256 Russell Ave S

Minneapolis, MN · Bryn - Mawr · Find the listing ↗

Far off

Asking price: $495,000
Monthly cash flow: −$1,704
Estimated rent: $2,700/mo
Break-even price: $174,780

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: No rent cap.

Price: $495,000
Monthly cash flow: −$1,704
Cash to close: $113,850
Cap rate: 2.3%
Cash-on-cash: −18.0%
DSCR: 0.35×
GRM: 15.3
Price per unit: $247,500
Price that breaks even: $174,780
Rent that breaks even: $4,913/mo
Cash flow turns positive: not within 30 years
Year 30: property vs stocks: $1.13M vs $2.51M

Monthly breakdown

Rent	$2,700
Vacancy (6%)	−$162
Collected	$2,538
Property tax Public record	−$699
Insurance Estimate	−$220
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	$930
Mortgage (principal + interest)	−$2,635
Cash flow	−$1,704
Principal paid down (equity, not cash)	$335

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 $1.13M, stocks $2.51M. Stocks win.

How those totals add up

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,201,495
Minus 6% selling cost	−$72,090
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $445,500 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	$1,129,405
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($64,350) invested at 7%	$489,849
Monthly shortfalls ($605,082 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,104,625
What you'd walk away with	$2,594,474
Building minus stocks	−$1,465,069

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,201,495
Minus 6% selling cost	−$72,090
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $445,500 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	$1,129,405
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($64,350) invested at 7%	$489,849
Monthly shortfalls ($735,488 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,459,932
What you'd walk away with	$2,949,781
Building minus stocks	−$1,820,376

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,177,222
Minus 6% selling cost	−$70,633
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $436,500 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	$1,106,589
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($63,050) invested at 7%	$479,953
Monthly shortfalls ($583,256 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,035,012
What you'd walk away with	$2,514,965
Building minus stocks	−$1,408,376

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,177,222
Minus 6% selling cost	−$70,633
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $436,500 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	$1,106,589
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($63,050) invested at 7%	$479,953
Monthly shortfalls ($713,663 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,390,319
What you'd walk away with	$2,870,272
Building minus stocks	−$1,763,683

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,201,495
Minus 6% selling cost	−$72,090
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $396,000 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	$1,129,405
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($113,850) invested at 7%	$866,655
Monthly shortfalls ($473,160 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,645,174
What you'd walk away with	$2,511,829
Building minus stocks	−$1,382,424

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,201,495
Minus 6% selling cost	−$72,090
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $396,000 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	$1,129,405
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($113,850) invested at 7%	$866,655
Monthly shortfalls ($603,566 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,000,481
What you'd walk away with	$2,867,136
Building minus stocks	−$1,737,731

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,177,222
Minus 6% selling cost	−$70,633
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $388,000 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	$1,106,589
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($111,550) invested at 7%	$849,147
Monthly shortfalls ($454,000 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,584,843
What you'd walk away with	$2,433,990
Building minus stocks	−$1,327,401

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,177,222
Minus 6% selling cost	−$70,633
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $388,000 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	$1,106,589
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($111,550) invested at 7%	$849,147
Monthly shortfalls ($584,406 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,940,150
What you'd walk away with	$2,789,297
Building minus stocks	−$1,682,708

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,201,495
Minus 6% selling cost	−$72,090
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $371,250 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	$1,129,405
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($138,600) invested at 7%	$1,055,059
Monthly shortfalls ($413,882 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,458,525
What you'd walk away with	$2,513,583
Building minus stocks	−$1,384,178

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,201,495
Minus 6% selling cost	−$72,090
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $371,250 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	$1,129,405
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($138,600) invested at 7%	$1,055,059
Monthly shortfalls ($544,288 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,813,831
What you'd walk away with	$2,868,890
Building minus stocks	−$1,739,485

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,177,222
Minus 6% selling cost	−$70,633
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $363,750 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	$1,106,589
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($135,800) invested at 7%	$1,033,744
Monthly shortfalls ($395,919 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,401,964
What you'd walk away with	$2,435,708
Building minus stocks	−$1,329,119

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,177,222
Minus 6% selling cost	−$70,633
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $363,750 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	$1,106,589
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($135,800) invested at 7%	$1,033,744
Monthly shortfalls ($526,325 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,757,271
What you'd walk away with	$2,791,015
Building minus stocks	−$1,684,426

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 $320,220 above the price where cash flow breaks even ($174,780) at the default scenario. Based on: Derived: price $495,000 vs. break-even $174,780

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 recordHennepin County record, current payable year (non-homestead)	$8,390
Insurance / yr Estimateestimate. from units, square feet and age; get a quote	$2,634
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 1900: +1 pt capital reserve	8% / 9%

County record Public record

Recorded as	duplex
Living units	2
Year built	1900
Market value (2026)	$443,800
Property tax	$8,390
Special assessments	none
Homestead	no
Last sale	2016-10-01 · $340,000

Source: Hennepin County parcel records.

City rental license

CHOWN: 2 unit(s), Tier 1, status active, renews 2027-03-01.

Nearest highway

I 394, about 382 m away.

Crime in Bryn - Mawr

73 incidents in the last 12 months (26 per 1,000 residents), −6% vs. the year before. Minneapolis police incidents, all reported offenses (definitions differ from St. Paul's, so don't compare across cities).

Status history

2026-08-24New at $495,000