281 Sturgis St

North Saint Paul, MN · View the listing ↗

Cash flows

31 photos

Photos courtesy of Pemberton Real Estate, via Realtor.com.

Asking price: $339,900
Monthly cash flow: $374
Estimated rent: $4,350/mo
Break-even price: $410,140

Adjust the numbers See the full breakdown

From the listing

Fantastic investment or owner-occupant opportunity in Saint Paul's vibrant West 7th neighborhood! This recently remodeled duplex combines classic character with modern updates, including hardwood floors, neutral paint, stainless steel appliances, and bright, inviting living spaces. The clean upper unit offers two bedrooms and a great floor plan, while the leased lower unit brings in approximately $1,596 per month for immediate income. The lower unit also includes a huge finished basement with a bar and entertaining area-an incredible bonus rarely found in a duplex. Additional highlights include on-site laundry, a back patio, and a two-car detached garage with one stall available for each unit. Leave the car at home and walk to neighborhood restaurants, coffee shops, bars, breweries, and more. With quick access to downtown Saint Paul, Highway 35E, and nearby bus lines, the location is hard to beat. Whether you're looking to build your investment portfolio or live in one unit while rental income helps offset the mortgage, this flexible and character-filled property delivers!

Listing courtesy of Pemberton Real Estate (Brian Seaton). Description from Realtor.com, MLS #7136326. Believed reliable but not guaranteed; confirm with the listing agent. View on Realtor.com ↗

The numbers

Edit rents, costs and assumptions

Default: 20% down (no PMI), offer at asking, self-managed, 7.00% for 30 years, buyer pays closing costs (3%).

The deal

Price: $339,900
Cash to close: $78,177
Price per unit: $169,950
GRM: 6.5

Each month

Cash flow: $374/mo
Cash-on-cash: 5.7%
Cap rate: 7.7%
DSCR: 1.21×

Break-even

Price that breaks even: $410,140
Rent that breaks even: $3,864/mo

Long run

Year 30: property vs stocks: $2.01M vs $595K
Cash flow turns positive: year 1

Monthly

Monthly breakdown

Rent	$4,350
Vacancy (6%)	−$261
Collected	$4,089
Property tax Listing	−$714
Insurance Estimate	−$222
Water, sewer, trash Estimate	−$170
Lawn care ($120 × 6 mo ÷ 12)	−$60
Repairs (8% of rent)	−$348
Capital reserve (9% of rent)	−$392
Net operating income	$2,183
Mortgage (principal + interest)	−$1,809
Cash flow	$374
Principal paid down (equity, not cash)	$230

Cash flow each year

Rents +3%/yr, costs +3.5%/yr. Red bars are months you'd cover out of pocket.

30 years

How those totals add up

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$825,027
Minus 6% selling cost	−$49,502
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $305,910 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$448,256 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$925,692
What you'd walk away with	$1,701,217
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($44,187) invested at 7%	$336,363
Monthly shortfalls ($522 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$3,712
What you'd walk away with	$340,075
Building minus stocks	$1,361,142

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$825,027
Minus 6% selling cost	−$49,502
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $305,910 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$254,045 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$456,396
What you'd walk away with	$1,231,921
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($44,187) invested at 7%	$336,363
Monthly shortfalls ($16,409 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$106,855
What you'd walk away with	$443,218
Building minus stocks	$788,703

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$800,754
Minus 6% selling cost	−$48,045
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $296,910 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$469,560 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$991,593
What you'd walk away with	$1,744,301
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($42,887) invested at 7%	$326,467
Monthly shortfalls ($0 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$0
What you'd walk away with	$326,467
Building minus stocks	$1,417,834

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$800,754
Minus 6% selling cost	−$48,045
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $296,910 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$272,508 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$504,557
What you'd walk away with	$1,257,266
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($42,887) invested at 7%	$326,467
Monthly shortfalls ($13,047 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$85,403
What you'd walk away with	$411,870
Building minus stocks	$845,396

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$825,027
Minus 6% selling cost	−$49,502
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $271,920 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$538,321 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$1,237,469
What you'd walk away with	$2,012,994
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($78,177) invested at 7%	$595,103
Monthly shortfalls ($0 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$0
What you'd walk away with	$595,103
Building minus stocks	$1,417,891

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$825,027
Minus 6% selling cost	−$49,502
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $271,920 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$328,222 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$665,031
What you'd walk away with	$1,440,556
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($78,177) invested at 7%	$595,103
Monthly shortfalls ($0 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$0
What you'd walk away with	$595,103
Building minus stocks	$845,453

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$800,754
Minus 6% selling cost	−$48,045
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $263,920 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$557,481 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$1,297,801
What you'd walk away with	$2,050,509
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($75,877) invested at 7%	$577,595
Monthly shortfalls ($0 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$0
What you'd walk away with	$577,595
Building minus stocks	$1,472,914

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$800,754
Minus 6% selling cost	−$48,045
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $263,920 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$347,383 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$725,362
What you'd walk away with	$1,478,071
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($75,877) invested at 7%	$577,595
Monthly shortfalls ($0 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$0
What you'd walk away with	$577,595
Building minus stocks	$900,476

