616 E 151st St · East Chicago, IN
Flood risk 1/10 · Minimal
- FEMA flood zone
- X (unshaded)
- Chance of flooding over 30 yrs
- 0.0%
- Est. flood insurance / yr
- $473 – $860
Fire risk 1/10 · Minimal
- Est. fire insurance / yr
- $717 – $1,331
Heat risk 3/10 · Minor
- Hot days now (above 101°F)
- 7 days/yr
- Hot days in 30 yrs
- 15 days/yr
Wind risk 2/10 · Minimal
- Chance of severe wind over 30 yrs
- 0.0%
Air-quality risk 4/10 · Minor
- Unhealthy air days now
- 5 days/yr
- Unhealthy air days in 30 yrs
- 6 days/yr
Risk factors via First Street. Map © Google.
Why this score? — see what drove the A- grade
The composite is a weighted blend of 9 inputs, each scored 0–100. Each bar is that input's sub-score; the figure is the points it added to the 100-point composite (weight × sub-score).
- Cash flow +30.0/30.0
- ARV discount +15.0/15.0
- 1% rule +10.0/10.0
- DSCR +10.0/10.0
- Appreciation +4.8/10.0
- Rent growth +4.5/5.0
- Livability +3.2/5.0
- Condition / age +2.5/5.0
- Schools +0.8/10.0
$47,000
🖨 Deal sheet 📄 Offer letter ✓ Due diligence
Listing remarks
All brick, 3 bedroom 1 bath with full basement. Gas and Electric are ON. Low property taxes. Good size kitchen and living/dining room. Walkup stairs to the attic Concrete slab in the yard, rooms for 2-4 card and driveway in the fron
Key facts
- 5,092 sq ft lot
- Built 1927
- Listed 4 days
Property features AI
Finance
- Other: Vacant occupant status
Exterior
- Parking: Concrete parking
- Utilities: Public water; Public sewer
- Home design: One-story property; Built in 1927; Property listed as fixer
- Construction: Full unfinished basement
- Exterior features: City views
Interior
- Kitchen: No appliances listed
- Bedrooms: Primary bedroom; Bedroom 2; Bedroom 3
- Bathrooms: 1 full bathroom
- Heating & cooling: Central heating; No cooling system
- Interior features: No notable built-in interior features listed; Full unfinished basement
- Laundry & utility: No laundry appliances listed
Neighborhood map
What this means for you Summary
Snapshot
- This is a 3-bed/1.0-bath single-family listed at $47k.
Deal economics
- At list price, monthly cash flow is $745 ($9k/yr) — positive.
- The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
- Meets the 1% rule at list price ($1k rent vs $47k).
- Cap rate 25.3% vs local median 8.2% in East Chicago — 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.
Location & tenants
- Location reads 64/100 on livability (#371 in IN) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A; Watch: health & safety D+, schools F, crime F.
- School City Of East Chicago (suburban): math 7% / reading 15% proficiency, ranked #293 of 301 in IN (top 97%) — low school quality limits family demand, transient renter base, plan for 1-2y turnover; 89% free/reduced lunch — lower-income household profile, screen leases tightly.
- Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+8.1%/yr); 79 active listings in the ZIP; 5 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals at typical pace (median 25d on market — plan ~3-4 weeks tenant-placement turnaround); lower-income renter base — watch delinquency; 1,642 units permitted in Lake County in 2024 (14 in 5+ unit buildings).
- This rent runs 37% of the median local income ($42k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.
Forward outlook
- In year one you build about $182 of equity ($325 loan paydown + $-143 appreciation (-0.3% local appreciation)).
- Lake County population projected to shrink 7% by 2050 — rents likely to lag national; underwrite the cash flow, not the appreciation.
- At projected returns (-0.3% appreciation + 8.0% rent growth), your $13k cash investment doubles in ~2 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
Negotiation context
- Only 4 days on market — expect competitive offers; lowballing is unlikely to land.
Risks & watch-outs
- Watch-outs: built in 1927 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
Questions for the listing agent
- Built in 1927 — 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 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?
- 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.
