115 N Newton Ave

Albert Lea, MN 56007

$209,000C

3 bd · 2.0 ba · 3,496 sqft · Built 1920 · MultiFamily · Pending · 189 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,365/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,096
• Tax + insurance: −$348
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$497
• Net cashflow: $424/mo
• Annual: $5,088/yr
• Cap rate: 8.73%
• Cash-on-cash: 8.69%
• DSCR: 1.39
• 1% rule: 1.13%
• Cash to close: $58,520

Investor read

• This is a 3-bed/2.0-bath multifamily listed at $209k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $424 ($5k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($2k rent vs $209k).
• It's been on market 189 days — a 12% lower offer ($184k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $184k (12.0% 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 72/100 on livability (#274 in MN) — a middle-class / working-renter tenant base. Strengths: cost of living A+, housing A+, health & safety A+; Watch: employment D+, amenities F, commute F.
• Albert Lea Public School District (town): math 30% / reading 40% proficiency, ranked #258 of 301 in MN (top 86%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Hawthorne Elementary (math 27% / reading 37%, grade F, #670 of 857 statewide, top 79%, 424 students, 69% FRL); Southwest Middle (math 19% / reading 38%, grade F, #210 of 258 statewide, top 81%, 474 students, 62% FRL); Albert Lea Senior High (math 23% / reading 37%, grade F, #345 of 471 statewide, top 74%, 1,218 students, 53% FRL) — zoned schools average 61% FRL vs 40% district-wide (22 pts higher); higher-poverty schools than district average — tighter screening recommended.
• Watch-outs: built in 1920 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: 150 active listings in the ZIP; 16 units permitted in Freeborn County in 2024 (0 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Freeborn County population projected at -11% by 2050 — secular population decline; favor cash flow + early exit over multi-decade hold.
• Cap rate 8.7% vs local median 4.0% in Albert Lea — 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 runs 41% of the median local income ($69k/yr) — at the standard rent-burdened threshold; future hikes will face affordability resistance.

Questions for listing agent

• It's been on market 189 days. Have you received any prior offers? Is the seller open to a 12% concession, seller financing, or rate buy-down credit?
• Built in 1920 — 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.
• 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.