516 N Highland Ave Ave

Madison, SD 57042

$649,000C+

15 bd · 17.0 ba · 6,816 sqft · Built 1970 · MultiFamily · Active · 37 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $7,950/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$3,403
• Tax + insurance: −$1,082
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$1,670
• Net cashflow: $1,795/mo
• Annual: $21,545/yr
• Cap rate: 9.61%
• Cash-on-cash: 11.86%
• DSCR: 1.53
• 1% rule: 1.22%
• Cash to close: $181,720

Investor read

• This is a 5 × 3-bed/?-bath units multifamily listed at $649k. Condition is rated fair.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $2k ($22k/yr) — positive. Per door: $359/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($8k rent vs $649k).
• It's been on market 37 days — a 3% lower offer ($630k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $630k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $4k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $19k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 75/100 on livability (#26 in SD, #3,922 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F, health & safety F.
• Madison Central School District 39-2 (town): math 41% / reading 55% proficiency, ranked #36 of 59 in SD (top 61%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Market conditions: 130 active listings in the ZIP; 35 units permitted in Lake County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Lake County population projected at +32% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 5 sale attempts since 21y 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 (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $182k cash investment doubles in ~10 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 9.6% vs local median 2.8% in Madison — 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.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 37 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• 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?
• Have any recent inspections been done? Can we get a copy of the seller's disclosures and any deferred-maintenance estimates?
• Built in 1970 — 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 B-rated — typically a magnet for longer-tenancy family renters. What's the average tenant stay here, and is there a school-zone premium baked into asking?
• 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.

Repairs flagged (vision-AI assessment)

• Moderate: kitchen cabinets — dated and worn
• Minor: bathroom fixtures — basic and dated
• Moderate: flooring — dated and worn carpet