1607 Van Buren Ave

Saint Paul, MN · Hamline – Midway · Listing office ↗ · Find the listing ↗

Far off

Asking price: $549,500
Monthly cash flow: −$1,303
Estimated rent: $3,900/mo
Break-even price: $304,695

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

4 bed / 2 bath (est.)$1,950 $1,650–$2,250
4 bed / 2 bath (est.)$1,950 $1,650–$2,250

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: $549,500
Monthly cash flow: −$1,303
Cash to close: $126,385
Cap rate: 3.5%
Cash-on-cash: −12.4%
DSCR: 0.55×
GRM: 11.7
Price per unit: $274,750
Price that breaks even: $304,695
Rent that breaks even: $5,614/mo
Cash flow turns positive: year 25
Year 30: property vs stocks: $1.27M vs $1.90M

Monthly breakdown

Rent	$3,900
Vacancy (6%)	−$234
Collected	$3,666
Property tax Estimate	−$870
Insurance Estimate	−$243
Water, sewer, trash Estimate	−$170
Lawn care ($120 × 6 mo ÷ 12)	−$60
Repairs (9% of rent)	−$351
Capital reserve (9% of rent)	−$351
Net operating income	$1,622
Mortgage (principal + interest)	−$2,925
Cash flow	−$1,303
Principal paid down (equity, not cash)	$372

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 $1.27M, stocks $1.90M. Stocks win.

How those totals add up

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,333,781
Minus 6% selling cost	−$80,027
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $494,550 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$654 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$654
What you'd walk away with	$1,254,408
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($71,435) invested at 7%	$543,781
Monthly shortfalls ($339,329 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,426,930
What you'd walk away with	$1,970,712
Building minus stocks	−$716,304

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,333,781
Minus 6% selling cost	−$80,027
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $494,550 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	$1,253,754
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($71,435) invested at 7%	$543,781
Monthly shortfalls ($527,040 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,939,497
What you'd walk away with	$2,483,279
Building minus stocks	−$1,229,525

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,309,508
Minus 6% selling cost	−$78,570
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $485,550 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$1,781 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$1,809
What you'd walk away with	$1,232,747
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($70,135) invested at 7%	$533,886
Monthly shortfalls ($318,630 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,358,472
What you'd walk away with	$1,892,358
Building minus stocks	−$659,611

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,309,508
Minus 6% selling cost	−$78,570
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $485,550 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	$1,230,938
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($70,135) invested at 7%	$533,886
Monthly shortfalls ($505,214 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,869,884
What you'd walk away with	$2,403,770
Building minus stocks	−$1,172,832

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,333,781
Minus 6% selling cost	−$80,027
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $439,600 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$16,200 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$18,016
What you'd walk away with	$1,271,770
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($126,385) invested at 7%	$962,075
Monthly shortfalls ($208,429 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$934,255
What you'd walk away with	$1,896,330
Building minus stocks	−$624,560

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,333,781
Minus 6% selling cost	−$80,027
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $439,600 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	$1,253,754
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($126,385) invested at 7%	$962,075
Monthly shortfalls ($380,593 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,429,460
What you'd walk away with	$2,391,535
Building minus stocks	−$1,137,781

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,309,508
Minus 6% selling cost	−$78,570
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $431,600 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$20,236 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$22,892
What you'd walk away with	$1,253,829
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($124,085) invested at 7%	$944,567
Monthly shortfalls ($193,304 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$878,800
What you'd walk away with	$1,823,366
Building minus stocks	−$569,537

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,309,508
Minus 6% selling cost	−$78,570
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $431,600 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	$1,230,938
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($124,085) invested at 7%	$944,567
Monthly shortfalls ($361,432 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,369,129
What you'd walk away with	$2,313,696
Building minus stocks	−$1,082,758

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,333,781
Minus 6% selling cost	−$80,027
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $412,125 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$32,129 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$37,977
What you'd walk away with	$1,291,731
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($153,860) invested at 7%	$1,171,222
Monthly shortfalls ($158,552 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$747,016
What you'd walk away with	$1,918,237
Building minus stocks	−$626,506

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,333,781
Minus 6% selling cost	−$80,027
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $412,125 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	$1,253,754
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($153,860) invested at 7%	$1,171,222
Monthly shortfalls ($314,788 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,222,260
What you'd walk away with	$2,393,482
Building minus stocks	−$1,139,728

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,309,508
Minus 6% selling cost	−$78,570
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $404,625 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$37,518 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$45,149
What you'd walk away with	$1,276,086
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($151,060) invested at 7%	$1,149,907
Monthly shortfalls ($145,978 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$697,628
What you'd walk away with	$1,847,535
Building minus stocks	−$571,449

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,309,508
Minus 6% selling cost	−$78,570
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $404,625 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	$1,230,938
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($151,060) invested at 7%	$1,149,907
Monthly shortfalls ($296,825 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,165,700
What you'd walk away with	$2,315,607
Building minus stocks	−$1,084,669

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

mediumThe seller is homesteaded, so the current tax bill is lower than what an investor will pay. We use an estimated non-homestead tax instead. Public record: Ramsey County parcel 332923110007: homestead=Y
mediumAsking is $244,805 above the price where cash flow breaks even ($304,695) at the default scenario. Based on: Derived: price $549,500 vs. break-even $304,695
low$863 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 332923110007: special assessments (payable 2026) = $863.46

Opportunities

Long time on market: room to negotiate. Based on: Listing data: 11 days on market, 3 price cuts

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 Estimateestimate. Seller is homesteaded; an investor pays the non-homestead rate. $497,500 market value × 2.10% (median for non-homestead duplexes/triplexes in the city).	$10,435
Insurance / yr Estimateestimate. from units, square feet and age; get a quote	$2,913
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 1909: +1 pt capital reserve; 8 bedrooms: +1 pt repairs for wear	9% / 9%

County record Public record

Recorded as	two family dwelling - side/side
Living units	2
Year built	1909
Market value (2026)	$497,500
Property tax, payable 2026	$8,361
Special assessments	$863
Homestead	yes
Last sale	2022-04-12 · $584,000

Source: Ramsey County parcel records.

City rental certificate (CofO)

Residential 2 Units: 2 unit(s), A, status pending, renews 2026-03-03.

Nearest highway

I 94, about 1159 m away.

Crime in Hamline – Midway

1,218 incidents in the last 12 months (101 per 1,000 residents), −3% vs. the year before. St. Paul police incidents, excluding proactive visits and community events.

Status history

2026-09-21Price cut at $549,500 (was $555,000) · from listing history
2026-07-01Price cut at $555,000 (was $585,000) · from listing history
2026-04-28Price cut at $585,000 (was $599,000) · from listing history
2026-09-21New at $549,500