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3116 Columbus Ave

Minneapolis, MN · Central · Listing office ↗ · Find the listing ↗

Overpriced

Needs more info before these numbers mean much. The city's rental license covers 1 unit(s); this analysis counts 2.

Asking price: $434,900
Monthly cash flow: −$757
Estimated rent: $3,300/mo
Break-even price: $292,617

Adjust these numbers in the calculator See the full breakdown

The numbers

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

Estimated rent per unit Estimate

3 bed / 1 bath (est.)$1,650 $1,400–$1,900
3 bed / 1 bath (est.)$1,650 $1,400–$1,900

Rough screening estimate from bedroom count only ($750 + $300 per bedroom, ±15%). Not comparable-rental data; a RentCast estimate replaces it for the top candidates. Confidence: low.

Rent rules: No rent cap.

Price: $434,900
Monthly cash flow: −$757
Cash to close: $100,027
Cap rate: 4.3%
Cash-on-cash: −9.1%
DSCR: 0.67×
GRM: 11.0
Price per unit: $217,450
Price that breaks even: $292,617
Rent that breaks even: $4,283/mo
Cash flow turns positive: year 17
Year 30: property vs stocks: $1.11M vs $1.17M

Monthly breakdown

Rent	$3,300
Vacancy (6%)	−$198
Collected	$3,102
Property tax Public record	−$540
Insurance Estimate	−$214
Water, sewer, trash Estimate	−$170
Lawn care ($120 × 6 mo ÷ 12)	−$60
Repairs (8% of rent)	−$264
Capital reserve (9% of rent)	−$297
Net operating income	$1,557
Mortgage (principal + interest)	−$2,315
Cash flow	−$757
Principal paid down (equity, not cash)	$295

Cash flow each year

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

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

This propertyStocks at 7%

Year 30 (loan paid off): property $1.11M, stocks $1.17M. Stocks win.

How those totals add up

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,055,616
Minus 6% selling cost	−$63,337
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $391,410 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$43,338 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$52,874
What you'd walk away with	$1,045,153
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($56,537) invested at 7%	$430,374
Monthly shortfalls ($151,165 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$748,339
What you'd walk away with	$1,178,713
Building minus stocks	−$133,560

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,055,616
Minus 6% selling cost	−$63,337
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $391,410 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$705 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$705
What you'd walk away with	$992,984
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($56,537) invested at 7%	$430,374
Monthly shortfalls ($267,918 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,130,434
What you'd walk away with	$1,560,808
Building minus stocks	−$567,824

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,031,344
Minus 6% selling cost	−$61,881
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $382,410 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$50,770 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$63,287
What you'd walk away with	$1,032,750
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($55,237) invested at 7%	$420,478
Monthly shortfalls ($136,772 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$689,139
What you'd walk away with	$1,109,617
Building minus stocks	−$76,867

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,031,344
Minus 6% selling cost	−$61,881
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $382,410 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$2,066 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$2,111
What you'd walk away with	$971,575
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($55,237) invested at 7%	$420,478
Monthly shortfalls ($247,454 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,062,228
What you'd walk away with	$1,482,706
Building minus stocks	−$511,131

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,055,616
Minus 6% selling cost	−$63,337
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $347,920 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$85,397 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$116,301
What you'd walk away with	$1,108,581
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($100,027) invested at 7%	$761,431
Monthly shortfalls ($77,320 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$408,099
What you'd walk away with	$1,169,530
Building minus stocks	−$60,949

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,055,616
Minus 6% selling cost	−$63,337
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $347,920 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$13,702 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$15,287
What you'd walk away with	$1,007,566
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($100,027) invested at 7%	$761,431
Monthly shortfalls ($165,010 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$741,349
What you'd walk away with	$1,502,780
Building minus stocks	−$495,214

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,031,344
Minus 6% selling cost	−$61,881
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $339,920 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$94,932 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$132,235
What you'd walk away with	$1,101,698
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($97,727) invested at 7%	$743,923
Monthly shortfalls ($67,695 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$363,702
What you'd walk away with	$1,107,625
Building minus stocks	−$5,927

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,031,344
Minus 6% selling cost	−$61,881
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $339,920 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$17,925 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$20,441
What you'd walk away with	$989,905
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($97,727) invested at 7%	$743,923
Monthly shortfalls ($150,072 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$686,172
What you'd walk away with	$1,430,095
Building minus stocks	−$440,190

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,055,616
Minus 6% selling cost	−$63,337
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $326,175 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$112,648 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$163,327
What you'd walk away with	$1,155,606
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($121,772) invested at 7%	$926,960
Monthly shortfalls ($52,489 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$291,137
What you'd walk away with	$1,218,096
Building minus stocks	−$62,490

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,055,616
Minus 6% selling cost	−$63,337
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $326,175 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$26,558 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$31,483
What you'd walk away with	$1,023,763
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($121,772) invested at 7%	$926,960
Monthly shortfalls ($125,785 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$593,557
What you'd walk away with	$1,520,517
Building minus stocks	−$496,754

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,031,344
Minus 6% selling cost	−$61,881
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $318,675 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$123,024 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$182,417
What you'd walk away with	$1,151,880
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($118,972) invested at 7%	$905,645
Monthly shortfalls ($44,903 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$253,667
What you'd walk away with	$1,159,312
Building minus stocks	−$7,432

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,031,344
Minus 6% selling cost	−$61,881
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $318,675 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$32,041 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$38,828
What you'd walk away with	$1,008,292
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($118,972) invested at 7%	$905,645
Monthly shortfalls ($113,305 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$544,342
What you'd walk away with	$1,449,987
Building minus stocks	−$441,695

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.

Red flags and opportunities

Watch for

highThe city's rental license covers 1 unit(s); this analysis counts 2. Public record: Minneapolis Active Rental Licenses: 3116 COLUMBUS AVE, units=1
mediumAsking is $142,283 above the price where cash flow breaks even ($292,617) at the default scenario. Based on: Derived: price $434,900 vs. break-even $292,617

Opportunities

The seller bought for $118,000 in Feb 2011, so they can take a lower offer and still come out well ahead. Public record: Hennepin County parcel 0202824220199: last sale 2011-02-01, $118,000
Long time on market: room to negotiate. Based on: Listing data: 133 days on market

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 Public recordHennepin County record, current payable year (non-homestead)	$6,479
Insurance / yr Estimateestimate. from units, square feet and age; get a quote	$2,564
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 1886: +1 pt capital reserve	8% / 9%

County record Public record

Recorded as	duplex
Living units	2
Year built	1886
Market value (2026)	$342,500
Property tax	$6,479
Special assessments	none
Homestead	no
Last sale	2011-02-01 · $118,000

Source: Hennepin County parcel records.

City rental license

CHOWN: 1 unit(s), Tier 1, status active, renews 2027-03-01.

Nearest highway

I 35W, about 816 m away.

Crime in Central

409 incidents in the last 12 months (50 per 1,000 residents), −10% vs. the year before. Minneapolis police incidents, all reported offenses (definitions differ from St. Paul's, so don't compare across cities).

Status history

2026-05-22New at $434,900