495 W 1st St

Overpriced

34 photos

Photos, via Realtor.com.

Asking price: $339,900
Monthly cash flow: −$611
Estimated rent: $2,350/mo
Break-even price: $225,011

Adjust the numbers See the full breakdown

From the listing

Investment Opportunity Meets Small-Town Charm! Have you ever dreamed of owning a home that can help pay its own bills? Here's your opportunity to turn that dream into reality where investment meets the quaint small town of Rush City! Welcome to a charming property in the heart of Rush City offering built-in income potential, room to build equity, and plenty of creative space to make it your own. The main home is an adorable 1.5-story residence featuring 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom, with the potential for convenient main-floor living. The inviting open layout provides a blank canvas for your vision, making it easy to bring your ideas and personal style to life. Several updates are already underway, including 13 new windows and fresh interior paint, giving you a great head start. Even better, the existing tenant provides rental income to help offset expenses while you plan and complete your improvements. Location adds even more appeal! Situated in the heart of Rush City, you'll be within walking distance of the city water park, the renowned Rush City Bakery, and local sporting events. Enjoy the easy freeway access for commuting to/from work and surrounding communities. Whether you're looking for an investment property, a home with income potential, or a project where you can create instant sweat equity, this one offers an exciting opportunity to make your vision a reality! Please enjoy the Matterport so you can view every detail you desire!

Description from Realtor.com, MLS #7152024. 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: 12.1

Each month

Cash flow: −$611/mo
Cash-on-cash: −9.4%
Cap rate: 4.2%
DSCR: 0.66×

Break-even

Price that breaks even: $225,011
Rent that breaks even: $3,134/mo

Long run

Year 30: property vs stocks: $864K vs $930K
Cash flow turns positive: year 17

Monthly

Monthly breakdown

Rent	$2,350
Vacancy (6%)	−$141
Collected	$2,209
Property tax Listing	−$217
Insurance Estimate	−$188
Water, sewer, trash Estimate	−$170
Lawn care ($120 × 6 mo ÷ 12)	−$60
Repairs (8% of rent)	−$188
Capital reserve (8% of rent)	−$188
Net operating income	$1,198
Mortgage (principal + interest)	−$1,809
Cash flow	−$611
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%$33,216 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$40,298
What you'd walk away with	$815,823
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($44,187) invested at 7%	$336,363
Monthly shortfalls ($122,216 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$602,087
What you'd walk away with	$938,450
Building minus stocks	−$122,627

	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%$1,579 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$1,611
What you'd walk away with	$777,136
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($44,187) invested at 7%	$336,363
Monthly shortfalls ($204,081 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$872,649
What you'd walk away with	$1,209,012
Building minus stocks	−$431,876

	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%$40,609 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$50,633
What you'd walk away with	$803,342
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($42,887) invested at 7%	$326,467
Monthly shortfalls ($107,783 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$542,809
What you'd walk away with	$869,276
Building minus stocks	−$65,934

	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%$3,569 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$3,732
What you'd walk away with	$756,441
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($42,887) invested at 7%	$326,467
Monthly shortfalls ($184,245 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$805,157
What you'd walk away with	$1,131,624
Building minus stocks	−$375,183

	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%$65,460 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$88,490
What you'd walk away with	$864,015
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($78,177) invested at 7%	$595,103
Monthly shortfalls ($63,873 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$334,790
What you'd walk away with	$929,893
Building minus stocks	−$65,878

	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%$13,736 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$15,562
What you'd walk away with	$791,087
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($78,177) invested at 7%	$595,103
Monthly shortfalls ($125,651 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$571,110
What you'd walk away with	$1,166,214
Building minus stocks	−$375,127

	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%$74,826 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$103,988
What you'd walk away with	$856,697
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($75,877) invested at 7%	$577,595
Monthly shortfalls ($54,079 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$289,956
What you'd walk away with	$867,552
Building minus stocks	−$10,855

	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%$18,459 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$21,495
What you'd walk away with	$774,204
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($75,877) invested at 7%	$577,595
Monthly shortfalls ($111,214 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$516,712
What you'd walk away with	$1,094,307
Building minus stocks	−$320,103

	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%$86,199 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$123,698
What you'd walk away with	$899,223
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($95,172) invested at 7%	$724,474
Monthly shortfalls ($43,908 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$241,831
What you'd walk away with	$966,305
Building minus stocks	−$67,082

	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%$24,630 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$29,595
What you'd walk away with	$805,120
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($95,172) invested at 7%	$724,474
Monthly shortfalls ($95,841 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$456,977
What you'd walk away with	$1,181,451
Building minus stocks	−$376,331

	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%$96,464 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$142,436
What you'd walk away with	$895,144
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($92,372) invested at 7%	$703,159
Monthly shortfalls ($36,210 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$204,009
What you'd walk away with	$907,168
Building minus stocks	−$12,024

	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%$30,512 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$37,674
What you'd walk away with	$790,382
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($92,372) invested at 7%	$703,159
Monthly shortfalls ($83,760 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$408,495
What you'd walk away with	$1,111,655
Building minus stocks	−$321,273

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 $864K, stocks $930K. Stocks win.

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 $1,175/mo · range $950–$1,375 · 465 rentals across Greater Minnesota

Address	Rent	Bd / Ba	Sq ft	Distance	Listed	Type
6495 Birch St, North Branch	$1,550	2 / 2	1,097	11.7 mi	2025-01-03	Apartment
500 Eisenhower St, Sandstone	$1,275	2 / 2	—	30.5 mi	2025-05-02	Apartment
103 19th Ave N, Princeton	$1,600	2 / 2	1,130	31.6 mi	2025-04-11	Apartment
107 19th Ave S, Princeton	$1,950	2 / 1.5	1,022	31.6 mi	2025-03-15	Apartment
26125 Main St, Zimmerman	$1,703	2 / 1	998	34.4 mi	2025-08-25	Apartment
146 150 Main St, Foreston	$875	2 / 1	800	35.8 mi	2026-08-22	Apartment
19522 Holt St NW, Elk River	$1,450	2 / 1	830	38.2 mi	2026-07-21	Apartment
365 Baldwin Ave NW Apt 101, Elk River	$1,300	2 / 1	900	38.8 mi	2026-07-07	Apartment
23 3rd St NW, Elk River	$1,195	2 / 1	850	38.8 mi	2026-06-04	Apartment
341 Evans Ave NW, Elk River	$1,854	2 / 2	1,064	39.0 mi	2024-04-12	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 495 1ST ST W
mediumAsking is $114,889 above the price where cash flow breaks even ($225,011) at the default scenario. Based on: Derived: price $339,900 vs. break-even $225,011

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.	$2,609
Insurance / yr Estimateestimate. from units, square feet and age; get a quote	$2,256
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. base rate	8% / 8%

Status history

2026-10-02New at $339,900

From the listing Listing

Listed as	duplex other
Property tax, 2026	$2,609
County	Chisago
Parcel number	170003000

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 Rush City on rental licensing before you buy.