721 Mulberry St

Galesburg, IL 61401

$16,500D

4 bd · None ba · 980 sqft · Built 1890 · Other · Active · 103 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $1,094/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$87
• Tax + insurance: −$27
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$230
• Net cashflow: $751/mo
• Annual: $9,013/yr
• Cap rate: 60.91%
• Cash-on-cash: 195.08%
• DSCR: 9.68
• 1% rule: 6.63%
• Cash to close: $4,620

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/?-bath other listed at $16k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $751 ($9k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $16k).
• It's been on market 103 days — a 9% lower offer ($15k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $15k (9.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $114 of loan paydown is wiped out by about $495 of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 70/100 on livability (#367 in IL) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: schools F, crime F, commute F.
• Galesburg CUSD 205 (town): math 13% / reading 22% proficiency, ranked #488 of 620 in IL (top 79%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover.
• Watch-outs: built in 1890 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 198 active listings in the ZIP.
• Knox County population projected at -19% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• 5 sale attempts since 3y 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.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 3.0% rent growth), your $5k cash investment doubles in ~1 year — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 60.9% vs local median 6.4% in Galesburg — 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.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 103 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 9% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1890 — when were the roof, HVAC, electrical panel, plumbing, and water heater last replaced?
• Why hasn't it sold? Are there any deal-killer items the seller is aware of (foundation, flood, title, zoning, code violations)?
• Is there a deadline driving the sale (1031 exchange, divorce, estate, relocation)? That informs how much negotiation room exists.
• 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?
• 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?
• 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.