51 Albert St S

Saint Paul, MN · Macalester – Groveland · Find the listing ↗

Far off

Asking price: $530,000
Monthly cash flow: −$2,115
Estimated rent: $2,700/mo
Break-even price: $132,615

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

2 bed / 1 bath (est.)$1,350 $1,150–$1,550
2 bed / 1 bath (est.)$1,350 $1,150–$1,550

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: Capped at 3%/yr for sitting tenants.

Price: $530,000
Monthly cash flow: −$2,115
Cash to close: $121,900
Cap rate: 1.6%
Cash-on-cash: −20.8%
DSCR: 0.25×
GRM: 16.4
Price per unit: $265,000
Price that breaks even: $132,615
Rent that breaks even: $5,412/mo
Cash flow turns positive: not within 30 years
Year 30: property vs stocks: $1.21M vs $3.16M

Monthly breakdown

Rent	$2,700
Vacancy (6%)	−$162
Collected	$2,538
Property tax Public record	−$957
Insurance Estimate	−$214
Water, sewer, trash Estimate	−$170
Lawn care ($120 × 6 mo ÷ 12)	−$60
Repairs (8% of rent)	−$216
Capital reserve (8% of rent)	−$216
Net operating income	$706
Mortgage (principal + interest)	−$2,821
Cash flow	−$2,115
Principal paid down (equity, not cash)	$359

Cash flow each year

Rents +3%/yr (St. Paul's cap for sitting tenants), 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 $1.21M, stocks $3.16M. Stocks win.

How those totals add up

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,286,449
Minus 6% selling cost	−$77,187
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $477,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$0 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$0
What you'd walk away with	$1,209,262
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($68,900) invested at 7%	$524,484
Monthly shortfalls ($821,806 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,720,509
What you'd walk away with	$3,244,993
Building minus stocks	−$2,035,731

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,286,449
Minus 6% selling cost	−$77,187
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $477,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$0 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$0
What you'd walk away with	$1,209,262
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($68,900) invested at 7%	$524,484
Monthly shortfalls ($952,212 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$3,075,816
What you'd walk away with	$3,600,300
Building minus stocks	−$2,391,038

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,262,176
Minus 6% selling cost	−$75,731
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $468,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$0 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$0
What you'd walk away with	$1,186,446
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($67,600) invested at 7%	$514,588
Monthly shortfalls ($799,980 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,650,896
What you'd walk away with	$3,165,484
Building minus stocks	−$1,979,038

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,262,176
Minus 6% selling cost	−$75,731
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $468,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$0 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$0
What you'd walk away with	$1,186,446
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($67,600) invested at 7%	$514,588
Monthly shortfalls ($930,386 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$3,006,203
What you'd walk away with	$3,520,791
Building minus stocks	−$2,334,345

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,286,449
Minus 6% selling cost	−$77,187
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $424,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$0 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$0
What you'd walk away with	$1,209,262
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($121,900) invested at 7%	$927,934
Monthly shortfalls ($680,556 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,228,571
What you'd walk away with	$3,156,505
Building minus stocks	−$1,947,243

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,286,449
Minus 6% selling cost	−$77,187
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $424,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$0 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$0
What you'd walk away with	$1,209,262
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($121,900) invested at 7%	$927,934
Monthly shortfalls ($810,962 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,583,878
What you'd walk away with	$3,511,812
Building minus stocks	−$2,302,550

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,262,176
Minus 6% selling cost	−$75,731
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $416,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$0 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$0
What you'd walk away with	$1,186,446
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($119,600) invested at 7%	$910,426
Monthly shortfalls ($661,395 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,168,240
What you'd walk away with	$3,078,666
Building minus stocks	−$1,892,220

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,262,176
Minus 6% selling cost	−$75,731
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $416,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$0 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$0
What you'd walk away with	$1,186,446
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($119,600) invested at 7%	$910,426
Monthly shortfalls ($791,801 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,523,547
What you'd walk away with	$3,433,972
Building minus stocks	−$2,247,526

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,286,449
Minus 6% selling cost	−$77,187
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $397,500 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$0 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$0
What you'd walk away with	$1,209,262
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($148,400) invested at 7%	$1,129,659
Monthly shortfalls ($617,086 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,028,724
What you'd walk away with	$3,158,383
Building minus stocks	−$1,949,121

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,286,449
Minus 6% selling cost	−$77,187
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $397,500 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$0 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$0
What you'd walk away with	$1,209,262
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($148,400) invested at 7%	$1,129,659
Monthly shortfalls ($747,492 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,384,031
What you'd walk away with	$3,513,690
Building minus stocks	−$2,304,428

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,262,176
Minus 6% selling cost	−$75,731
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $390,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$0 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$0
What you'd walk away with	$1,186,446
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($145,600) invested at 7%	$1,108,344
Monthly shortfalls ($599,123 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,972,164
What you'd walk away with	$3,080,508
Building minus stocks	−$1,894,062

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,262,176
Minus 6% selling cost	−$75,731
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $390,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$0 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$0
What you'd walk away with	$1,186,446
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($145,600) invested at 7%	$1,108,344
Monthly shortfalls ($729,529 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,327,470
What you'd walk away with	$3,435,815
Building minus stocks	−$2,249,369

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

mediumAsking is $397,385 above the price where cash flow breaks even ($132,615) at the default scenario. Based on: Derived: price $530,000 vs. break-even $132,615
low$432 in special assessments on the payable 2026 tax bill (often street, sewer or code-enforcement charges). Ask what they're for, whether they continue, and whether the seller pays them off at closing. Public record: Ramsey County parcel 032823310105: special assessments (payable 2026) = $432.50

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 Public recordRamsey County record, payable 2026 (non-homestead)	$11,480
Insurance / yr Estimateestimate. from units, square feet and age; get a quote	$2,562
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%

County record Public record

Recorded as	two family dwelling - up/dwn
Living units	2
Year built	1922
Market value (2026)	$542,200
Property tax, payable 2026	$11,480
Special assessments	$432
Homestead	no
Last sale	2024-01-10

Source: Ramsey County parcel records.

City rental certificate (CofO)

Residential 1 Unit: 2 unit(s), A, status renewal due, renews 2025-03-14.

Nearest highway

I 94, about 1326 m away.

Crime in Macalester – Groveland

663 incidents in the last 12 months (33 per 1,000 residents), −21% vs. the year before. St. Paul police incidents, excluding proactive visits and community events.

Status history

2026-08-14New at $530,000