531 N Appleton St

Appleton, WI 54911

$199,900B

5 bd · 2.0 ba · 1,841 sqft · Built 1880 · MultiFamily · Pending · 39 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $3,075/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,048
• Tax + insurance: −$240
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$646
• Net cashflow: $1,141/mo
• Annual: $13,691/yr
• Cap rate: 13.14%
• Cash-on-cash: 24.46%
• DSCR: 2.09
• 1% rule: 1.54%
• Cash to close: $55,972

Investor read

• This is a 1×2bd/1.0ba + 1×3bd/1.0ba units multifamily listed at $200k.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $1k ($14k/yr) — positive. Per door: $570/mo.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $200k).
• It's been on market 39 days — a 3% lower offer ($194k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $194k (3.0% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• Local home prices are declining (-3.0%/yr); year-one equity from $1k of loan paydown is wiped out by about $6k of value loss. Plan a longer hold.
• Location reads 82/100 on livability (#44 in WI, #1,073 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: commute A+, cost of living A+, housing A+; Watch: amenities C-.
• Appleton Area School District (urban): math 33% / reading 36% proficiency, ranked #224 of 342 in WI (top 66%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Watch-outs: built in 1880 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents flat; 32 active listings in the ZIP; 4 comparable units currently listed for rent nearby; rentals lingering (median 44d on market — plan ~5-8 weeks vacancy on turnover, expect pricing pressure); 50% of comp listings sitting > 30 days — soft ceiling on asking rent; 460 units permitted in Outagamie County in 2024 (30 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Outagamie County population projected at +8% by 2050 — modest demand growth; plan on rents tracking national, not racing it.
• 6 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.
• Current owner paid $69k; list at $200k implies a 190% gain — meaningful room to come down on a strong offer.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 0.7% rent growth), your $56k cash investment doubles in ~6 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 13.1% vs local median 3.8% in Appleton — 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 $3,075/mo this rent would consume 55% of the median local household income ($67k/yr) (locally 876% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 39 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 3% 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 1880 — 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.
• 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.