South Shore generally wins on ARV and stabilized rents; Englewood wins on purchase price and entry yield. Both are workable BRRRR markets if you scope the rehab realistically and respect the local quirks. The Deal Score tends to land higher in South Shore for mid-tier rehabs, while Englewood plays better for investors who can scale volume on lighter renovations.
The setup
We modeled the same hypothetical BRRRR — a typical Chicago vintage 2-flat, two 2-bed/1-bath units, ~2,200 sqft, mid-tier rehab — in each neighborhood. Numbers below are illustrative based on 2026 market conditions, not specific listings.
South Shore (60649)
- Purchase price: $215,000
- Rehab budget: $68,000 (mid-tier)
- Stabilized rents: $1,550/unit → $3,100/mo gross
- ARV (refi appraisal): $355,000
- 75% LTV refi: $266,250
- Cash left in deal: ~$28,000
- Recouped %: 89%
- Post-refi monthly cash flow: ~$780
- Illustrative Deal Score: 75
Englewood (60621)
- Purchase price: $135,000
- Rehab budget: $62,000 (mid-tier)
- Stabilized rents: $1,250/unit → $2,500/mo gross
- ARV (refi appraisal): $245,000
- 75% LTV refi: $183,750
- Cash left in deal: ~$18,000
- Recouped %: 91%
- Post-refi monthly cash flow: ~$560
- Illustrative Deal Score: 72
What drives the gap
- ARV ceiling: South Shore comps stretch to $355k+ for renovated 2-flats; Englewood comps plateau around $240–$260k
- Rent ceiling: South Shore renovated units pull $1,500–$1,650; Englewood is closer to $1,200–$1,325
- Tax assessment: Cook County reassessment hits Englewood proportionally harder on the post-rehab valuation jump
- Tenant turnover: Both neighborhoods skew long-tenured if managed well; bad management hurts more in Englewood because rent ceiling is lower
Which one's right for you
Pick South Shore if
- You want higher absolute cash flow per door
- You have more capital available per deal
- You want a stronger refinance appraisal cushion
Pick Englewood if
- You're scaling volume on lower-capital deals
- You're comfortable managing more units to hit the same total cash flow
- You can confidently keep rehab scope disciplined
What the app does
Pull either address into Prop-Folio, switch to BRRRR, and the per-unit rent comps + ARV estimate are pulled automatically. Adjust your rehab scope on the Renovation tab and the post-refi cash flow + Deal Score recalculate live. Comparing two deals takes two saves to your portfolio.
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Related: Bronzeville BRRRR walkthrough · Chicago BRRRR underwriting · Free Chicago BRRRR calculator