131 N 18th St

Chesterton, IN 46304

$250,000C-

4 bd · 1.5 ba · 2,064 sqft · Built 1963 · SingleFamily · Pending · 4 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,220/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,311
• Tax + insurance: −$298
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$466
• Net cashflow: $144/mo
• Annual: $1,731/yr
• Cap rate: 6.99%
• Cash-on-cash: 2.47%
• DSCR: 1.11
• 1% rule: 0.89%
• Cash to close: $70,000

Investor read

• This is a 4-bed/1.5-bath single-family listed at $250k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $144 ($2k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• To meet the 1% rule (rent ≥ 1% of price), the offer needs to be $222k (11.2% below list).
• Only 4 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
• Recommended offer: $222k (11.2% below list) — sets the bar for 1% rule.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $2k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $8k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 77/100 on livability (#43 in IN, #3,223 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: crime A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities F, commute F.
• Duneland School Corporation (suburban): math 53% / reading 53% proficiency, ranked #30 of 301 in IN (top 10%) — acceptable for families but not a draw, mixed tenant base, ~2y average lease.
• Market conditions: 222 active listings in the ZIP; 2 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; solid renter incomes; 542 units permitted in Porter County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Porter County population projected at +6% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 6 sale attempts since 25y 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 $144k; list at $250k implies a 73% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• Cap rate 7.0% vs local median 2.6% in Chesterton — 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

• Built in 1963 — 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 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.