1302 W 1st St

Duluth, MN 55806

$240,000C-

4 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,884 sqft · Built 1907 · MultiFamily · Pending · 11 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,772/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,259
• Tax + insurance: −$372
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$582
• Net cashflow: $560/mo
• Annual: $6,716/yr
• Cap rate: 9.09%
• Cash-on-cash: 9.99%
• DSCR: 1.44
• 1% rule: 1.16%
• Cash to close: $67,200

Investor read

• This is a 2 × 2-bed/1.0-bath units multifamily listed at $240k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $560 ($7k/yr) — positive. Per door: $280/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $240k).
• Only 11 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $7k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 82/100 on livability (#36 in MN, #1,060 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F.
• Duluth Public School District (urban): math 44% / reading 55% proficiency, ranked #132 of 301 in MN (top 44%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Myers-Wilkins Elementary (math 17% / reading 37%, grade F, #703 of 857 statewide, top 84%, 341 students, 88% FRL); Lincoln Park Middle School (math 26% / reading 39%, grade F, #186 of 258 statewide, top 72%, 524 students, 66% FRL); Denfeld High School (math 32% / reading 42%, grade F, #282 of 471 statewide, top 63%, 940 students, 56% FRL) — zoned schools average 70% FRL vs 39% district-wide (31 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Zoned-school proficiency averages 32% at this address vs 50% district-wide (-17 pts) — the specific schools serving this property underperform the Duluth Public School District average; the district grade overstates school quality for this exact location.
• Watch-outs: built in 1907 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 45 active listings in the ZIP; 3 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 23d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 639 units permitted in St. Louis County in 2024 (338 in 5+ unit buildings).
• 3 sale attempts since 2y 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.
• Climate carrying-cost: major flood risk — expect insurance premiums to compound above CPI over the hold.
• Cap rate 9.1% vs local median 4.9% in Duluth — 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 $2,772/mo this rent would consume 78% of the median local household income ($43k/yr) (locally 506% 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 1907 — 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.
• 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.