552 W Center St · Decatur, IL 62526

$38,500

4 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,535 sqft · Other public records · 13 Days on market

Built 1920 8,276 sqft lot ↓ 47% 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
• Appreciation +3.9/10.0
• Livability +3.0/5.0
• Rent growth +2.5/5.0
• Condition / age +2.5/5.0
• Schools +0.4/10.0

Listing remarks

Duplex investment opportunity in Decatur featuring 2 residential units with off-street exterior parking. Property offers potential for renovation, rental income, or resale value and will require repairs and updates. Utilities are currently not active. Convenient location with access to local amenities and transportation routes. Property is being sold as-is and may appeal to investors or buyers seeking a fixer-upper project.

Key facts

• Resale value
• Convenient location
• Rental income

Tags

• DUPLEX INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY
• OFF-STREET EXTERIOR PARKING
• POTENTIAL FOR RENOVATION
• RENTAL INCOME
• RESALE VALUE
• CONVENIENT LOCATION

Property features AI

Finance

• Other: Two units in the building; Unit 1: 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 4 rooms, stove and refrigerator, first floor; tenant pays all utilities; Unit 2: 2 bedrooms, 1 full bath, 4 rooms, stove and refrigerator, first floor; tenant pays all utilities
• Financial info: Not in a special service area

Exterior

• Parking: 2 owned parking spaces
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer; Natural gas
• Home design: Two- to four-unit property; Fee simple ownership; Over 100 years old; Built before 1978
• Construction: Vinyl siding, brick, and stucco exterior; Not rebuilt or rehabbed
• Exterior features: Lot dimensions 52 x 162; Lot less than 0.25 acre; Lot information from county records

Interior

• Kitchen: Stove; Refrigerator
• Bedrooms: 4 bedrooms
• Bathrooms: 2 full bathrooms (building total)
• Heating & cooling: Natural gas heating
• Interior features: 8 total rooms; Unfinished full basement
• Laundry & utility: Tenants pay all utilities

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 4-bed/1.5-bath other listed at $38k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $726 ($9k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $38k).
• Cap rate 28.9% vs local median 7.0% in Decatur — 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 59/100 on livability (#1,076 in IL) — a working-class tenant base; expect higher turnover. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: schools F, crime F, amenities F.
• Decatur SD 61 (urban): math 3% / reading 6% proficiency, ranked #605 of 620 in IL (top 98%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 73% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
• Market conditions: 135 active listings in the ZIP; 4 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 44d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 75% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 63 units permitted in Macon County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• This rent runs 32% of the median local income ($49k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-2.2%/yr); year-one equity from $266 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $852 of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Macon County population projected at -24% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• At projected returns (-2.2% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $11k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• Only 13 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $38,500

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1920 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
3. 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?
4. 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?
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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: 3.35% ✓
• Cap rate: 28.91%
• Cash-on-cash: 80.78%
• DSCR: 4.59
• GRM: 2.5

CMA / ARV

No comps found within radius.

Projected returns pro-forma

-2.21% appreciation · 3.0% rent growth · sell at horizon

5-year hold

• IRR: 81.5%
• Equity multiple: 4.83×
• Total profit: $41,296
• Equity at exit: $7,102

10-year hold

• IRR: 84.4%
• Equity multiple: 9.97×
• Total profit: $96,747
• Equity at exit: $5,716

Cash invested: $10,780 (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 62526

• Home prices YoY: -1.2%
• Active inventory: 135
• Price-to-rent: 2.5×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $1,289 medium
• Mortgage (P&I): −$202
• Tax from tax record: −$74 /mo · $892/yr
• Insurance: −$16
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$271
• Net cashflow: $726

