601 5th St

East Alton, IL 62024

$70,000B

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 975 sqft · Built 1942 · SingleFamily · Pending · 2 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $953/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$367
• Tax + insurance: −$139
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$200
• Net cashflow: $247/mo
• Annual: $2,967/yr
• Cap rate: 10.53%
• Cash-on-cash: 15.14%
• DSCR: 1.67
• 1% rule: 1.36%
• Cash to close: $19,600

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $70k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $247 ($3k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($953 rent vs $70k).
• Only 2 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $484 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $2k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 69/100 on livability (#418 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: commute D+, crime D, amenities F.
• East Alton-Wood River Chsd 14 (suburban): math 10% / reading 20% proficiency, ranked #793 of 919 in IL (top 86%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Eastwood Elem School (math 12% / reading 17%, grade F, #1,278 of 2,056 statewide, top 65%, 408 students, 0% FRL); East Alton Middle School (math 15% / reading 19%, grade F, #460 of 665 statewide, top 72%, 191 students, 0% FRL); East Alton-Wood River High Sch (math 8% / reading 12%, grade F, #567 of 693 statewide, top 83%, 537 students, 0% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1942 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 38 active listings in the ZIP; 8 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 6d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 336 units permitted in Madison County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Madison County population projected at -18% 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 $20k cash investment doubles in ~8 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: extreme-heat days projected 7→20/yr by 2055 (HVAC capex compounding) — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1942 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• 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 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?
• 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.