78 Endicott St, Peabody – A 4-unit property with all 2BR/1BA layouts and off-street parking in a prime location near Route 128, the commuter rail, and Salem—just a 30-minute drive to Boston.Investment Breakdown:Purchase Price: $900K20% Down Payment @ 7% Interest: $180K → P&I = $4,790/monthRenovation Estimate: $200K ($50K/unit) → Total investment: $340KOperating Expenses: ~$18K/year (taxes & insurance)Stabilized Rents: $2,300/unit (market comps)Cash-on-Cash Return: 9% when stabilizedThis deal checks a lot of boxes:Max units for residential financing – You could live here & house hackCosmetic rehab potential – Flooring, cabinets, counters, appliances, paint (~$50K/unit)Strong long-term ROI – Factoring in principal paydown + 2% appreciation, a 5-year stabilized ROI of ~75%Pre-pandemic, these deals were more common closer to the city, but now we’re looking slightly further out—yet they still work as wealth-building assets.

Even if the rental has a decent cash flow with additional flood insurance, we're still not sure we want to take on that risk as we are out-of-state investors (planning to move back to KY in the future, but not now) and we don't like that it will potentially bring down the perceived value when we try to sell it in the future.The seller has never lived there and has not provided any information on if it has flooded before or not. 

As Stuart mentioned, there are several issues that might arise with the property, which could definitely impact your cash flow. 

Eventually, I’d like to start using the cash flow to pay myself and work toward replacing my day job income.

You've done well with your Class A rental, generating $500/mo in cash flow, this adds up over time.

Use the funds to buy 1 -2 LTR rentals cash or use a loan and get 3 - 5 LTR's.

Purchase price: $1,500,000 Cash invested: $35,000 4-Unit building in Wicker Park, Chicago. 3-unit front building with a duplex up and a back brick coach house.

Hello Zachary,  You are correct in looking at the Mid-West for cash flow. 

Quote from @Ricardo Lemus: For a newer investor, a good investment is a property that pays for all expenses with some cash left over.

IMO it’s hard for me to sell a great cash flowing asset.