3435 Fir St

East Chicago, IN 46312

$80,000B

2 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,642 sqft · Built 1910 · MultiFamily · Active · 308 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,141/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$420
• Tax + insurance: −$88
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$240
• Net cashflow: $394/mo
• Annual: $4,722/yr
• Cap rate: 12.20%
• Cash-on-cash: 21.08%
• DSCR: 1.94
• 1% rule: 1.43%
• Cash to close: $22,400

Investor read

• This is a 2-bed/2.0-bath multifamily listed at $80k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $394 ($5k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $80k).
• It's been on market 308 days — a 12% lower offer ($70k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $70k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• In year one you build about $310 of equity ($553 loan paydown + $-243 appreciation (-0.3% local appreciation)).
• Location reads 64/100 on livability (#371 in IN) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A; Watch: health & safety D+, schools F, crime F.
• School City Of East Chicago (suburban): math 7% / reading 15% proficiency, ranked #293 of 301 in IN (top 97%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 89% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Watch-outs: built in 1910 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+8.1%/yr); 79 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 25d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); 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.
• At projected returns (-0.3% appreciation + 8.0% rent growth), your $22k cash investment doubles in ~4 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: moderate flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 12.2% vs local median 8.2% in East Chicago — 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.
• This rent runs 32% of the median local income ($42k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 308 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1910 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• 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.
• 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.