.0
• DSCR +10.0/10.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• Livability +2.8/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +0.9/10.0
• Appreciation +0.0/10.0

Listing remarks

Discover the potential in this 2-3 bedroom, 1 bath home featuring a large living room and formal dining area, perfect for gatherings. The kitchen boasts a walk-in pantry and ample cabinet space for the chef of the household. There are solid hardwood floors throughout the home. Motivated Seller, make an offer!

Key facts

• Large living room
• Formal dining area
• Hardwood floors

Tags

• LARGE LIVING ROOM
• FORMAL DINING AREA
• WALK-IN PANTRY
• HARDWOOD FLOORS

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath other listed at $40k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $659 ($8k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $40k).
• Recommended offer: $35k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Cap rate 26.1% vs local median 5.8% in West Frankfort — 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 56/100 on livability (#1,210 in IL) — a working-class tenant base; expect higher turnover. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: crime D, schools F, amenities F.
• Frankfort CUSD 168 (town): math 6% / reading 16% proficiency, ranked #577 of 620 in IL (top 93%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Market conditions: 90 active listings in the ZIP; 17 units permitted in Franklin County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $276 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $1k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Franklin County population projected at -16% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $11k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• It's been on market 181 days — a 12% lower offer ($35k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• 4 sale attempts since 11y ago; this cycle's ask is 42% above the opening price — seller raised mid-cycle; expect resistance to lowballs.
• Current owner paid $25k; list at $40k implies a 60% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: property tax is 4.6% of price; built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→21/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Recommended offer $35,112 (12.0% below list)

Questions for the listing agent

1. It's been on market 181 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
2. Built in 1920 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
3. Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
4. Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
5. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
6. 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?
7. Crime grade is D in this area — have there been break-ins, vandalism, or insurance claims at this property in the last 3 years? What carrier currently insures it and at what premium?
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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: 3.30% ✓
• Cap rate: 26.11%
• Cash-on-cash: 70.77%
• DSCR: 4.15
• GRM: 2.5

CMA / ARV

• ARV (median comp): $106,648
• List price: $39,900
• Delta: -62.59%
• Verdict: UNDERPRICED
• Comps: 20 within 1.0 mi

Projected returns pro-forma

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

5-year hold

• IRR: 70.4%
• Equity multiple: 4.18×
• Total profit: $35,582
• Equity at exit: $5,949

10-year hold

• IRR: 74.4%
• Equity multiple: 8.64×
• Total profit: $85,361
• Equity at exit: $3,450

Cash invested: $11,172 (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 62896

• Active inventory: 90
• Price-to-rent: 2.5×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,316 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$209
• Tax from tax record: −$155 /mo · $1,854/yr
• Insurance: −$17
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$276
• Net cashflow: $659

Break-even live

Break-even rent $482

Max offer price $39,900

Occupancy floor 45%

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: $9,975
• Closing costs: $1,197
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Listing history 27 events

1. 2026-06-18
   days on market $39,900 Active 181 DOM
2. 2026-06-17
   days on market $39,900 Active 180 DOM
3. 2026-06-16
   days on market $39,900 Active 179 DOM
4. 2026-06-15
   days on market $39,900 Active 178 DOM
5. 2026-06-13
   days on market $39,900 Active 176 DOM
6. 2026-06-12
   days on market $39,900 Active 175 DOM
7. 2026-06-09
   days on market $39,900 Active 172 DOM
8. 2026-06-08
   days on market $39,900 Active 171 DOM
9. 2026-06-07
   days on market $39,900 Active 170 DOM
10. 2026-06-04
    days on market $39,900 Active 166 DOM
11. 2026-06-02
    days on market $39,900 Active 165 DOM
12. 2026-06-01
    days on market $39,900 Active 164 DOM
13. 2026-05-31
    days on market $39,900 Active 163 DOM
14. 2026-05-31
    days on market $39,900 Active 162 DOM
15. 2026-01-08
    status Active
16. 2026-01-06
    historical
17. 2026-01-05
    historical
18. 2025-09-19
    price
19. 2025-08-04
    listed Active
20. 2021-08-06
    historical
21. 2021-08-06
    historical
22. 2016-10-20
    historical
23. 2016-06-24
    soldstatus $25,000
24. 2016-06-24
    soldstatus $25,000
25. 2015-10-30
    listed $28,000
26. 2015-10-30
    listed $28,000
27. 2015-09-30
    historical

ⓘ 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: $1,854 · $155/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $1,854 · $155/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 2/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 5/10 Major 7 d/yr ≥107°F today · 21 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low 2% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 0 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $15,786
• − Mortgage interest: −$2,235
• − Property taxes: −$1,854
• − Insurance: −$200
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,263
• − Management: −$1,263
• − Depreciation: −$1,161
• Taxable income: $7,811
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$1,875
• After-tax cash flow: $6,032/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: Frankfort CUSD 168
• NCES district ID: 1741580
• Math proficiency: 6% ▼ -9.00%
• Reading proficiency: 16% ▼ -10.00%
• Median HH income: $34,447
• Composite: 8.93/100
• National rank: #9886
• State rank: #577 of 620 in IL

Livability — West Frankfort

• Score: 56/100
• State rank: #1210
• US rank: #22742

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: West Frankfort, IL
• City population: 10,691
• Population (ZIP): 10,691

Population outlook (Franklin County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 37,954 people
• By 2030: 36,828 · -3.0%
• By 2040: 34,452 · -9.2%
• By 2050: 31,855 · -16.1%
• By 2075: 25,171 · -33.7%
• By 2100: 18,462 · -51.4%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (96%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 96% Two or more races 2%
• Common ancestry: Romanian 2% Lithuanian 1% Iranian 1%
• Foreign-born: 1% · Canada, Jamaica
• Languages at home: 98% English-only · Spanish 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Franklin

• 2024 margin: Solid R (+50.6) · D 24.1% · R 74.6% · Other 1.3%
• 2008→2024 swing: -47.8pp toward R · 2008: -2.8pp · 2024: -50.6pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+50.6 2020: R+47.5 2016: R+45.3 2012: R+16.8 2008: R+2.8

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -94.00%
• Current HPI: 86.36
• 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

-10.7% since first listed

13 events — show timeline

• 2026-01-08 Relisted — MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2026-01-06 Listing Removed — RMLSA as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2026-01-05 Listing Removed — MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2025-09-19 Price Changed — RMLSA as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2025-08-04 Listed — RMLSA as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2021-08-06 Listing Removed — RMLSA as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2021-08-06 Listing Removed — RMLSA as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2016-10-20 Listing Removed — MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2016-06-24 Sold (MLS) $25,000 RMLSA as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2016-06-24 Sold (MLS) $25,000 MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2015-10-30 Listed $28,000 RMLSA as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2015-10-30 Listed $28,000 MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2015-09-30 Listing Removed — MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid

Property tax history

+2.5%/yr

Latest (2024): $1,854 · +134.6% YoY. Source: county tax records.