1218 N Memorial Dr

Racine, WI 53404

$175,000C+

6 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,814 sqft · Built 1900 · MultiFamily · Pending · 3 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,213/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$918
• Tax + insurance: −$240
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$675
• Net cashflow: $1,380/mo
• Annual: $16,562/yr
• Cap rate: 15.76%
• Cash-on-cash: 33.80%
• DSCR: 2.50
• 1% rule: 1.84%
• Cash to close: $49,000

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 3-bed/1.0-bath units multifamily listed at $175k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $1k ($17k/yr) — positive. Per door: $690/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $175k).
• Only 3 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $5k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 80/100 on livability (#58 in WI, #1,622 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: employment D.
• Racine Unified School District (urban): math 12% / reading 20% proficiency, ranked #335 of 342 in WI (top 98%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Zoned schools: Julian Thomas Elementary (math 2% / reading 2%, grade F, #1,024 of 1,041 statewide, top 100%, 571 students, 90% FRL); Starbuck - An Ib World School (math 8% / reading 21%, grade F, #366 of 383 statewide, top 96%, 509 students, 62% FRL); Horlick High (math 11% / reading 22%, grade F, #411 of 483 statewide, top 85%, 1,340 students, 67% FRL) — zoned schools average 73% FRL vs 57% district-wide (16 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 25 active listings in the ZIP; 1 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; 505 units permitted in Racine County in 2024 (287 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Racine County population projected to shrink 7% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $49k cash investment doubles in ~4 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Climate carrying-cost: major flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 15.8% vs local median 3.9% in Racine — 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 $3,213/mo this rent would consume 76% of the median local household income ($50k/yr) (locally 746% 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 1900 — 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 D-rated, which usually means shorter tenancies and higher turnover. Who's the typical renter profile here, and what's been the actual vacancy rate?
• 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 apartment / multifamily construction is in the pipeline within 1–3 miles? Heavy new supply (>2% of stock underway) typically softens rents 12–24 months out; light construction supports rent growth.