522 E Johnson Ave · Decatur, IL 62526

$15,000

2 bd · 1.0 ba · 912 sqft · Other public records · 7 Days on market

Built 1913 6,090 sqft lot

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Why this score? — see what drove the D 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 +15.0/30.0
• ARV discount +7.5/15.0
• 1% rule +5.0/10.0
• DSCR +5.0/10.0
• 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

* * Investor Opportunity or Affordable First Home! * * Opportunities like this don't come around often! This charming * * 2-bedroom cottage * * is tucked away in a quiet, private neighborhood on a dead-end street, offering peace and privacy while remaining just minutes from major roads, shopping, dining, and everyday conveniences. Located near * * Hess Park, Mueller, and The Elms * * , this home features numerous updates to the * * kitchen and bathroom * * , plus a * * full basement * * and * * 1-car garage * * , adding value and functionality. Whether you're looking to start or expand your rental portfolio, or you're a first-time homebuyer searching for an affordable

Key facts

• Private neighborhood
• Full basement
• Hess park

Tags

• PRIVATE NEIGHBORHOOD
• QUIET DEAD-END STREET
• HESS PARK
• UPDATED KITCHEN
• UPDATED BATHROOM
• FULL BASEMENT

Property features AI

Finance

• Other: Zoning: Residential; Subdivision: Stares Add

Exterior

• Parking: Detached garage with 1 garage space
• Security: Closed-circuit camera(s)
• Utilities: Public water; Public sewer
• Home design: Single-family residence; One-story home
• Construction: Vinyl siding exterior; Shingle roof; Basement: partial, unfinished
• Exterior features: Gravel road access; Closed-circuit cameras (security)

Interior

• Kitchen: Appliances included (gas water heater listed; other kitchen appliances not specified)
• Bedrooms: Total of 4 rooms (bedrooms and living areas combined) -- specific bedroom counts not provided
• Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom
• Heating & cooling: Natural gas forced-air heating; Window cooling units
• Interior features: Gas water heater; Other built-in appliances
• Laundry & utility: Basement (partial, unfinished) — utility space in basement

What this means for you Summary

Snapshot

• This is a 2-bed/1.0-bath other listed at $15k.

Deal economics

• At list price, monthly cash flow is $655 ($8k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($999 rent vs $15k).
• Cap rate 58.7% 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; 11 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 44d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 91% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 63 units permitted in Macon County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).

Forward outlook

• Local home prices are declining (-2.2%/yr); year-one equity from $104 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $332 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 $4k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.

Negotiation context

• Only 7 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.

Risks & watch-outs

• Watch-outs: property tax is 3.9% of price; built in 1913 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.

Recommended offer $15,000

Questions for the listing agent

1. Built in 1913 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
2. Property tax is high relative to price — has the assessment been appealed recently, and will the sale trigger a re-assessment?
3. Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
4. 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?
5. 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?
6. The area grade is low — what's the realistic commute time and amenity access for the typical tenant pool here? Any planned neighborhood developments (good or bad) we should know about?
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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: 6.66% ✓
• Cap rate: 58.71%
• Cash-on-cash: 187.21%
• DSCR: 9.33
• GRM: 1.3

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: —
• Equity multiple: 10.48×
• Total profit: $39,833
• Equity at exit: $2,767

10-year hold

• IRR: —
• Equity multiple: 22.19×
• Total profit: $88,999
• Equity at exit: $2,227

Cash invested: $4,200 (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: 1.3×

Monthly cashflow live

• Estimated rent: $999 high
• Mortgage (P&I): −$79
• Tax from tax record: −$49 /mo · $590/yr
• Insurance: −$6
• HOA: −$0
• Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt: −$210
• Net cashflow: $655

Break-even live

Break-even rent $170

Max offer price $15,000

Occupancy floor 29%

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: $3,750
• Closing costs: $450
• Reserves months: —
• Total cash needed: —

Rent comps 11 comps

Address	Beds	Baths	Sqft	Rent	$/sqft	DOM	Units	Dist
927 E Harrison Ave Decatur, IL	2.0	1.0	720	$675	$0.94	21d	1	0.38mi
510 E Pierson Ave Decatur, IL	3.0	1.0	895	$1,200	$1.34	44d	1	0.41mi
1908 N Union St Decatur, IL	2.0	1.0	704	$899	$1.28	44d	1	0.43mi
1245 N Union St Decatur, IL	3.0	2.0	1111	$995	$0.90	44d	1	0.64mi
1729 N Woodford St Decatur, IL	2.0	1.0	728	$825	$1.13	44d	1	0.77mi
2148 N Graceland Ave Decatur, IL	2.0	1.0	864	$1,195	$1.38	44d	1	0.78mi
1045 N Monroe St Decatur, IL	3.0	2.0	1094	$1,000	$0.91	44d	1	0.94mi
853 N College St Decatur, IL	2.0	1.0	936	$925	$0.99	44d	1	1.01mi
1311 N Walnut Grove Ave Decatur, IL	2.0	1.0	781	$1,100	$1.41	44d	1	1.12mi
347 N Stone St Decatur, IL	2.0	1.0	850	$875	$1.03	44d	1	1.31mi
1345 N Fairview Ave Decatur, IL	3.0	1.0	785	$985	$1.25	44d	1	1.48mi

Listing history 7 events

1. 2026-06-19
   days on market $15,000 Active 7 DOM
2. 2026-06-18
   days on market $15,000 Active 6 DOM
3. 2026-06-17
   days on market $15,000 Active 5 DOM
4. 2026-06-16
   days on market $15,000 Active 4 DOM
5. 2026-06-15
   days on market $15,000 Active 3 DOM
6. 2026-06-13
   remarks 699-char remark
7. 2026-06-13
   listed $15,000 Active 1 DOM

ⓘ 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: $590 · $49/mo
• Projected year-2 tax: $590 · $49/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 ≥105°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: $11,989
• − Mortgage interest: −$840
• − Property taxes: −$590
• − Insurance: −$75
• − Repairs & maintenance: −$959
• − Management: −$959
• − Depreciation: −$436
• Taxable income: $8,129
• Est. tax owed @ 24.0%: −$1,951
• After-tax cash flow: $5,912/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

1 event — show timeline

• 2026-06-12 Listed $15,000 CIBR

Property tax history

+1.4%/yr

Latest (2024): $590 · +0.8% YoY. Source: county tax records.