Investment metrics
- 1% rule
- 2.77% ✓
- Cap rate
- 25.31%
- Cash-on-cash
- 67.91%
- DSCR
- 4.02
- GRM
- 3.0
CMA / ARV
- ARV (on-the-fly)
- $62,805
- Comps found
- 1
Show comp detail 1 sale within ~0.75 mi
| Address | Dist | Beds/Ba | Sqft | Sold | Price | $/sf | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 457 Vernon Ave | 0.49mi | 3/2.0 | 1,312 (+11%) | 17mo | $70,000 | $53 | 41 |
Match score weights: distance 35% · size 25% · config 20% · recency 20%. Top-matched comps best support the ARV.
Projected returns pro-forma
-0.3% appreciation · 8.0% rent growth · sell at horizon
- IRR
- 74.7%
- Equity multiple
- 4.97×
- Total profit
- $52,279
- Equity at exit
- $12,938
- IRR
- 78.1%
- Equity multiple
- 11.89×
- Total profit
- $143,365
- Equity at exit
- $14,998
Cash invested: $13,160 (down + closing). Projections, not guarantees.
Landlord ↔ Tenant lean methodology
- Overall (STATE)
- 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly
- State Indiana
- 90 Strongly Landlord-Friendly · R+11
- County
- — inherits STATE
- City
- — inherits STATE
ZIP-level market 46312
- Home prices YoY
- -0.1%
- Rents YoY
- 8.1%
- Active inventory
- 79
- Price-to-rent
- 3.0×
Monthly cashflow live
- Estimated rent
- $1,304 high interval (Pro) →
- Mortgage (P&I)
- −$246
- Tax from tax record
- −$19 /mo · $228/yr
- Insurance
- −$20
- HOA
- −$0
- Vacancy / Maint / Mgmt
- −$274
- Net cashflow
- $745
Break-even live
UW: 25.0% down · 7.5% · 30yr · 1.5% tax · 5.0% vac · 8.0% maint · 8.0% mgmt
Financing live
Cash to close
- Down payment
- $11,750
- Closing costs
- $1,410
- Reserves months
- —
- Total cash needed
- —
Loan-product check · same deal, 3 products live
Conventional
25% down · 7.5% · 30yr
- Down + closing
- —
- Monthly P&I
- —
- Monthly cashflow
- —
- DSCR
- —
- Eligible?
- —
Personal DTI + credit; lowest rate.
DSCR
20% down · 8.5% · 30yr
- Down + closing
- —
- Monthly P&I
- —
- Monthly cashflow
- —
- DSCR
- —
- Eligible?
- —
No personal income docs; deal must DSCR.
Hard money
10% down · 12.0% · 12mo
- Down + closing
- —
- Monthly P&I
- —
- Monthly cashflow
- —
- DSCR
- —
- Eligible?
- —
Short-term bridge; refi at stabilization.
Rent comps 5 comps
| Address | Beds | Baths | Sqft | Rent | $/sqft | DOM | Units | Dist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 220-2 E Chicago Ave Unit Chicago Ave unit 2F East Chicago, IN | 2.0 | 1.0 | 750 | $1,100 | $1.47 | 24d | 1 | 0.75mi |
| 4436 Olcott Ave Unit B East Chicago, IN | 2.0 | 1.0 | 850 | $1,400 | $1.65 | 24d | 1 | 1.11mi |
| 1311 E # E Unit Columbus Dr unit 1 East Chicago, IN | 3.0 | 1.5 | 1056 | $1,350 | $1.28 | 7d | 1 | 1.34mi |
| 4001 McCook Ave Unit 2 East Chicago, IN | 3.0 | 1.0 | 960 | $1,650 | $1.72 | 2d | 1 | 1.36mi |
| 523 E Columbus Dr East Chicago, IN | 2.0 | 1.0 | 750 | $1,050 | $1.40 | 24d | 1 | 1.40mi |
Listing history 4 events
-
2026-06-13statusdays on market $47,000 Pending 4 DOM
-
2026-06-10remarks 232-char remark
-
2026-06-08remarks 187-char remark
-
2026-06-08$47,000 Active 1 DOM
ⓘ Source: listings_history table (triggers on properties + properties_extension) + one-shot
backfill from property_details.listing_events for pre-trigger history.
Tax reassessment forecast IN · Partial reset (capped growth)
- Current annual tax
- $228 · $19/mo
- Projected year-2 tax
- $314 · $26/mo
- Expected delta
- +$86/yr (+$7/mo · 37.7%)
ⓘ Screening estimate from a state-policy table — verify with the county assessor before closing.