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$825,027
Minus 6% selling cost	−$49,502
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $254,925 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$579,025 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$1,365,636
What you'd walk away with	$2,141,160
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($95,172) invested at 7%	$724,474
Monthly shortfalls ($0 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$0
What you'd walk away with	$724,474
Building minus stocks	$1,416,686

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$825,027
Minus 6% selling cost	−$49,502
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $254,925 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$368,927 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$793,197
What you'd walk away with	$1,568,722
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($95,172) invested at 7%	$724,474
Monthly shortfalls ($0 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$0
What you'd walk away with	$724,474
Building minus stocks	$844,248

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$800,754
Minus 6% selling cost	−$48,045
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $247,425 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$596,988 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$1,422,196
What you'd walk away with	$2,174,905
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($92,372) invested at 7%	$703,159
Monthly shortfalls ($0 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$0
What you'd walk away with	$703,159
Building minus stocks	$1,471,746

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$800,754
Minus 6% selling cost	−$48,045
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $247,425 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$386,890 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$849,757
What you'd walk away with	$1,602,466
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($92,372) invested at 7%	$703,159
Monthly shortfalls ($0 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$0
What you'd walk away with	$703,159
Building minus stocks	$899,307

Future dollars. At 3% inflation, divide year-30 figures by about 2.4 for today's buying power. Rental profits are assumed invested, not spent.

30 years: this property vs. the same money in stocks

This propertyStocks at 7%

Year 30 (loan paid off): property $2.01M, stocks $595K. The property wins.

Comparable rentals

The closest rental listings with each unit's bedroom count, as of 2026-10-04. The estimate is the median asking rent of every rental we found nearby (the count is shown for each); houses are left out. Asking rents from Realtor.com rental listings, not signed leases.

2 bed estimate $2,175/mo · range $1,550–$2,175 · 9 rentals within 0.75 mi

Address	Rent	Bd / Ba	Sq ft	Distance	Listed	Type
400 Spring St, Saint Paul	$2,550	2 / 2	1,741	0.4 mi	2025-04-11	Apartment
200 Wilkin St, Saint Paul	$1,581	2 / 2	1,127	0.4 mi	2025-05-03	Apartment
255 Western Ave N, Saint Paul	$2,349	2 / 2	1,121	0.4 mi	2026-03-31	Apartment
202 7th St W, Saint Paul	$2,495	2 / 2	1,107	0.5 mi	2024-06-11	Apartment
200 Exchange St S, Saint Paul	$3,161	2 / 2	1,237	0.6 mi	2024-06-11	Apartment
400 Selby Ave, Saint Paul	$1,802	2 / 2	1,089	0.6 mi	2024-12-19	Apartment
543 Michigan St, Saint Paul	$1,475	2 / 1	761	0.6 mi	2026-05-27	Duplex triplex
253 Kellogg Blvd W, Saint Paul	$2,421	2 / 2	1,119	0.6 mi	2025-05-01	Apartment
204 Western Ave N, Saint Paul	$1,275	2 / 1	800	0.6 mi	2025-03-07	Apartment

On the maps, this property and comparable rentals. Comparable rentals and rent estimate: Realtor.com rental listings. Rents are asking rents from listings; check them against the actual leases.

Red flags and opportunities

Watch for

mediumCouldn't match this address to a county parcel record, so taxes and unit count are unverified. Public record: County parcels: no match for 281 STURGIS ST

Opportunities

None found.

Questions for the agent

Can we see the current leases and a rent roll, with move-in dates?
What did water/sewer/trash, heat and electric cost the owner over the last 12 months?
How old are the roof, boiler or furnaces, water heaters and electrical panels?
Is the building licensed as a rental for this many units, and when was the last city inspection?
Any special assessments pending, and will the seller pay them off at closing?

Standard questions worth asking about any building.

What the records say

Where each number comes from

Property tax / yr Listinglisting, tax year 2026. The tax the listing states. If the seller lives there it may be at the lower homestead rate; an investor owner pays the non-homestead rate, often 20–40% more on the owner's unit.	$8,574
Insurance / yr Estimateestimate. from units, square feet and age; get a quote	$2,665
Water, sewer, trash / mo Estimateestimate. $85/unit/mo, owner-paid	$170
Heat / mo Assumptionassumption. tenants pay heat; confirm with the agent	$0
Lawn care / mo Assumptionassumption. $120/mo for 6 months, spread over 12; no snow removal	$60
Repairs / capital reserve Rulerule. built 1900: +1 pt capital reserve	8% / 9%

Status history

2026-09-03New at $339,900

From the listing Listing

Listed as	duplex up and down
Property tax, 2026	$8,574
County	Ramsey
Parcel number	012823420058

As the listing states it (NorthstarMLS, via Realtor.com). We don't have county records here yet; check the tax, homestead status and special assessments with the county.

Crime, rental-license and vacant-building records are only available for St. Paul and Minneapolis so far. Check with North Saint Paul on rental licensing before you buy.

Nearest highway

I 35E, about 227 m away.