918 Jefferson Ave

Cash flows

27 photos

Photos, via Realtor.com.

Asking price: $99,900
Monthly cash flow: $304
Estimated rent: $1,800/mo
Break-even price: $157,042

Adjust the numbers See the full breakdown

From the listing

Whether you're looking to expand your investment portfolio or purchase a property with the opportunity to offset your mortgage, this versatile up/down duplex offers exceptional potential! It's conveniently located in Albert Lea, has Central AC, a detached double garage, replacement windows, and great income-producing potential! There is flexibility to continue as a duplex or easily convert it back into a spacious single-family home. The main level unit: - Offers comfortable living space! - Three bedrooms with generous closet space and built-in storage - Full bathroom - Spacious living room - Large kitchen featuring abundant cabinetry The upper-level unit: - One-bedroom with large closet - Large bright living room area with newer carpet - Full bathroom with ample storage - A kitchen that opens to a private deck overlooking the neighborhood-an inviting space to relax and unwind. Additional features for this property include hardwood floors and charming built-ins! Based on current market rents, the property offers an estimated rental income potential of $1,850+ per month, with the main level projected at $1,000+ per month and the upper level at approximately $850 per month. The property is currently vacant, allowing a new owner the opportunity to select tenants and establish market rents from day one. Affordable duplexes continue to see strong buyer demand in Albert Lea, making this an attractive opportunity for investors, owner-occupants, or buyers seeking a property with future flexibility and upside potential.

Description from Realtor.com, MLS #7113049. 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: $99,900
Cash to close: $22,977
Price per unit: $49,950
GRM: 4.6

Each month

Cash flow: $304/mo
Cash-on-cash: 15.9%
Cap rate: 10.0%
DSCR: 1.57×

Break-even

Price that breaks even: $157,042
Rent that breaks even: $1,405/mo

Long run

Year 30: property vs stocks: $875K vs $175K
Cash flow turns positive: year 1

Monthly

Monthly breakdown

Rent	$1,800
Vacancy (6%)	−$108
Collected	$1,692
Property tax Listing	−$125
Insurance Estimate	−$195
Water, sewer, trash Estimate	−$170
Lawn care ($120 × 6 mo ÷ 12)	−$60
Repairs (8% of rent)	−$144
Capital reserve (9% of rent)	−$162
Net operating income	$836
Mortgage (principal + interest)	−$532
Cash flow	$304
Principal paid down (equity, not cash)	$68

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	$242,484
Minus 6% selling cost	−$14,549
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $89,910 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$232,427 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$554,052
What you'd walk away with	$781,987
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($12,987) invested at 7%	$98,860
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	$98,860
Building minus stocks	$683,127

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$242,484
Minus 6% selling cost	−$14,549
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $89,910 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$145,489 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$317,181
What you'd walk away with	$545,115
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($12,987) invested at 7%	$98,860
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	$98,860
Building minus stocks	$446,255

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$218,211
Minus 6% selling cost	−$13,093
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $80,910 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$254,253 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$623,665
What you'd walk away with	$828,783
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($11,687) invested at 7%	$88,964
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	$88,964
Building minus stocks	$739,819

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$218,211
Minus 6% selling cost	−$13,093
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $80,910 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$167,315 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$386,794
What you'd walk away with	$591,912
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($11,687) invested at 7%	$88,964
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	$88,964
Building minus stocks	$502,948

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$242,484
Minus 6% selling cost	−$14,549
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $79,920 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$259,051 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$646,778
What you'd walk away with	$874,712
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($22,977) invested at 7%	$174,907
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	$174,907
Building minus stocks	$699,805

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$242,484
Minus 6% selling cost	−$14,549
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $79,920 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$172,114 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$409,906
What you'd walk away with	$637,841
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($22,977) invested at 7%	$174,907
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	$174,907
Building minus stocks	$462,934

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$218,211
Minus 6% selling cost	−$13,093
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $71,920 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$278,212 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$707,109
What you'd walk away with	$912,227
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($20,677) invested at 7%	$157,399
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	$157,399
Building minus stocks	$754,828

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$218,211
Minus 6% selling cost	−$13,093
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $71,920 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$191,274 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$470,238
What you'd walk away with	$675,356
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($20,677) invested at 7%	$157,399
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	$157,399
Building minus stocks	$517,957

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$242,484
Minus 6% selling cost	−$14,549
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $74,925 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$271,015 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$684,447
What you'd walk away with	$912,381
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($27,972) invested at 7%	$212,930
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	$212,930
Building minus stocks	$699,451

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$242,484
Minus 6% selling cost	−$14,549
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $74,925 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$184,077 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$447,576
What you'd walk away with	$675,510
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($27,972) invested at 7%	$212,930
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	$212,930
Building minus stocks	$462,580

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$218,211
Minus 6% selling cost	−$13,093
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $67,425 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$288,978 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$741,007
What you'd walk away with	$946,126
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($25,172) invested at 7%	$191,616
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	$191,616
Building minus stocks	$754,510

	Year 30
If you buy this building
Sale priceValue grows 3% a year from the price	$218,211
Minus 6% selling cost	−$13,093
Minus loan still owedTenants' rent paid down all $67,425 of principal by year 30	$0
Plus rental profits, invested at 7%$202,040 of profit by year 30, before investment growth	$504,136
What you'd walk away with	$709,255
If you put the same money in stocks
Cash to close ($25,172) invested at 7%	$191,616
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	$191,616
Building minus stocks	$517,639

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 $875K, stocks $175K. The property wins.

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 $900/mo · range $875–$925 · 6 rentals within 1.75 mi

Address	Rent	Bd / Ba	Sq ft	Distance	Listed	Type
200 E 3rd St Unit Downstairs, Albert Lea	$850	2 / 1	800	0.2 mi	2026-10-04	Duplex triplex
1302 Madison Ave, Albert Lea	$895	2 / 1	870	0.3 mi	2026-06-24	Apartment
1215 Saint John Ave Apt 3, Albert Lea	$950	2 / 1	769	0.5 mi	—	Duplex triplex
133 W William St Apt 201, Albert Lea	$865	2 / 1	788	0.5 mi	—	Apartment
139 E William St, Albert Lea	$880	2 / 1	894	0.6 mi	2025-05-12	Apartment
1516/1520 E Hawthorne St, Albert Lea	$895	2 / 1	—	1.6 mi	2025-09-06	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 918 JEFFERSON AVE

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 Listinglisting, tax year 2025. 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.	$1,500
Insurance / yr Estimateestimate. from units, square feet and age; get a quote	$2,342
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%

Status history

2026-07-21Price cut at $99,900 (was $119,900) · from listing history
2026-07-21New at $99,900

From the listing Listing

Listed as	duplex up and down
Property tax, 2025	$1,500
County	Freeborn
Parcel number	340141480

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 Albert Lea on rental licensing before you buy.