Climate risk First Street
- Flood 1/10 Low FEMA zone X (unshaded) · 0% chance over 30 yrs
- Wildfire 1/10 Low
- Heat 3/10 Moderate 7 d/yr ≥101°F today · 15 d/yr by 30 yrs out
- Wind 2/10 Low 0% chance of damaging wind over 30 yrs
- Air quality 4/10 Moderate 5 unhealthy d/yr today · 6 by 30 yrs out
Nearby sold comps map
Loading sold comps map…
Walkable amenities ~0.75 mi
Loading nearby amenities…
Taxation est. · year 1
- Rental income
- $15,643
- − Mortgage interest
- −$2,633
- − Property taxes
- −$228
- − Insurance
- −$235
- − Repairs & maintenance
- −$1,251
- − Management
- −$1,251
- − Depreciation
- −$1,367
- Taxable income
- $8,677
- Est. tax owed @ 24.0%
- −$2,083
- After-tax cash flow
- $6,855/yr
For passive investors: Depreciation is non-cash, so a rental often shows a tax loss while cash-flowing — sheltering income. Rental losses are passive: they offset passive income freely, and up to $25,000/yr can offset ordinary (W-2) income if you actively participate and your MAGI is under $100k (phasing out to $0 by $150k); unused losses carry forward. On sale, claimed depreciation is recaptured at up to 25%, and gains may owe capital-gains tax (a 1031 exchange can defer both). Figures are a year-1 estimate at your 24.0% rate — not tax advice; consult a CPA.
Schools (NCES district)
- District
- School City Of East Chicago
- NCES district ID
- 1802880
- Math proficiency
- 7% ▼ -10.00%
- Reading proficiency
- 15% ▼ -7.00%
- Median HH income
- $28,423
- Composite
- 8.36/100
- National rank
- #9909
- State rank
- #293 of 301 in IN
Livability — East Chicago
- Score
- 64/100
- State rank
- #371
- US rank
- #13869
Category grades
Schools grade is shown separately in the Schools card above.
Census & demographics
- Census place
- East Chicago, IN
- County
- Lake County · 422,878 people
- City population
- 26,022
- Metro
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Population (ZIP)
- 26,022
- Household income
- $42,125
- Rent vs Own
- Severe rent burden
- 1227.0
Population outlook (Lake County) Hauer SSP2
- Today (2025)
- 484,026 people
- By 2030
- 478,091 · -1.2%
- By 2040
- 462,974 · -4.3%
- By 2050
- 449,894 · -7.1%
- By 2075
- 436,169 · -9.9%
- By 2100
- 426,607 · -11.9%
Race, ethnicity, and origin ACS 2023
- Neighborhood character
- Majority Hispanic (56%)
- Race & ethnicity
- Hispanic / Latino 56% Black 36% Two or more races 11% White 7%
- Hispanic origin (detail)
- Mexican 45% Puerto Rican 6%
- Common ancestry
- Romanian 2%
- Foreign-born
- 16% · Canada
- Languages at home
- 59% English-only · Spanish 40%
Political lean MEDSL · Lake
- 2024 margin
- Lean D (+5.6) · D 52.1% · R 46.5% · Other 1.5%
- 2008→2024 swing
- -28.6pp toward R · 2008: 34.3pp · 2024: 5.6pp
- All cycles
- 2024: D+5.6 2020: D+15.1 2016: D+20.6 2012: D+31.0 2008: D+34.3
Not yet ingested
- Civics
- —
Market trends
- HPI YoY
- ▼ -0.30%
- Current HPI
- 267.9232
- Rent YoY
- ▲ 8.06%
- Metro
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- State GDP YoY
- ▲ 2.90%
- F500 in state
- 18
Industry mix (Fortune 500 HQ in IN)
| Industry | F500 HQs | Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Machinery | 2 | $37B |
|
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| Healthcare | 1 | $177B |
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| Pharmaceuticals | 1 | $45B |
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| Metals / Steel | 1 | $18B |
|
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| Agriculture | 1 | $17B |
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| Packaging | 1 | $12B |
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Price history
1 event — show timeline
- 2026-06-08 Listed $47,000 NIRA MLS as Distributed by MLS Grid
Property tax history
+33.4%/yrLatest (2019): $228 · +4.2% YoY. Source: county tax records.
Cash-flow waterfall
monthlySold comps — $/sqft
last 12 mo · ≤1 miLoading sold comps…