861 Cook Ave E

Saint Paul, MN · Payne – Phalen (Railroad Island) · Find the listing ↗

Asking price: $250,000
Monthly cash flow: −$88
Estimated rent: $2,700/mo
Break-even price: $233,423

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: $250,000
Monthly cash flow: −$88
Cash to close: $57,500
Cap rate: 6.0%
Cash-on-cash: −1.8%
DSCR: 0.93×
GRM: 7.7
Price per unit: $125,000
Price that breaks even: $233,423
Rent that breaks even: $2,815/mo
Cash flow turns positive: year 4
Year 30: property vs stocks: $931K vs $451K

Monthly breakdown

Rent	$2,700
Vacancy (6%)	−$162
Collected	$2,538
Property tax Public record	−$396
Insurance Estimate	−$211
Water, sewer, trash Estimate	−$170
Lawn care ($120 × 6 mo ÷ 12)	−$60
Repairs (8% of rent)	−$216
Capital reserve (9% of rent)	−$243
Net operating income	$1,242
Mortgage (principal + interest)	−$1,331
Cash flow	−$88
Principal paid down (equity, not cash)	$169

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 $931K, stocks $451K. The property wins.

How those totals add up

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$606,816
Minus 6% selling cost	−$36,409
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $225,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$142,484 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$237,879
What you'd walk away with	$808,286
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($32,500) invested at 7%	$247,398
Monthly shortfalls ($19,484 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$122,738
What you'd walk away with	$370,136
Building minus stocks	$438,150

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$606,816
Minus 6% selling cost	−$36,409
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $225,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$49,671 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$67,156
What you'd walk away with	$637,563
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($32,500) invested at 7%	$247,398
Monthly shortfalls ($57,076 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$307,321
What you'd walk away with	$554,719
Building minus stocks	$82,844

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$582,543
Minus 6% selling cost	−$34,953
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $216,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$159,161 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$277,003
What you'd walk away with	$824,593
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($31,200) invested at 7%	$237,502
Monthly shortfalls ($14,334 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$92,248
What you'd walk away with	$329,751
Building minus stocks	$494,842

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$582,543
Minus 6% selling cost	−$34,953
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $216,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$60,358 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$84,995
What you'd walk away with	$632,586
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($31,200) invested at 7%	$237,502
Monthly shortfalls ($45,938 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$255,547
What you'd walk away with	$493,050
Building minus stocks	$139,536

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$606,816
Minus 6% selling cost	−$36,409
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $200,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$191,603 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$360,701
What you'd walk away with	$931,108
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($57,500) invested at 7%	$437,705
Monthly shortfalls ($1,975 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$13,513
What you'd walk away with	$451,218
Building minus stocks	$479,890

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$606,816
Minus 6% selling cost	−$36,409
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $200,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$82,378 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$125,447
What you'd walk away with	$695,854
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($57,500) invested at 7%	$437,705
Monthly shortfalls ($23,157 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$133,567
What you'd walk away with	$571,271
Building minus stocks	$124,583

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$582,543
Minus 6% selling cost	−$34,953
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $192,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$209,232 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$410,660
What you'd walk away with	$958,251
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($55,200) invested at 7%	$420,196
Monthly shortfalls ($443 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$3,141
What you'd walk away with	$423,338
Building minus stocks	$534,913

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$582,543
Minus 6% selling cost	−$34,953
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $192,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$94,868 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$150,601
What you'd walk away with	$698,192
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($55,200) invested at 7%	$420,196
Monthly shortfalls ($16,485 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$98,389
What you'd walk away with	$518,586
Building minus stocks	$179,606

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$606,816
Minus 6% selling cost	−$36,409
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $187,500 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$219,627 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$441,888
What you'd walk away with	$1,012,294
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($70,000) invested at 7%	$532,858
Monthly shortfalls ($61 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$433
What you'd walk away with	$533,290
Building minus stocks	$479,004

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$606,816
Minus 6% selling cost	−$36,409
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $187,500 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$102,376 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$166,579
What you'd walk away with	$736,986
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($70,000) invested at 7%	$532,858
Monthly shortfalls ($13,215 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$80,431
What you'd walk away with	$613,289
Building minus stocks	$123,697

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$582,543
Minus 6% selling cost	−$34,953
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $180,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$237,530 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$498,016
What you'd walk away with	$1,045,606
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($67,200) invested at 7%	$511,544
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	$511,544
Building minus stocks	$534,062

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$582,543
Minus 6% selling cost	−$34,953
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $180,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$115,659 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$196,426
What you'd walk away with	$744,017
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($67,200) invested at 7%	$511,544
Monthly shortfalls ($8,535 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$53,717
What you'd walk away with	$565,261
Building minus stocks	$178,756

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

mediumNo rental certificate (CofO) on file in the city's data. Ask whether the building is licensed as a rental and when it was last inspected. Public record: St. Paul Certificate of Occupancy – Residential: no record for 861 COOK AVE E (dataset last updated mid-2025)
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 282922230127: 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)	$4,750
Insurance / yr Estimateestimate. from units, square feet and age; get a quote	$2,530
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 1893: +1 pt capital reserve	8% / 9%

County record Public record

Recorded as	two family dwelling - up/dwn
Living units	2
Year built	1893
Market value (2026)	$229,600
Property tax, payable 2026	$4,750
Special assessments	$432
Homestead	no
Last sale	2022-06-30

Source: Ramsey County parcel records.

City rental certificate (CofO)

No record in St. Paul Certificate of Occupancy – Residential (dataset last updated mid-2025).

Nearest highway

I 35E;US 10, about 1909 m away.

Crime in Payne – Phalen

1,694 incidents in the last 12 months (51 per 1,000 residents), −10% vs. the year before. St. Paul police incidents, excluding proactive visits and community events.

Status history

2026-08-02New at $250,000