902-904 N 1st Street North St N

Fargo, ND 58102

$250,000C+

6 bd · 2.0 ba · 2,468 sqft · Built 1930 · MultiFamily · Pending · 22 DOM

Cashflow @ list (25.0% down · 7.5%)

• Estimated rent: $2,817/mo
• Mortgage (P&I): −$1,311
• Tax + insurance: −$417
• HOA: −$0
• Vac / Maint / Mgmt: −$592
• Net cashflow: $498/mo
• Annual: $5,973/yr
• Cap rate: 8.68%
• Cash-on-cash: 8.53%
• DSCR: 1.38
• 1% rule: 1.13%
• Cash to close: $70,000

Investor read

• This is a 6-bed/2.0-bath multifamily listed at $250k. Condition is rated good.
• At list price, monthly cash flow is $498 ($6k/yr) — positive.
• The deal already cash-flows at list — no discount required.
• Meets the 1% rule at list price ($3k rent vs $250k).
• It's been on market 22 days — a 2% lower offer ($246k) is reasonable based on typical stale-listing flexibility.
• Recommended offer: $246k (1.5% below list) — sets the bar for market timing.
• 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 85/100 on livability (#1 in ND, #605 nationally) — a professional / high-income tenant draw. Strengths: amenities A+, commute A+, cost of living A+; Watch: crime F.
• Fargo 1 (urban): math 41% / reading 44% proficiency, ranked #28 of 53 in ND (top 53%) — families likely to look elsewhere, expect single-tenant / working-renter base with shorter leases.
• Zoned schools: Horace Mann Roosevelt Elementary School (math 37% / reading 37%, grade F, #152 of 236 statewide, top 68%, 368 students, 53% FRL); Ben Franklin Middle School (math 52% / reading 47%, grade C, #6 of 35 statewide, top 18%, 883 students, 32% FRL); North High School (math 45% / reading 63%, grade C-, #13 of 144 statewide, top 8%, 1,083 students, 26% FRL).
• Watch-outs: built in 1930 — expect roof / HVAC / electrical / plumbing capex.
• Market conditions: Rents rising fast (+4.7%/yr); 205 active listings in the ZIP; 1,218 units permitted in Cass County in 2024 (410 in 5+ unit buildings).
• Cass County population projected at +69% by 2050 — long-run rental-demand tailwind backs the buy-and-hold thesis.
• At projected returns (-3.0% appreciation + 4.7% rent growth), your $70k cash investment doubles in ~10 years — after that, you're playing with house money.
• Cap rate 8.7% vs local median 2.5% in Fargo — 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 $2,817/mo this rent would consume 57% of the median local household income ($60k/yr) (locally 1919% of renters already pay >50% of income on rent) — very limited rent-growth headroom before tenants either downsize or default.

Questions for listing agent

• Built in 1930 — 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.
• 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 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.