523 8th Ave N

Far off

15 photos

Photos courtesy of NRT-Minnesota (CB Burnet), via Realtor.com.

Asking price: $475,000
Monthly cash flow: −$1,761
Estimated rent: $1,900/mo
Break-even price: $144,150

Adjust the numbers See the full breakdown

From the listing

This property is being sold as a package which includes 3 duplexes, for a total of 6 units. This parcel contains one duplex, with a second story apartment. The main level has access to the finished basement and laundry. The main level unit has the garage access. This is being sold with the property next door at 525/527 8th Ave N. That parcel contains 2 more duplexes. Here is your chance to own nice properties with good cash flow. All units are rented and most tenants have been here for years. Updated roofs on all 3 buildings in 2023. Close to parks, the hospital and downtown. Great investment property! All units are occupied. Photos are from vacancies between tenants.

Listing courtesy of NRT-Minnesota (CB Burnet) (Debbie Niemeyer). Description from Realtor.com, MLS #7087258. 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: $475,000
Cash to close: $109,250
Price per unit: $237,500
GRM: 20.8

Each month

Cash flow: −$1,761/mo
Cash-on-cash: −19.3%
Cap rate: 1.9%
DSCR: 0.30×

Break-even

Price that breaks even: $144,150
Rent that breaks even: $4,158/mo

Long run

Year 30: property vs stocks: $1.08M vs $2.57M
Cash flow turns positive: not within 30 years

Monthly

Monthly breakdown

Rent	$1,900
Vacancy (6%)	−$114
Collected	$1,786
Property tax Listing	−$288
Insurance Estimate	−$197
Water, sewer, trash Estimate	−$170
Lawn care ($120 × 6 mo ÷ 12)	−$60
Repairs (8% of rent)	−$152
Capital reserve (8% of rent)	−$152
Net operating income	$767
Mortgage (principal + interest)	−$2,528
Cash flow	−$1,761
Principal paid down (equity, not cash)	$322

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	$1,152,950
Minus 6% selling cost	−$69,177
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $427,500 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	$1,083,773
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($61,750) invested at 7%	$470,057
Monthly shortfalls ($633,425 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,179,019
What you'd walk away with	$2,649,075
Building minus stocks	−$1,565,302

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,152,950
Minus 6% selling cost	−$69,177
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $427,500 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	$1,083,773
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($61,750) invested at 7%	$470,057
Monthly shortfalls ($725,192 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,429,049
What you'd walk away with	$2,899,106
Building minus stocks	−$1,815,333

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,128,677
Minus 6% selling cost	−$67,721
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $418,500 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	$1,060,956
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($60,450) invested at 7%	$460,161
Monthly shortfalls ($611,599 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,109,406
What you'd walk away with	$2,569,566
Building minus stocks	−$1,508,610

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,128,677
Minus 6% selling cost	−$67,721
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $418,500 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	$1,060,956
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($60,450) invested at 7%	$460,161
Monthly shortfalls ($703,366 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,359,436
What you'd walk away with	$2,819,597
Building minus stocks	−$1,758,641

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,152,950
Minus 6% selling cost	−$69,177
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $380,000 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	$1,083,773
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($109,250) invested at 7%	$831,639
Monthly shortfalls ($506,833 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,738,131
What you'd walk away with	$2,569,770
Building minus stocks	−$1,485,997

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,152,950
Minus 6% selling cost	−$69,177
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $380,000 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	$1,083,773
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($109,250) invested at 7%	$831,639
Monthly shortfalls ($598,600 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,988,162
What you'd walk away with	$2,819,801
Building minus stocks	−$1,736,028

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,128,677
Minus 6% selling cost	−$67,721
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $372,000 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	$1,060,956
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($106,950) invested at 7%	$814,131
Monthly shortfalls ($487,673 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,677,800
What you'd walk away with	$2,491,931
Building minus stocks	−$1,430,975

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,128,677
Minus 6% selling cost	−$67,721
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $372,000 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	$1,060,956
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($106,950) invested at 7%	$814,131
Monthly shortfalls ($579,440 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,927,831
What you'd walk away with	$2,741,961
Building minus stocks	−$1,681,005

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,152,950
Minus 6% selling cost	−$69,177
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $356,250 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	$1,083,773
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($133,000) invested at 7%	$1,012,430
Monthly shortfalls ($449,950 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,559,023
What you'd walk away with	$2,571,453
Building minus stocks	−$1,487,680

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,152,950
Minus 6% selling cost	−$69,177
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $356,250 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	$1,083,773
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($133,000) invested at 7%	$1,012,430
Monthly shortfalls ($541,717 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,809,054
What you'd walk away with	$2,821,484
Building minus stocks	−$1,737,711

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,128,677
Minus 6% selling cost	−$67,721
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $348,750 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	$1,060,956
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($130,200) invested at 7%	$991,116
Monthly shortfalls ($431,987 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,502,462
What you'd walk away with	$2,493,578
Building minus stocks	−$1,432,622

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,128,677
Minus 6% selling cost	−$67,721
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $348,750 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	$1,060,956
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($130,200) invested at 7%	$991,116
Monthly shortfalls ($523,754 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,752,493
What you'd walk away with	$2,743,609
Building minus stocks	−$1,682,653

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 $1.08M, stocks $2.57M. 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 $950/mo · range $875–$1,050 · 6 rentals within 0.75 mi

Address	Rent	Bd / Ba	Sq ft	Distance	Listed	Type
421 8th Ave N, Saint Cloud	$875	2 / 1	—	0.1 mi	2026-01-09	Apartment
616 10th Ave N, Saint Cloud	$795	2 / 1	725	0.1 mi	2026-02-05	Apartment
625 12th Ave N Apt 212, Saint Cloud	$1,175	2 / 1	1,100	0.3 mi	2026-06-12	Apartment
1423 6th St N, Saint Cloud	$950	2 / 1	—	0.3 mi	2026-05-06	Apartment
226 3rd Ave NE Unit 2, Saint Cloud	$892	2 / 1	850	0.6 mi	2026-10-02	Apartment
28 3rd Ave NE, Saint Cloud	$975	2 / 1	800	0.6 mi	2025-09-26	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 523 8TH AVE N
mediumAsking is $330,850 above the price where cash flow breaks even ($144,150) at the default scenario. Based on: Derived: price $475,000 vs. break-even $144,150

Opportunities

Long time on market: room to negotiate. Based on: Listing data: 122 days on market

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.	$3,452
Insurance / yr Estimateestimate. from units, square feet and age; get a quote	$2,365
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

2026-06-05New at $475,000

From the listing Listing

Listed as	duplex other
Property tax, 2026	$3,452
County	Stearns
Parcel number	82518920000

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 Saint Cloud on rental licensing before you buy.