549 Selby Ave

Saint Paul, MN · Summit – University (Rondo, Cathedral Hill) · Find the listing ↗

Far off

Asking price: $522,500
Monthly cash flow: −$1,404
Estimated rent: $3,300/mo
Break-even price: $258,745

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

3 bed / 1 bath (est.)$1,650 $1,400–$1,900
3 bed / 1 bath (est.)$1,650 $1,400–$1,900

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: $522,500
Monthly cash flow: −$1,404
Cash to close: $120,175
Cap rate: 3.2%
Cash-on-cash: −14.0%
DSCR: 0.50×
GRM: 13.2
Price per unit: $261,250
Price that breaks even: $258,745
Rent that breaks even: $5,123/mo
Cash flow turns positive: year 30
Year 30: property vs stocks: $1.19M vs $2.03M

Monthly breakdown

Rent	$3,300
Vacancy (6%)	−$198
Collected	$3,102
Property tax Public record	−$677
Insurance Estimate	−$257
Water, sewer, trash Estimate	−$170
Lawn care ($120 × 6 mo ÷ 12)	−$60
Repairs (8% of rent)	−$264
Capital reserve (9% of rent)	−$297
Net operating income	$1,377
Mortgage (principal + interest)	−$2,781
Cash flow	−$1,404
Principal paid down (equity, not cash)	$354

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 $1.19M, stocks $2.03M. Stocks win.

How those totals add up

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,268,245
Minus 6% selling cost	−$76,095
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $470,250 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	$1,192,150
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($67,925) invested at 7%	$517,062
Monthly shortfalls ($410,702 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,602,307
What you'd walk away with	$2,119,370
Building minus stocks	−$927,220

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,268,245
Minus 6% selling cost	−$76,095
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $470,250 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	$1,192,150
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($67,925) invested at 7%	$517,062
Monthly shortfalls ($570,087 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$2,036,571
What you'd walk away with	$2,553,634
Building minus stocks	−$1,361,484

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,243,972
Minus 6% selling cost	−$74,638
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $461,250 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	$1,169,334
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($66,625) invested at 7%	$507,166
Monthly shortfalls ($388,876 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,532,694
What you'd walk away with	$2,039,861
Building minus stocks	−$870,527

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,243,972
Minus 6% selling cost	−$74,638
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $461,250 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	$1,169,334
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($66,625) invested at 7%	$507,166
Monthly shortfalls ($548,261 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,966,958
What you'd walk away with	$2,474,125
Building minus stocks	−$1,304,791

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,268,245
Minus 6% selling cost	−$76,095
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $418,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$610 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$610
What you'd walk away with	$1,192,760
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($120,175) invested at 7%	$914,803
Monthly shortfalls ($272,061 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,117,941
What you'd walk away with	$2,032,744
Building minus stocks	−$839,984

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,268,245
Minus 6% selling cost	−$76,095
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $418,000 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	$1,192,150
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($120,175) invested at 7%	$914,803
Monthly shortfalls ($430,836 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,551,595
What you'd walk away with	$2,466,398
Building minus stocks	−$1,274,248

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,243,972
Minus 6% selling cost	−$74,638
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $410,000 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$1,686 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$1,716
What you'd walk away with	$1,171,050
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($117,875) invested at 7%	$897,295
Monthly shortfalls ($253,976 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,058,716
What you'd walk away with	$1,956,011
Building minus stocks	−$784,961

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,243,972
Minus 6% selling cost	−$74,638
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $410,000 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	$1,169,334
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($117,875) invested at 7%	$897,295
Monthly shortfalls ($411,676 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,491,264
What you'd walk away with	$2,388,558
Building minus stocks	−$1,219,224

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,268,245
Minus 6% selling cost	−$76,095
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $391,875 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$5,981 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$6,341
What you'd walk away with	$1,198,491
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($146,300) invested at 7%	$1,113,673
Monthly shortfalls ($214,860 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$926,653
What you'd walk away with	$2,040,326
Building minus stocks	−$841,835

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,268,245
Minus 6% selling cost	−$76,095
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $391,875 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	$1,192,150
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($146,300) invested at 7%	$1,113,673
Monthly shortfalls ($368,265 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,354,576
What you'd walk away with	$2,468,249
Building minus stocks	−$1,276,099

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,243,972
Minus 6% selling cost	−$74,638
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $384,375 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$8,527 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$9,197
What you'd walk away with	$1,178,531
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($143,500) invested at 7%	$1,092,359
Monthly shortfalls ($199,443 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$872,949
What you'd walk away with	$1,965,307
Building minus stocks	−$786,776

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$1,243,972
Minus 6% selling cost	−$74,638
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $384,375 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	$1,169,334
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($143,500) invested at 7%	$1,092,359
Monthly shortfalls ($350,301 total by yr 30) investedThe money you'd have put into the building while it lost money	$1,298,015
What you'd walk away with	$2,390,374
Building minus stocks	−$1,221,040

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

mediumFire-inspection grade C: more deficiencies than typical; expect more frequent inspections and repair orders. Public record: St. Paul Certificate of Occupancy – Residential: 549 SELBY AVE, grade/tier=C, status=Renewal Due
medium$1,008 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 012823220118: special assessments (payable 2026) = $1,008.46
mediumAsking is $263,755 above the price where cash flow breaks even ($258,745) at the default scenario. Based on: Derived: price $522,500 vs. break-even $258,745

Opportunities

Long time on market: room to negotiate. Based on: Listing data: 140 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 Public recordRamsey County record, payable 2026 (non-homestead)	$8,122
Insurance / yr Estimateestimate. from units, square feet and age; get a quote	$3,085
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 1888: +1 pt capital reserve	8% / 9%

County record Public record

Recorded as	two family dwelling - up/dwn
Living units	2
Year built	1888
Market value (2026)	$399,300
Property tax, payable 2026	$8,122
Special assessments	$1,008
Homestead	no
Last sale	—

Source: Ramsey County parcel records.

City rental certificate (CofO)

Residential 2 Units: 2 unit(s), C, status renewal due, renews 2024-07-01.

Nearest highway

I 94, about 546 m away.

Crime in Summit – University

1,067 incidents in the last 12 months (59 per 1,000 residents), −13% vs. the year before. St. Paul police incidents, excluding proactive visits and community events.

Status history

2026-05-15New at $522,500