46 Ruth St

Hammond, IN 46320

$209,000B+

7 bd · 3.0 ba · 3,171 sqft · Built 1909 · MultiFamily · Pending · 4 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $4,901/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,096
• Tax + insurance: −$574
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$1,029
• Net cashflow: $2,202/mo
• Annual: $26,420/yr
• Cap rate: 18.93%
• Cash-on-cash: 45.15%
• DSCR: 3.01
• 1% rule: 2.34%
• Cash to close: $58,520

Investor read

• This is a 3 × 4-bed/3.0-bath units multifamily listed at $209k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $2k ($26k/yr) — positive. Per door: $734/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($5k rent vs $209k).
• Only 4 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• In year one you build about $22k of equity ($1k loan paydown + $21k appreciation (10.0% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 70/100 on livability (#143 in IN) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, commute A; Watch: health & safety D+, employment D, crime F.
• School City Of Hammond (suburban): math 8% / reading 18% proficiency, ranked #289 of 301 in IN (top 96%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 74% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Zoned schools: Kenwood Elementary School (math 12% / reading 12%, grade F, #893 of 994 statewide, top 91%, 253 students, 71% FRL); Henry W Eggers Middle School (math 5% / reading 17%, grade F, #312 of 330 statewide, top 95%, 855 students, 76% FRL); Hammond Central High School (math 8% / reading 37%, grade F, #339 of 369 statewide, top 93%, 1,863 students, 73% FRL) — zoned schools at 73% FRL track the district average.
• Watch-outs: property tax is 2.8% of price; built in 1909 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+7.6%/yr); 51 active listings in the ZIP; lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 1,642 units permitted in Lake County in 2024 (14 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Lake County population projected to shrink 7% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• 2 sale attempts since 25y 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.
• At projected returns (10.0% appreciation + 7.6% rent growth), your $59k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• By year 2, paydown + projected appreciation supports a ~$36k cash-out refi (75% LTV) — recoverable capital for the next deal without selling this one.
• Cap rate 18.9% vs local median 5.8% in Hammond — 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.
• At $4,901/mo this rent would consume 158% of the median local household income ($37k/yr) (locally 900% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• Can we see the unit-by-unit rent roll, current vacancy, and any below-market leases? What's the average tenancy length?
• What capital expenditures (roof, boiler, parking lot, exteriors) have been made in the last 5 years, and what's planned in the next 2?
• Built in 1909 — 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?
• Crime grade is F 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?
• 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.