250 Sycamore Ln

Munster, IN 46321

$339,900F

3 bd · 1.5 ba · 1,210 sqft · Built 1966 · SingleFamily · Active · 17 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,425/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,782
• Tax + insurance: −$696
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$509
• Net cashflow: $-563/mo
• Annual: $-6,754/yr
• Cap rate: 4.31%
• Cash-on-cash: -7.10%
• DSCR: 0.68
• 1% rule: 0.71%
• Cash to close: $95,172

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $340k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $-563 ($-7k/yr) — negative.
• To cash-flow at today's rent, offer at most $240k (29.3% below list).
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $243k (28.6% below list).
• It's been on market 17 days — a 2% lower offer ($335k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $240k (29.3% below list) — sets the bar for cash-flow.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $10k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 81/100 on livability (#17 in IN, #1,427 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: crime A+, employment A+, cost of living A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• School Town Of Munster (suburban): math 65% / reading 64% proficiency, ranked #6 of 301 in IN (top 2%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease; only 14% free/reduced lunch — higher-income household profile.
• Zoned schools: James B Eads Elementary School (math 75% / reading 57%, grade B+, #71 of 994 statewide, top 7%, 507 students, 33% FRL); Wilbur Wright Middle School (math 51% / reading 59%, grade B-, #26 of 330 statewide, top 8%, 908 students, 24% FRL); Munster High School (math 71% / reading 91%, grade A, #4 of 369 statewide, top 1%, 1,564 students, 23% FRL).
• Market conditions: 116 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals leasing fast (median 12d on market — plan ~1-2 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); high-income renter base; 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.
• 3 sale attempts since 9y 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.
• Current owner paid $218k; list at $340k implies a 56% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.

Questions for listing agent

• What do current leases actually rent for vs. the listed asking? Can we see a recent rent roll and the last 12 months of T-12 income?
• Built in 1966 — 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 A-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?
• 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?
• 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 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.