Break-even live

Break-even rent $370

Max offer price $38,500

Occupancy floor 39%

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: $9,625
• Closing costs: $1,155
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 4 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
644 W Division St Decatur, IL	3.0	2.0	1365	$1,200	$0.88	43d	1	0.16mi
1245 N Union St Decatur, IL	3.0	2.0	1111	$995	$0.90	43d	1	0.27mi
1045 N Monroe St Decatur, IL	3.0	2.0	1094	$1,000	$0.91	43d	1	0.36mi
520 S Church St Decatur, IL	3.0	1.5	1250	$1,199	$0.96	13d	1	1.41mi

Listing history 8 events

1. 2026-06-07
   statusdays on market $38,500 Pending 13 DOM
2. 2026-06-05
   days on market $38,500 Active 12 DOM
3. 2026-06-02
   days on market $38,500 Active 10 DOM
4. 2026-06-01
   days on market $38,500 Active 9 DOM
5. 2026-05-31
   days on market $38,500 Active 8 DOM
6. 2026-05-30
   days on market $38,500 Active 7 DOM
7. 2026-05-22
   listed $38,500 Active
8. 2011-02-04
   soldstatus $72,000

ⓘ 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: $892 · $74/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $892 · $74/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 1/10 Low
• 🌡 Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥106°F today · 19 d/yr by 30 yrs out
• 💨 Wind 2/10 Low 100% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
• 🫁 Air quality 2/10 Low 1 unhealthy d/yr today · 1 by 30 yrs out

Taxation est. · year 1

• Rental income: $15,463
• − Mortgage interest: −$2,157
• − Property taxes: −$892
• − Insurance: −$192
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$1,237
• − Management: −$1,237
• − Depreciation: −$1,120
• Taxable income: $8,627
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$2,071
• After-tax cash flow: $6,638/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: Decatur SD 61
• NCES district ID: 1711850
• Math proficiency: 3% ▼ -4.00%
• Reading proficiency: 6% ▼ -6.00%
• Median HH income: $38,864
• Composite: 3.99/100
• National rank: #10059
• State rank: #605 of 620 in IL

Livability — Decatur

• Score: 59/100
• State rank: #1076
• US rank: #20533

Category grades

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

Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.

Census & demographics

• Census place: Decatur, IL
• County: Macon County · 78,333 people
• City population: 78,333
• Metro: Decatur, IL
• Population (ZIP): 30,483
• Household income: $49,062
• Rent vs Own: 39.2% rent · 60.8% own
• Severe rent burden: 1041.0

Population outlook (Macon County) Hauer SSP2

• Today (2025): 99,568 people
• By 2030: 94,973 · -4.6%
• By 2040: 85,250 · -14.4%
• By 2050: 75,920 · -23.8%
• By 2075: 55,962 · -43.8%
• By 2100: 36,468 · -63.4%

Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023

• Neighborhood character: Predominantly White (68%)
• Race & ethnicity: White 68% Black 22% Two or more races 6% Hispanic / Latino 3% Asian 2%
• Common ancestry: Lithuanian 2% Italian 2% Slovak 2%
• Foreign-born: 4% · Canada
• Languages at home: 95% English-only · Spanish 2% Other Indo-European 1%

Political lean MEDSL · Macon

• 2024 margin: R (+18.9) · D 39.8% · R 58.7% · Other 1.4%
• 2008→2024 swing: -20.0pp toward R · 2008: 1.1pp · 2024: -18.9pp
• All cycles: 2024: R+18.9 2020: R+17.7 2016: R+18.1 2012: R+5.2 2008: D+1.1

Not yet ingested

• Civics: —

Market trends

• HPI YoY: ▼ -2.21%
• Current HPI: 182.871
• Rent YoY: —
• Metro: Decatur, IL
• 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

-46.5% since first listed

2 events — show timeline

• 2026-05-22 Listed $38,500 MRED as Distributed by MLS Grid
• 2011-02-04 Sold (Public Records) $72,000 Public Records

Property tax history

+0.0%/yr

Latest (2024): $892 · +0.8% YoY. Source: county tax records.