2704 Garfield Ave

Minneapolis, MN 55408

$399,000B+

16 bd · 16.0 ba · 2,042 sqft · Built 1900 · MultiFamily · Active · 250 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $9,482/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$2,092
• Tax + insurance: −$766
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$1,991
• Net cashflow: $4,632/mo
• Annual: $55,588/yr
• Cap rate: 20.22%
• Cash-on-cash: 49.76%
• DSCR: 3.21
• 1% rule: 2.38%
• Cash to close: $111,720

Investor read

• This is a 4 × 4-bed/4.0-bath units multifamily listed at $399k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $5k ($56k/yr) — positive. Per door: $1k/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($9k rent vs $399k).
• It's been on market 250 days — a 12% lower offer ($351k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $351k (12.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $3k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $12k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 78/100 on livability (#110 in MN, #2,525 nationally) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, housing A+; Watch: cost of living C-, crime F.
• Minneapolis Public School District (urban): math 35% / reading 46% proficiency, ranked #217 of 301 in MN (top 72%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Ella Baker Elementary (math 2% / reading 17%, grade F, #829 of 857 statewide, top 98%, 602 students, 90% FRL); Anwatin Middle (math 12% / reading 27%, grade F, #234 of 258 statewide, top 92%, 320 students, 81% FRL); Southwest High (math 47% / reading 67%, grade C, #64 of 471 statewide, top 16%, 1,484 students, 29% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1900 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+4.8%/yr); 211 active listings in the ZIP; 4,651 units permitted in Hennepin County in 2024 (2,443 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Hennepin County population projected at +30% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• 14 sale attempts since 26y ago; this cycle's ask has dropped $51k (11%) from the opening price — seller is motivated, your offer sets the floor, not the list.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 4.8% rent growth), your $112k cash investment doubles in ~3 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 20.2% vs local median 3.2% in Minneapolis — 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.
• This rent per unit runs 40% of the median local income ($70k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 250 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• 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 1900 — 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.
• 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?
• 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.